Highlights of the Achievements of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Year-Ender
2015
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Following are
the highlights of the initiatives and achievements of Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change during 2015:
COP 21 AT PARIS:
Working Towards Climate Justice:
·
India
was able to secure its interest and that of developing countries in the Paris
Agreement.
·
The
Paris Agreement has unequivocally acknowledged the imperative of climate
justice and has based itself on the principles of equity and Common But
Differentiated Responsibilities.
·
The
Agreement acknowledges the development imperatives of India and other
developing countries.
·
India
Pavilion set up by the Government highlighted the initiatives taken by various Ministries,
State Governments, Missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change, Industries,
Civil Societies, NGOs etc. The Prime Minister inaugurated the Indian Pavilion
and released “PARAMPARA”, a book on India’s culture and climate-friendly sustainable
practices.
·
Comprehensive
and balanced INDC submitted, which includes Adaptation, Mitigation, requirement
of Finance, Technology transfer, Capacity Building.
·
To
put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based
on traditions and values of conservation and moderation.
·
To
adopt a climate-friendly and a cleaner path than the one followed hitherto by
others at corresponding level of economic development.
·
To
reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005
level.
·
To
achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil
fuel based energy resources by 2030 with the help of transfer of technology and
low-cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF).
·
To
create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
·
To
better adapt to climate change by enhancing investments in development
programmes in sectors vulnerable to climate change, particularly agriculture,
water resources, Himalayan region, coastal regions, health and disaster
management.
·
To
mobilise domestic and new & additional funds from developed countries to implement
the above mitigation and adaptation actions in view of the resource required
and the resource gap.
·
To
build capacities, create domestic framework and international architecture for
quick diffusion of cutting edge climate technology in India and for joint
collaborative R&D for such future technologies.
·
Science
Express Climate Action Special (SECAS) flagged off; to contribute towards increasing
the understanding of the science of Climate Change; the train will halt at
64 locations in about 20 states across the country.
INITIATIVES TO
REDUCE POLLUTION:
·
National
Air Quality Index was launched by the Prime Minister in April, 2015 starting
with 14 cities to disseminate air quality information. The AQI has
six categories of air quality, viz Good, Satisfactory, Moderately Polluted,
Poor, Very Poor and Severe with distinct colour scheme. Each of these
categories is associated with likely health impacts. AQI considers eight
pollutants (PM10, PM 2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3 and Pb) for which (up to
24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are
prescribed.
·
National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) comprise 12 pollutants, out of which,
three pollutants namely PM10, SO2 and NO2 are
monitored at 612 locations in 254 cities /towns by Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB) in association with various State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)
and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) for UTs.
·
Implementation
of Bharat Stage IV norms in the 63 selected cities and universalization of
BS-IV by 2017.
·
Ministry
of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on 27.11.2015 issued two Draft
Notifications for advancing the implementation timelines to 2019 for BS-V and
2021 for BS-VI for comments of stakeholders.
·
The
Government has held four meetings with Ministers of Environment of National
Capital Region and Punjab on ways and means to reduce air pollution.
·
CPCB
has worked out a transparent criteria to classify industries as 'Red' 'Orange'
'Green' and ‘White’ Category to link with ease of doing business and granting
of consent including its siting. The criteria
evolved are based on pollution potential and resource consumption rather than
capital cost.
·
The
Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) is being revised by CPCB,
which will be based on weightage of air, water and land pollution.
·
Real
time online monitoring of over 2100 industrial units in 17 highly polluting
category including those connected to C.E.T.P have been mandated, leaving those
units which have been exempted otherwise, or are not operational. These
industries have been directed to monitor 24x7 effluent discharge quality and
air emission quality. So far, around 1800 industries are reported to have
installed 24x7 devices.
·
CPCB
has finalized standards for sewage treatment plants (STPs) which stipulate that
treated effluents from STP shall be utilized for non-potable use and if, such
effluents are to be disposed off into surface water body of the ground, in such
cases, STPs will have to meet stricter standards.
·
Real-time
monitoring of water quality of Ganga initiated at eight stations on the main
course and two stations on Yamuna.
·
Developed
Action Plan for Ganga mainstream States to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)
and water conservation for tanneries, distilleries, textiles, sugar and pulp
and paper and achieving improved effluent standards for irrigation in respect
of pulp and paper and sugar industries.
·
Environmental
standards for Thermal Power Plants, Continuous Effluent Treatment Plants
(CETPs) and sugar industry have been finalized.
·
An
online system for submission and monitoring of Environmental and Forest approvals
under the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Forest
(Conservation) Act, 1980. It automates the entire tracking of proposals,
including online submission of a new proposal, editing/updating the details of
proposals and displays the status of the proposals at each stage of the
workflow.
·
A
joint action has been initiated with Water Resources Ministry to run sewage
treatment plants and with Urban Development Ministry for organised Solid Waste
Management. The same formula will be extended to all the other rivers.
·
Ministry
has undertaken revamping Waste Management Rules, namely (i) Bio-Medical Waste
(Management & Handling) Rules, (ii) Solid Waste Management Rules, (iii)
Plastic Waste Management Rules, (iv) E-waste (Management) Rules, (v) Draft
Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Trans-boundary Movement) Rules and
its implementation will lead to significant improvement in waste management.
This is at an advanced stage of finalization.
·
The
Ministry organised a Global Environment Facility (GEF) National Workshop in
association with GEF Secretariat, Washington on May 12-13, 2015.
·
An
India Resource Panel has been established to promote resource efficiency and
use of secondary raw material.
INITIATIVES TO
ENHANCE GREEN COVER:
·
Two
Schemes namely Nagar Vana Udyan Yojana and School Nursery Yojana have been
launched. Nagar Vana Udyan Yojana aims to create at least one city forest in
each city with a minimum area of 25 ha. The scheme aims
at creation of a City Forest in forest areas within their jurisdiction up to a
maximum of 100 ha and minimum area of 20 ha. The objective of the Yojana is to
create 200 City Forests in the country. The School
Nursery Yojana aims to build a lasting bond of students with nature.
·
Under
Green India Mission (GIM), perspective plans and annual plans of operations of
six States have been approved in the first sitting of the National Executive
Council held in May 2015. The Green India Mission aims at increasing the
forest/ tree cover by 5 million hectare as well as, increasing the quality of
the existing forest cover in another 5 million hectare. An
amount of Rs. 50.77 crore has been released to four States out of the fund
allocation of Rs. 64 crore. At the second sitting of the National Executive
Council held in November 2015, Perspective Plan and Annual Plan of Operations
of another four States have been approved.
·
Compensatory
Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA): To ensure
expeditious utilisation in transparent and efficient manner, and safety and
security of the accumulated amounts and fresh accruals, the Compensatory
Afforestation Fund Bill 2015 has been introduced in the Parliament. Enactment
of the Bill will pave way for utilisation of the huge accumulated amount
significantly contributing towards conservation and development of forest and
wildlife. Unspent balance available with the said ad-hoc body has increased to
about Rs.38, 000 crore.
OTHER
INITIATIVES:
·
The
International Day for Biodiversity celebrated across the nation on May 22,
2015. This year’s theme was ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’. At the
main event held in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, a project on Biodiversity
Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) was launched.
·
On
the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, the Prime Minister, Shri
Narendra Modi, planted a ‘Kadamb’ sapling at 7, Race Course Road.
·
A
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change and NOIDA for the development of Botanic Garden of Indian
Republic (BGIR) in NOIDA on June 5, 2015 on the occasion of World Environment
Day. The Botanical Garden would also act as a centre for botanical research
scholars to carry out studies on rare species of plants. 249 eco-sensitive proposals
have been approved, which include 28 final notifications and 92 draft
notifications.
·
The
final notification declaring Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Okhla bird
sanctuary has been issued by Government of India in the Gazette of India vide
S/o2262 (E) dated 19th August 2015, providing relief to lakhs of
house owners in NOIDA and Greater NOIDA area.
·
The
Ministry has launched the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity TEEB-India Initiative
(TII) to highlight the economic consequences of the loss of biological
diversity and the associated decline in ecosystem services.
·
A
commemorative stamp released to mark the centenary year of Zoological Survey of
India.
·
The
Ministry commemorated World Day to combat Desertification on June 17, 2015.
·
The
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in association
with UNESCO, has established a Centre for World Natural Heritage Management and
Training for the Asia and Pacific Region as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre at the
Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.
·
‘Chintan
Shivir’ organised in Bangalore, Bhopal and Guwahati for young officers to enable
the officers from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and
officers from forest, pollution boards and scientists from the concerned
departments to introspect and discuss various aspects related to the Ministry.
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