Jai Ram ji ki

Of the recent controversies surrounding politicians and other public figures, one case in particular is deserving of some comment – that which involves the Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh. The minister is under attack on two issues – questioning the environmental impact of a number of existing and planned infrastructure projects, and for suggesting, at the recent climate talks at Cancun, that India should be willing to curb its greenhouse gas emissions. Predictably, this has turned into an ideological war between industrialists and environmentalists – but it should not remain confined to that forum. Rather, the minister’s actions should spur each and every Indian to think about the possible (and likely) effects of developing into a global economic power.

For the past twenty years, India has enjoyed an explosion of activity thanks to liberalization – first, from the IT sector, which made “Bangalore” a household name in the west and, more recently, from infrastructure projects, with new highways, airports and metrorail projects changing the face of our cities and countryside. All this has come at a cost, of course – not just to the environment, which is impacted with every shovel that goes in the ground, and every acre of farmland converted to a factory site – but also in the negative effects from certain development choices. Twenty years ago, we had a few Marutis and Ambassadors on the (mostly open) roads, and air pollution was not a major concern – today, we have Porsches and BMWs, but are stuck in mile long traffic jams, in smog that would give stiff competition to Los Angeles or Beijing. In 1991, we yearned for houses in planned communities with landscaped surroundings – today, we have our pick of high rise apartments and villas, but overlook a cluster of jhuggis next door.

Now, I’m not being a “greenie” tree-hugger who laments all that has transpired in the past two decades – clearly, development has produced a huge benefit, from giving the large middle class the ability to own consumer goods and live in better homes, to opening up whole new professions that provide meaningful employment to an ever growing population. But as we look to the future, with fully half the country’s population still waiting to make the jump into the 21^st century, we probably need to think about whether the steps taken thus far were the most appropriate. And whether we are in need of a course correction before the crouching tiger truly unleashes itself to become the third largest economy in the world. That, to me, is what Mr Ramesh appears to be doing.

First, the issue of projects being cleared without proper assessment. If, as Mr Ramesh claims, he is ensuring that the rule of law is followed, whether or not the project in question is in a UPA state or not, then that is clearly commendable and should be one of the unshakeable foundations of any future development. Having an impartial body, that enjoys the confidence of the people, is critical to ensuring that the next Lavasa or Posco is built only once there is general agreement on what will and won’t be done. Environmentalism has for too long been confined to “activists” and “movements” that raise a stink after the damage is done – let’s use this opportunity to move it into the mainstream, where every citizen feels responsible for supporting the right kind of development.

Second, choosing to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The reaction to this has been to accuse the minister of hampering India’s growth, just at the time when it needs all the power it can get. After all, if Brazil and China and Mexico are not doing anything, why should we? This dilemma arises precisely because we measure development in megawatts, tons and barrels – and don’t want to suffer “smokestack” envy when comparing ourselves with our “competitors”. If measured from the point of view of human benefit, however, it is surprising how small changes can make a huge difference in how much energy we really need to get things done. While we don’t have huge reserves of oil and gas, most of us probably still dry our clothes in the sun – a completely free source of energy. And there are hundreds of other choices to be made that can reduce how much energy we use for our needs and wants.

Whether or not Mr Ramesh will be successful in bringing about a change in India’s environment remains to be seen. For now, let’s at least give him some credit for applying the brakes, when most world leaders are happy to keep pressing the accelerator without bothering to explain the consequences to their citizens.