[sustran] Darryl D'Monte Article

[Sujit Patwardhan]

3 September 2002


Dear All,
Here is an article worth reading.
with good wishes,
--
Sujit






Do Indians really care about the environment?


TIMES OF INDIA,  SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2002 9:36:07 PM


The urban elite are careless about natural resources
Darryl D'Monte, President, International Federation of Environmental 
Journalists

I would say that most well-to-do Indians are not sensitive to environmental 
concerns. We are not very clear what environment consists of and confuse it 
with preserving natural sites and animals.

We would never support the decimation of wildlife or spoiling of scenic 
sites. However, environment is a larger issue, which concerns the use of 
natural resources. By that token, we fare quite badly.
The urban elite, in particular, sees nothing wrong in relying increasingly 
on motorised forms of transport and building flyovers and highways.

In Mumbai, citizens believe that the 50-odd flyovers have actually reduced 
pollution because traffic moves smoothly.

The counter argument, that over much of the industrial world the automobile 
is being seen as the problem rather than the solution, falls on deaf ears. 
While each car emits less pollution if it moves smoothly, the 
ever-increasing number of vehicles is bound to make the load far bigger.

This means public resources are being diverted to meet the needs of a tiny 
minority. In Mumbai, only nine per cent of the 12 million people use cars 
and two-wheelers but some Rs 10,000 crore will be spent over the next few 
years on a slew of road projects.

Car-owners don't pay tolls, so the funds for these schemes are borne by the 
entire community.
The poor, who don't move about in air-conditioned vehicles, also bear the 
brunt of this pollution.
In any case, the average flow of traffic is our cities is declining because 
of sheer congestion. The elite sees no need for public transport because it 
avoids using it.

Many of us hold the poor responsible for damaging the environment  whether 
it the landless who pick up headloads of firewood from forests or the 
homeless who squat in our cities.

A moment's reflection should be sufficient to convince us that the survival 
needs of these people pale into insignificance when compared to the 
destruction of natural resources by the state and industry. Paper, pulp and 
related industries consume far greater amounts of wood in the name of 
development.

Half a century ago, even the Communist party in power in Kerala gave the 
Gwalior Rayon near Calicut access to bamboo at throwaway prices and water 
free of charge, under the mistaken notion that this would benefit Malabar. 
Only the polluted river and atmosphere made people realise they were being 
exploited in the name of industrial growth. Till today, the poor pay more 
for bamboo and other timber than industries do.

All over the country, industries pride themselves on their commitment to 
preserving the environment, but this is generally restricted to greening a 
few areas in and around their plants.

In our cities too, slum dwellers are seen to destroy the environment. In 
Mumbai, they actually occupy some nine per cent of the total area but 
officially constitute 55 per cent of the population, which would make them 
the majority. They contribute more to the economy in terms of labour than 
the well-to-do, since more people in each family work.


--
Sujit Patwardhan
sujit at vsnl.com