GS3 Full
Q1. Briefly mention the pros and cons of recently introduced Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 and Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill. (10M)
Introduction
The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 and the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill are both recently introduced bills that aim to address the challenges of forest conservation and biodiversity protection in India.
Body:
Pros and cons of recently introduced Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023:
Pros
- Promoting Inclusive Progress: The Bill aids tribal communities, particularly those residing in remote forests, to actively participate in India’s developmental trajectory, thereby improving their quality of life.
- Enriching Green Cover: According to the 2021 India State of Forest Report, forested areas encompass 71% of the nation’s land.
- The Bill incentivizes afforestation beyond forest boundaries, leading to a bolstered expansion of forest cover.
- Enhancing Border Security: The Bill enables the construction of infrastructure in border regions, expediting the deployment of security forces and bolstering national security measures.
- Clarification of Ambiguities: Resolving uncertainties about the FCA’s applicability will streamline decision-making for authorities handling proposals related to non-forestry use of forest land.
Cons:
- If the scope of the FC Act is restricted, fewer projects will be required to obtain forest clearance → affecting compensatory afforestation.
- Conservationists see this as a double whammy → losing unrecorded forests to plantations → diverting recorded forests for projects.
- Exemptions will remove the necessity of forest clearances: The Bill gives the Union government wide power to determine ‘any desired use’ beyond the FCA’s original or altered purposes, raising worries of potential resource exploitation without proper environmental assessment.
- The reclassification of forest areas adds confusion: The Bill stipulates that the FCA will be applicable solely to areas listed as forests in official records from October 25, 1980, onwards.
- If these areas are declassified, approximately 1,97,159 sq km of non-Recorded Forest Areas (62% of the total 7,13,789 sq km) will lose protection.
- Exclusion of fragile ecosystems: By exempting the requirement for forest clearances for security-related infrastructure within 100 km of international borders, the Bill excludes some of India’s most delicate ecosystems.
- Disenfranchising forest people: The Bill doesn’t reference the 2006 Forest Rights Act. This might result in excluding specific forest areas and simplifying diversion procedures, potentially removing the need to consult forest people’s institutions (gram sabhas).
Pros and cons of Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill:
Pros
- Exemptions and altered Benefit Sharing: The Bill spares registered AYUSH practitioners and those using codified traditional knowledge from prior intimation to State Biodiversity Boards.
- Simplify compliance requirements for domestic companies.
- Decriminalise offences and withdraws the power given to the NBA to file an FIR against a defaulting party.
- Encourage foreign investment in the sector.
- Speed up the approval process: Facilitate fast-tracking of processes for research, patent application, and transfer of research results.
- Changed Benefit Sharing Mechanism: Benefit sharing terms will now be decided between users and local management committees via the National Authority.
Cons
- Exemptions Undermining Benefit Sharing: The Bill excludes “codified traditional knowledge” and AYUSH industry from benefit sharing, depriving local communities of resource access advantages.
- The Bill confers discretion to government officials, as they can hold inquiries and determine penalties.
- Exploitation Risk Due to Undefined Terms: Unclear “codified traditional knowledge” definition opens doors to potential exploitation, undermining the initial aim of “fair and equitable sharing.
- Monetary Penalties Over Criminal Offences: The Bill replaces crimes with fines, raising fears of resource misuse.
- A review of the law was necessary, however, the present bill can appear to be limited and selective, especially to favour specific bio resources-based industries.
Conclusion
These two Bills contribute to a broader pattern of weakening environmental regulations in the country, particularly since the onset of the COVID pandemic. The prioritization of “ease of doing business” over the Environment Ministry’s core duty to safeguard the environment raises alarm.
Q2: How does the Waste to Wealth mission focus on transforming waste management in India? Explain the key objectives and approaches of this mission in building a zero landfill and zero waste nation. (15M)
Introduction
The Waste to Wealth Mission, spearheaded by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India (O/o PSA), aims at strengthening the waste management system in India by identifying and validating innovative technology solutions and models to achieve a zero landfill and zero waste nation.
Body:
Waste to Wealth mission transforming waste management in India:
- Source Segregation and Waste Reduction: The mission emphasizes the importance of source segregation, encouraging citizens to segregate waste into categories like organic, recyclable, and non-recyclable.
- Recycling and Resource Recovery: The mission promotes the establishment of recycling facilities to recover valuable materials from waste, such as paper, plastic, and metals.
- Decentralized Waste Management: The mission promotes community-level waste management solutions tailored to local needs. This ensures that waste is managed efficiently at its source.
- Alappuzha, a town in Kerala, has implemented a successful decentralized waste management model where waste is converted into compost within the community.
- Composting and Organic Waste Management: The mission encourages composting of organic waste, reducing the amount of waste going to landfills and producing valuable compost.
- The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has set up decentralized composting units to manage organic waste, reducing landfill dependence.
Key objectives of the waste to wealth mission:
- The mission aims to identify, develop, and deploy technologies to treat waste to generate energy, recycle materials, and extract resources of value.
- The mission will also work to identify and support the development of modern technologies that promise to create a clean and green environment.
- The mission will assist and augment the Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities projects by leveraging science, technology, and innovation to create circular economic models that are financially viable for waste management to streamline waste handling in the country.
- Creating awareness about waste management and promoting the adoption of sustainable practices.
Approaches to Building a Zero Landfill and Zero Waste Nation:
- Source Segregation: Encouraging citizens and industries to segregate waste at its source, making it easier to recycle and recover resources.
- Recycling and Upcycling: Establishing efficient recycling facilities to recover materials from waste and promote upcycling, which transforms waste into valuable products.
- Waste-to-Energy Conversion: Promoting technologies like waste-to-energy plants and biogas generation to convert non-recyclable waste into clean energy.
- Composting and Organic Waste Management: Encouraging composting of organic waste to produce nutrient-rich soil amendments and reduce the burden on landfills.
- Collaborating with industries, local communities, NGOs, and international organizations to build a comprehensive waste management ecosystem.
Conclusion
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, less than 15% of the municipal solid waste generated is processed or treated. The benefits of effective waste management are huge. As it is predicted that India has the potential to generate 3GW of electricity from waste by 2050.
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