18.25 In order to deal with the pollution problems of far flung Union Territories that are directly under the charge of the Board, as well as to coordinate and support the pollution monitoring and control activities of State Boards, the Central Board has an ongoing programme to establish Regional Organisations. Three of these were set up during the Sixth Plan. These will be strengthened with additional manpower, equipment and inrfastructural facilities in the Seventh Plan.
18.26 The availability of modern, well equipped laboratories is essential for executing pollution monitoring and control programmes that include regulatory functions. These will be developed both at the Central and State levels.
18.27 The development of trained manpower for air and water pollution control at various levels is another major responsibility of the Central Board. This will have to be accomplished by a series of nation-wide short and long term courses in the field, supplemented by training and experience overseas for specialised funcations.
18.28 The National River Water Quality Monitoring stations will be strengthened and their number increased as necessary. The River Basin and Sub-Basin Inventory programme will cover seven more river basins in the forthcoming Plan period. Classification and Zoning already completed during the Sixth Plan period will be updated.
18.29 Other programmes of the Central Board are those for: control of pollution at source; development of water quality criteria, standards, regulations and R&D; preparation of Comprehensive industry documents; and laying down of Minimal National Standards for polluting discharges from specific industries.
18.30 Under the programme for air pollution monitoring and control, the Board proposes to establish an Ambient Air Quality Network in some selected cities. Capabilities for Stack Monitoring and Auto exhaust Mointoring are to be developed. It would be ensured that in respect of the thermal power projects, having major polluting industries near their proposed sites, specific parameters would be evolved for Environmental Impact Assessment. Provision of a green belt in the waste disposal area to trap air-borne particles and other solids would also be ensured. In the operational plans of the major thermal power projects and industrial projects, Environmental Management plan would be in-built.
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18.31 It is proposed to systematically study opportunities for cost effective recovery of valuable by-products from pollution effluents and develop (scale up) the relevant technologies and processes. This will be done through a network of projects and programmes relating to Waste Recycling.
18.32 A major programme relating to the Prevention of Coastal Pollution is to be initiated. The pollution impact on biological resources will be carefully analysed, and realistic measures taken for their protection. The present Marine Biological station of the Zoological Survey of India at Madras will be suitably strengthened. In addition, collaborative programmes will be initiated with the Department of Ocean Development, the National Institute of Oceanography and other relevant agencies.
18.33 A special programme is to be initiated for Control of Hazardous Substances (chemical and microbial) used in the country or imported for various purposes (i.e., for agriculture, industry, etc.). The objective is to bring out comprehensive legislation on hazardous materials. It is proposed to create a suitable structure to work out management plans for regulating the import/use/ containment/safe disposal of these materials to minimise adverse environmental consequences. This will also involve the development of codes for handling, packaging, shipping and disposal of toxic materials and creating awareness on these issues.
18.34 A major programme on Prevention of Pollution of Ganga would be undertaken as a S&T mission in the Seventh Plan. A central Ganga Authority has been set up under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister. This is an interdisciplinary and inter-ministerial programme, involving the participation of DOEn, DNES, Ministry of Works and Housing and Ministry of Agriculture. The major efforts would be to modernise and augment the existing sewage treatment plants and also to set up new plants wherever none exist. The three major involved States, viz., UP, Bihar and West Bengal would also be actively participating in this. It is proposed to make the system cost-effective and economically viable by producing energy from sewage and sale of treated water for irrigation, algae production and pisciculture. For this, the technological inputs would be provided by the concerned scientific organisations.
Environmental Impact Assessment 18.35 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an exercise to evaluate the potential of a project, a programme or even a piece of legislation, which may cause damage to the environment. It is proposed to induce all socioeconomic ministries/departments/agencies, whose projects impinge on environmental quality, to establish Technical Cells for Environmental Assessment. The Cells would ensure that project authorities carry out the basic exercise of EIA for each project at the stage of preparing feasibility reports; consultancy organisations such as EIL, MECON, and others would have to be associated. The Department of Environment would oversee approval of projects from the environmental angle, monitor compliance with conditions laid down at the time of scrutiny, and systematically document EIA related experience and information. For this, it is proposed to set up appropriate structures. Its main functions would be: training programmes; documenting and disseminating information; conducting Case Studies involving complex appraisals to generate the necessary guidelines and experience for EIA; and building up nation- wide expertise among various non-governmental organisations and consultancy groups who would assist project authorities in making environmental assessment.
18.36 Data regarding trends in environmental quality would emerge from the monitoring of selected indicators such as extent of forest cover, extent of wasteland, rate of desertification, rate of change in population of endangered species, number of municipalities adequately treating effluents, pesticide residues in water bodies, incidence of acid rain, destruction of fertile land through urbanisation, etc. Much of this information will be generated under various sectoral programmes such as pollution control, etc. But the need for an umbrella structure such as a National Environmental Monitoring Organisation (NEMO) is clear, if environment related information from each sector is to be synthesised into a supporting framework for environmental impact assessment. The actual data storage and dissemination would be carried out under the computerised Environmental Information System (ENVIS). NEMO would have to use the professional expertise and infrastructure within the IITs, Universities, the various Surveys and other governmental and non- governmental organisations.
Natural Living Resources Conservation 18.37 There has been lack of adequate inputs of S&T in the natural living resources conservation programmes. This weakness will now be sought to be rectified through reorientation and strengthening of the work of the Botanical and Zoological Surveys of India (BSI, ZSI), and through the Man and Biosphere Research Programme, with particular emphasis on ecosystems approach. Traditionally, BSI and ZSI have been concerned with higher forms of life. Lower plants and animals, including micro-organisms (bacteria and fungi), though very important in ecosystem considerations, have not received due attention. In the Seventh Plan, work would be initiated in these gap areas. Apart from taxonomic investigations and publication of Flora and Fauna of India, BSI and ZSI will take up joint programmes for Survey of Living Resources and Ecological Mapping in collaboration with NRSA and related
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agencies. Intensive studies will be undertaken for ecosystem analysis of Conservation Areas like Tiger Reserves, Biosphere Reserves, National Parks and selected sanctuaries, for their actual biological content which needs to be conserved.
18.38 Programmes will be taken up on modernisation of taxonomic research and organising Biosystematic Centres using computerised facilities and involving multidisciplinary approaches like cytogenetical, phytochemical, biochemical, ultrastructural, and other experimental techniques. BSI will prepare chromosome, pollen and seed atlases of Indian plants, while ZSI will prepare chromosome atlas of animal species, furatlases of fur animals and atlases of diagnostic morphological characteristics involving some important groups of wild animals of economic value such as turtles, snakes, large lizards, frogs, crabs, mussels, prawns, butterflies, etc.
18.39 BSI would organise at least four Seed Banks of Non- Agricultural Economic Plants (at present collected from the wild and which are under threat), as also Tissue Banks of Endangered/Threatened Species of Plants. These banks would be backed by All India Coordinated Projects (AICP) on Seed Biology and Tissue Culture as conservation techniques. ZSI will take up a major project on Butterfly Farming. Preparation of Red Data Books of Threatened/Endangered Plants and Animals will be an important programme of BSI and ZSI. Work related to identification and inventorisation of Less known Economic Plants and Animal Species as also Species-oriented Ecological Studies and identification of Pollution Resistant Plants will receive priority.
18.40 The university system will be involved in the foregoing programmes, as also for preparing Flora and Fauna of Biogeographically Critical Districts.
18.41 BSI will augment the activities of the Indian Botanical Garden, Industrial Section of Indian Museum as also Regional Centres and Musea. Similarly the Central National Herbarium and Regional Herbaria would be suitably strengthened. BSI will prepare an inventory of Botanic Gardens, Herbaria and Musea in the Country, with a view to organising these into a grid; and utilise information from these as a data base in a Central Computerised system. BSI will also propose sites for National Botanical Gardens, including one at Delhi. ZSI will form similar grids of Zoological Collections and Musea. Apart from the Marine Aquarium-cum-Research Centre at Digha, West Bengal, ZSI in collaboration with the Department of Ocean Development, will take up similar work on the east and west coasts.
18.42 Implementation of the Biosphere Reserves Programme will start in the Seventh Plan with the Department of Environment acting as the nodal agency. The conservation programmes in the Reserves will be supplemented by a strong component of research studies on the living and non-living resources, rare and endangered species, socioeconomic interactions with local/ surrounding populations and ethnobiological relationships.
18.43 To step up on-going activities, and to undertake new programmes at regional levels, the zonal centres of ZSI and BSI will be adequately strengthened in terms of modern tools and expertise.
Eco-development 18.44 Most of the programmes for environmental management deal with pre-planning for eliminating or at least minimising environmental degradation. One of the major objectives of the Eco- development programme is the restoration of already degraded ecosystems through practical field schemes such as land reclamation, afforestation, cleaning of water bodies, etc. The programme is also geared towards arresting further damage to ecosystems and the promotion of a conservation based development strategy.
Eco-task forces of ex-servicemen will deal with critically degraded, inaccessible and difficult areas in the country. The programme of Eco-development camps for sensitising youth on the importance of conservation, especially through the technique of learning by doing, is proposed to be intensified with the involvement of larger number of voluntary agencies, schools, colleges, development agencies, etc.
18.45 To accelerate the process of repairing the damage already done and to illustrate successful tools, techniques and methodologies for environmental protection and field action, programmes would be taken up in some selected areas as demonstration projects, namely:
- Mined Area Reclamation-,
- Demonstration projects incorporating such aspects as creation of green belts and grazing lands, cleaning of water bodies and treatment of water, recycling of wastes especially human waste for biogas generation and optimal traffic and land use planning, etc.
- Rehabilitating Fragile Eco-systems; Watershed Management projects would also be taken up, especially in the Himalayas, to demonstrate the feasibility of technology and management packages for rehabilitation of degraded and fragile watersheds, etc.
18.46 A series of documentary films will be produced on watershed management, soil conservation, water resources conservation, afforestation of degraded areas, reclamation of mined areas, etc.
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18.47 The involvement of the university system (including agricultural universities), research institutions and voluntary agencies in taking up Eco-development activities in the Himalayan and Western Ghat regions and Ganga basin would be continued. In addition, the ActionOriented Research, Development and Extension Programme would be extended to the Eastern Ghats and the Cauvery Basin.
18.48 The Himalayan Institute of Environment and Development will become fully operational. A network of regional centres of the Institute, together with their field stations, is proposed along the entire Himalayan belt, to coordinate the implementation of Eco- Development programmes for the region. In addition, a programme for revegetation to generate and update technology and management practices would also be launched.
18.49 For restoration of degraded ecosystems and greening of barren parts, massive public participation, and particularly the mobilisation of students, volunteers, exservicemen and such others would be required. It is proposed to integrate the efforts in these projects with other on-going projects of similar nature such as social and farm forestry, rural road construction, integrated rural development, etc.
Environmental Research Promotion 18.50 To ensure scientific support for environmental management programmes, the major effort aimed at promotion of environmental research and development will continue. Expert Groups on Environmental Research and Man and Biosphere Programme have already identified thrust areas for research and development. Accordingly, special attention will be given to the following areas:
- Assessment of risks to sensitive ecosystems, and development of norms for environmental management, particularly in regard to optimum carrying capacity of specific areas where development programmes are envisaged or would materialise in the future.
- Dynamics, ecology and resource management of tropical forests, wetlands, mangroves, grazing lands and arid/semi arid zones.
- Development of advanced technology for waste treatment and waste recycling.
- Environmental toxicology in respect of heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, etc.
- Biomass studies, energy/ecological balance and conservation.
- River basin studies.
- Environmental Policy Research.
- Practical application of research efforts in environmental management.
18.51 Specific multidisciplinary and multi-institutional projects will be carried out on:
- Technology and management systems for combating fluorosis.
- Rural fuel use and their impact on health.
- Biological monitoring of heavy metals.
- Effects of air pollutants on plants.
- Tissue culture and seed biology as a conservation strategy.
- Biotechnology for waste management.
- Coastal area pollution.
- Development of low-cost instrumentation for environmental quality monitoring.
- Ethnobiology.
18.52 A Centre for Ecological Research and Training has been set up at Bangalore during the Sixth Plan period; a Centre for Environmental Education at Ahmedabad and one for Mined Environment Studies at Dhanbad are being set up. It is proposed to set up some more Centres/ Programmes in the fields of:
- Mangrove ecosystems
- Environmental impact assessment
- Ornithology
- Wetlands
- Manmade eco-systems
18.53 Under the Manpower Development Programme, special schemes are envisaged to attract brilliant young scientists to carry out environmental research, as also to draw on the research experience of retired and Emeritus Scientists. Emphasis will also be laid on creating adequate education and training facilities to raise a pool of trained manpower.
Environmental Education, Training and Awareness 18.54 For creating and intensifying environmental awareness at all levels of Indian society, both formal and non-formal educational channels will have to be utilised. The basic thrust of the programme would encompass the following objectives:
- Incorporation of environmental themes in educational curricula and teaching aids/materials in the formal environmental education sector.
- Encouraging non-governmental organisations, mass media and concerned organisations to promote non-formal education.
- Providing aid to professional societies and institutions for environmental education activities.
- Developing the National Museum of Natural History and establishing Regional (Satellite) Museums.
- Feasibility studies for establishing a National Institute for Environmental Management.
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- Promoting the setting up of Interpretive Centres in national parks, botanical gardens, zoos and biosphere reserves.
- Promoting manpower development and generating literature and audio-visual material for environmental education.