Violent clashes between police and protesting farmers at Tappal village in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district caught the nation’s attention in August 2010. Farmers demanding higher compensation for their land which was acquired for the 165 km long Yamuna Expressway were shot at resulting in the death of three farmers and one policeman. This was the first in a series of protests against land acquisition across India. Mining in Orissa’s Niyamgiri hills by Vedanta was stopped after agitations by the local tribal communities. Singur and Nandigram in West Bengal witnessed protests much earlier but they still resonate to the magnitude of the violence there. Bhatta and Parsaul, two villages in greater Noida, saw clashes with police and government on one side and residents on the other. The steel plant to be set up in Orissa by Korean giant Posco has recently run into rough weather. Another steel plant to be set up in Gadag district of Karnataka, also by Posco, has been scrapped after protests by farmers and concerns expressed by religious leaders who had a stake in the land.
One major reason for these protests can be the quantum of compensation offered. The government, in the name of acquiring land in the “public interest”, pays a pittance to the landowners. The farmers in Tappal, close to Delhi and Noida, were for instance paid a paltry Rs. 880 per sq metre (this was after the protests), while the prevalent prices ranged between Rs. 15000 and Rs. 20000 per sq metre. Rehabilitation of people displaced by the construction of other expressways, dams and industries leaves much to be desired. It is interesting to note that a government that quotes the word “market” for everything doesn’t believe in the same market rules when it comes to compensation.
Large scale land grabbing and displacements have resulted in sections of society, especially the youth, resorting to violent protests. With no concrete policy changes to improve the lives of the poor and the marginalized on the anvil, disillusionment has crept in providing fodder for the armed maoist/naxalite movement.
When the Environment ministry asked the Maharashtra government to take action against the promoters of the Lavasa lake city project, the government consulted legal opinion to regularize the project by paying penalty. While the nexus between politicians and corporate India seems to be at an all-time high, the list of vested interests seems to be growing with the bureaucrats, the kith and kin of politicians, and army generals joining in. Most of the projects are in complete violation of environmental norms and scant respect is shown for green laws. The Adarsh society scam, mining by Vedanta in Orissa and the Jaitapur nuclear project in Maharashtra are some examples of violation of environmental laws.
The granting of heritage status to the Western Ghats recently unsettled the politicians of Karnataka who were opposed to it. The reason was made out to be that with the conferment of heritage status, primitive tribes living there would be displaced. But many NGOs and activists are of the view that the heritage tag will become a roadblock to the many vested interests who indulge in illegal mining in the Western Ghats. The violence at Bhatta and Parsaul, in May 2011, was given a political touch with Rahul Gandhi entering the fray, expressing solidarity with the farmers and accusing the state government of high-handedness. High drama unfolded with him entering curfew-ridden villages and addressing meetings. He was accused of politicizing the issue with an eye on the elections to be held in Uttar Pradesh next year. What his visit managed to do though was to hijack the real issue and turn it into a clash between the state government and the Congress party with farmers as the pawns.
Amidst all this, the role of the environment ministry assumes importance. The ministry is under serious pressure from other ministries to clear projects. A case in point is the approval granted to the Navi Mumbai airport despite the prospect of loss of large tracts of mangroves. Corporates and multinational corporations operating in India are said to be highly dissatisfied with the environment ministry as it has either stalled or slowed down projects worth 100 billion dollars. The use of land reforms as an instrument to reduce poverty no longer interests the political class. A long pending demand for a comprehensive land acquisition bill is yet to be met. While some are of the view that governments should not interfere in the land acquisition process, most activists have stated that government should acquire all the land required and act as a facilitator.
So where do we draw a line between environmental protection and development? It’s quite easy to say that a compromise is to be achieved with the pros and cons evaluated and minimal damage to the environment. In reality it is quite tough. With private players mostly looking at maximizing profits, the government should not to give in to lobbying by them. There should first be a proper evaluation of the merits of the project. For example, there is little merit in the Yamuna expressway as there is already a highway connecting Delhi with Agra. Similar to this is the Jaitapur nuclear project, with doubts being raised about nuclear safety in the backdrop of the recent Fukushima disaster. With climate change a reality, increasing water, soil and air pollution and depletion of ground water, more checks and balances are required to safeguard the environment.
At the same time, advocating environmental protection at all costs will also be problematic. Huge increases in population have created a greater demand for energy and if more and more projects are stalled, sustaining a high growth rate without addressing the energy needs may become a daunting prospect. India’s labour force is expected to increase manifold in the coming years and there is a need for more industries to create jobs outside the agricultural sector. Sustainable projects with complete adherence to green laws should be encouraged. How the government goes about this task will be crucial to the health of the ecosystem as well as the livelihood securities of millions.
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