Speaking at a function to mark the World Environment Day here today, the Prime Minister cautioned that if the rich nations continued to put unrelenting pressure on our planet's limited and non-renewable resources and if the present glaring imbalances in global economic growth continued, it would be difficult to prevent the damages to the environment on a universal scale. He regretted that ironically it is the poor who have to pay a heavier price for the guilt of the rich.

    Stressing that there was no basic conflict between development and environmental protection, the Prime Minister called for broadening and deepening the sweep of environmental protection as a people's movement.

    The following is the text of the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpyaee's speech on the occasion :

    "I am happy to be with all of you on the occasion of World Environment Day. It is a day to show our gratefulness to Mother Nature, which sustains human life on our planet. It is also a day to focus our attention on our collective failure to protect the environment, which has endangered sustainable development for the human race.

    The theme of this year's World Environment Day starkly captures this concern. It tells us :"Our Earth, Our Future. Just Save it". This is an urgent appeal to each one of us to recognize the gravity of the challenge and to renew our pledge to take remedial actions.

    Conservation and protection of the environment have been the cornerstone of Indian ethos and culture. Our spiritual heritage teaches us that respect for nature is a pre-condition for peace and harmony in life. The first lessons in sustainable and non-violent development were learnt by our society when our sages guided us to see sacredness in everything in nature.

    The prayer in the Atharva Veda states: "What of thee I dig out, let that quickly grow over. Let me not hit thy vitals or thy heart." Hence, a traditional Indian who worships a tree in not promoting any superstition. Rather, consciously or unconsciously, he is spreading the message of environmental conservation.

    In spite of this cultural tradition, the state of the environment in India today ought to be a cause of deep concern to all of us. Many of our cities are among the most polluted in the world. Our rivers at many places- including in Delhi - have become highly dirty. Our forest cover is rapidly depleting. Soil erosion and degradation have become a major problem in our agriculture. The amenities for safe drinking water and sanitation are so inadequate for the poor in cities and in villages that they are harming their health and happiness. Already the water table is dropping so fast in many places that we may not have enough water for all our needs in the coming decades.

    It is clear that we as a nation cannot postpone urgent introspection on our path of development in the past fifty years. No doubt, we have many achievements to our credit and we should be proud of them. But, perhaps, one of our greatest failures has been the neglect of the environment even as we went ahead with industrialization and urbanization in India. Unless we make amends soon, we will be guilty of making our future generations victims of an environmental and human catastrophe.

    Friends, I have deliberately struck a strong note of warning- which, in any case, is not an exaggeration- because I would like the entire nation to become aware of the seriousness of the problem staring us in or faces.

    To our friends in industry, I make a fervent appeal today. Don't wait for either the Government or the judiciary to enforce environmental laws. Voluntary and speedy compliance is good for both industry and society. Do not think of investment in environment-friendly technologies as a burden you can shirk. It is a moral, social, and legal obligation you must fulfill. Moreover, it makes good business sense in the medium and long term. Wherever possible - and it is possible in many cases - we should also implement low cost green technologies that are appropriate to our needs and conditions.

    We must, of course, not overlook the fact that many of the problems that India and other developing nations are facing on the environmental front are not entirely our own doing. Industrialized nations cannot absolve themselves of the far greater contribution they have made to environmental degradation around the world. Nations have boundaries, but the environment has none.

    If rich nations continue to put unrelenting pressure on our planet's limited and non renewable resources, and if the present glaring imbalances in global economic growth continue, damages to the environment will be universal, ironically the poor have to pay a heavier price for the guilt of the rich.

    On the occasion of World Environment Day, therefore, India joins the environment- conscious people around the globe in demanding radical changes in the international financial and trading systems. The gulf between developing and developed nations, as also the worsening conditions of want in developing nations, are not only a source of social discord but also environmental degradation.

    It is heartening to note that awareness about the environment has grown considerably in recent years not only around the globe but also within in India. This is due to the combined as well as separate exertions of the government , non-government organizations and international agencies. Experience shows, however, that people's active participation is the best guarantor of the desired results. All of us have been talking for a long time about making environmental protection a people's movement. In some places, this has indeed happened. The challenge before us is how to broaden and deepen its sweep.

    In this context, it is necessary to emphasize that there is no basic conflict between development and environmental protection. It is impossible to think of one without the other. Sometimes, however, even genuine developmental projects are opposed in the name of protecting the environment. Some of the critical delays in the completion of infrastructure projects, with huge investment outlays and large scale social benefits are due to this reason. India cannot afford such delays.

    Indeed, in a country like India, environmental protection is more likely to become a mass movement if we are able give it a strong development and employment thrust. I am happy to note that the Ministry of Environment and Forests has followed this enlightened approach in formulating its programmes. For example, its Action Plan to achieve 33 percent forest cover in the country in a time bound manner would generate large-scale employment, particularly in rural areas where it is most needed.

    Another scheme has similar thrust of employment and grassroots growth and whose launch I am pleased to announce today - is the augmentation of bamboo resources in the country. Many communities belonging to the weaker sections of society depend on bamboo for their livelihood. This scheme can generate up to 50 lakh mandays of rural employment.

    It will specially promote the interest of bamboo workers and boost the production of value added goods for sale in the domestic market. Bamboo products also have a huge untapped potential for export. However, for this scheme to be really successful, the States will have to change some of their rules and regulations governing bamboo.

    I also compliment the Ministry of Environment for launching a special scheme to promote the involvement of rural women in raising forest nurseries through the Integrated Rural Development Programme. The production of high quality seedlings is crucial for the success of all our forest development programmes.

    I would like that all the concerned ministries and agencies like the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment, Ministry of Agriculture, Khadi & Village Industries and Commission, the Planning Commission and the State Governments to synergies their efforts for the successful implementation of these programmes.

    Project tiger has been the flagship of our wildlife conservation efforts. India is proud to be the only country in the world to be come to this wonderful animal. But with pride comes the responsibility to protect the tiger for posterity. I am happy that the outlay for this scheme has been raised significantly in the 9^th Plan.

    Today is also the Foundation Day of the National Museum of Natural History. This museum has played a key role in sensitizing our children about the priceless biodiversity of India. I am happy that the Ministry has been running many programmes to expose the students of our schools and colleges to the rich flora and fauna of our country. These efforts should be further expanded.

    Friends, the Ministry of Environment and Forest has taken many commendable initiatives. The only thing about its work that one might take exception to is that it has been rather silent about it performance. This, however, is not surprising. The one lesson all of us should learn form our natural environment is how our land and forests and rivers work silently and yet harmoniously, so that life on this planet is sustained generation after generation.

    I appeal to every sector of society - governments and non - governmental organizations, individuals and community groups, business and industry, religious organizations, the civil society at large, and particularly the younger generation - to learn from Nature this great quality of silent but ceaseless service Let all of us do the little things base on thinking globally and acting locally. Each small measure we take is important. No one can do everything, but each of us can do something to help sustain Mother Earth.

    Thank you.
 
 

    The States of Andhdra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh and the Union Territories of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Pondicherry, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep are yet to constitute District Planning Committees.

    Similarly, States of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Prades, and West Bengal and the Union Territories of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and Chandigarh, where metropolitan areas exist, the Metropolitan Planning Committees, as envisaged under Article 243 ZE of the Constitution in terms of the Constitution (74^th Amendment) Act, are yet to be set up. In the States of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep, urban local bodies (municipalities) do not exist.In the State of Jammu & Kashmir, the Constitution (74^th Amendment) Act, is yet to be adopted.

    Of the Union Territories, the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Chandigarh Administration have sought exemption from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs from constituting District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees as envisaged under the Constitution (74^th Amendment) Act, although the provisions of the 74^th Constitution Amendment Act are mandatory and there is no room for any exemption .

    The Constitution (74^th Amendment) Act provides for constitution of District Planning Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees by all the States and Union Territories to ensure balanced and equitable urban development as also financial autonomy to the municipalities (urban local bodies). The two Committees along with State Finance Commissions are mandatory under the impugned Constitution Amendment Act.
 
 

    The Regional Director, SEARO assured the Minister of WHO’s cooperation and technical assistance to the Government of India for the vaccine development programme and for establishing trauma care facilities in Delhi. He also stated that a Conference of Health Ministers from major countries of SEARO and PAHO Regions, for information sharing and in-depth discussion regarding traditional systems of medicines will be held shortly.
 
 

DEVELOPMENT OF BAMBOO

    This scheme has been formulated with the help of the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Rural Development, with the aim to develop bamboo resources in the country. This will be a rural poor oriented scheme, which would promote self-employment. The scheme will specifically promote the interests of bamboo workers in 9 States of the country (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Orissa) and enable the production of value-added goods for sale in the domestic market and for export. The scheme will be implemented under the "Care and Share" concept of Joint Forest Management (JFM).

    Under this scheme, bamboo resource will be developed not only in the forest areas but also in private lands. In private lands, cultivation of bamboo will be promoted in individual homesteads and agricultural fields. Approximately 1 lakh hectare of natural bamboo forests will be brought under intensive scientific management every year over a 5-year period to conserve the resource and increase its productivity. This will generate employment of 5 million man-days every year. In addition, 50,000 beneficiaries would be identified every year who will be provided with technical input and planting material to grow bamboo on their homesteads and agricultural fields. Micro-enterprise development centres will be established in the identified states to improve the durability and value- addition of bamboo. Marketing support will be provided once the harvesting starts and export of value-added products will be promoted through State Trading Corporations and Star Trading Houses.

    The scheme will involve an investment of Rs. 150 crores over a 5 year period. States will be required to formulate specific proposals and submit them to the Department of Rural Development in the Ministry of Rural Development and funds would be made available under the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and the Swarn Jayanti Rozgar Yojana.

    Bamboo is one of the most versatile and widely used natural materials, which grows in almost all parts of the country. A large number of communities belonging to the weaker sections depend on bamboo for their livelihoods needs. There are 124 indigenous and exotic species of bamboo found naturally or are under cultivation in India. It has been estimated that 8.96 million hectares of forest area in the country contains bamboo and the total growing stock has been assessed at 80.42 million tonnes by the Forest Survey of India. Although, China has only 3.79 million hectares of forest land under bamboo, its growing stock has been estimated at 96.32 million tonnes. China exports nearly US $7 billion worth of bamboo products every year. Therefore, there is tremendous potential for the development of bamboo resource in India with a view to increase it productivity, manufacture high quality value added goods, and generate large-scale self-employment opportunities for the tribal and backward communities.
 

RAISING OF QUALITY SEEDLINGS

    A new programme has been developed to provide assistance to rural women through the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) to raise nurseries in forestlands. Rural women living below the poverty line will be provided financial assistance under the IRDP, comprising subsidy and credit for raising nurseries as a self-employment and income generating opportunity. The nurseries will be established in suitable forest areas, for which the State Forest Departments will make available forestlands, specifically for establishing nurseries and within the ambit of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Technology based packages of nursery practices will be provided to the beneficiaries by the forest departments and the various forest research institutes in the country. The State Forest Departments will be obliged to buy-back at least 75% of the seedling production from such nurseries and the beneficiaries will be free to sell 25% of their production in the open market. This will increase their stake in the operation and ensure that only good quality seedlings are produced. This programme will generate about 3.45 lakh jobs every year.

    The Ministry of Environment & Forests has prepared an Action Plan for bringing 33 percent of the geographical area of the country under forest and tree cover over the next 20 years, as mandated under the National Forest Policy, 1998. This will require 30 million hectares of non-forestland to be brought under forest and tree cover and the rehabilitation of another 30 million hectares of open and degraded forests, which have a crown density of less than 40%.

    In the past, one of the main reasons for the poor state of forest plantations has been the poor quality of planting stock and poor nursery techniques. Therefore, producing good quality planting material is crucial for achieving the target of 33 percent forest and tree cover. Over the next 20 years, an area of 3 million hectares will be covered under the Action Plan, which will require about 3,685 million seedlings for rehabilitation of degraded forests, intensive plantations and tree planting under the farm and agro-forestry programmes.
 
 

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