Biju Dharmapalan
As the proverb quotes, “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. The vision of a country rests with the people who govern the country, the policymakers. Humanity is going through a difficult phase where the population is exploding and resources on the planet are shrinking, and whatever rest on the planet Earth are overexploited by Homo sapiens. As India moves to the Amrit Kaal the country has to address a lot of challenges faced by our citizens in the next 10 to 20 years. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has addressed these issues well in her budget speech. She termed the priorities as the Saptarishi or the ‘seven sages’. Saptarishi or the ‘seven sages’ is a group of seven sages who direct humanity and help build the foundation of Dharma according to Indian culture. The seven priority areas identified are inclusive development, reaching the last mile, infrastructure and investment, youth power, unleashing the potential, green growth and the financial sector.
There is no doubt that our land resources won’t increase on this planet and we and our future generations have to live with the limited resources that our predecessors left out. With growing urbanisation day by day and agricultural lands shrinking, we have to find efficient methods to use our minimal resources available. We have already done maximum harm to our mother Earth through various types of pollution and over-exploitation in the name of development. Through unscrupulous use of chemical fertilisers, we have destroyed the soil biodata that inadvertently affects productivity. The budget proposal to launch PM -PRANAM (Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) will incentivise States and Union Territories to promote alternative fertilisers and balanced use of chemical fertilisers. Similarly budget proposes the setting up of Bhartiya Prakritik Kheti Bio-Input Resource Centres to facilitate natural farming. These centres will create a national-level distributed micro-fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing network.
Similarly, 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme will be established for promoting a circular economy. These will include 200 compressed biogas (CBG) plants, including 75 plants in urban areas, and 300 community or cluster-based plants at a total investment of ` 10,000 crores. The scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste. The scheme also aims to create new rural livelihood opportunities and enhance income for farmers and other rural people.
It’s a pity that manual scavenging is still commonplace after 75 years of independence. The economically backward Dalit community still bears the stigma of being stereotyped as sewer cleaners. In our journal towards ‘Amrut Kaal’ we need to stop this inhuman practice of a particular sect carrying the waste of his fellow beings. The budget give high pririty to urban sanitation. All cities and towns will be enabled for 100 per cent mechanical desludging of septic tanks and sewers to transition from manhole to machine-hole mode. More focus will be provided for the scientific management of dry and wet waste.
If humans have to survive, we must prioritise Green Growth. Prime Minister of India has given a vision for “LiFE”, or Lifestyle for Environment, to spur a movement of an environmentally conscious lifestyle. India is moving forward firmly for the ‘panchamrit’ and net-zero carbon emission by 2070 to usher in a green industrial and economic transition. This budget builds on our focus on green growth. Alternative clean energy sources; like hydrogen and solar should be utilised to reduce environmental pollution. The recently launched National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an outlay of ` 19,700 crores, will facilitate the transition of the economy to low carbon intensity, reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, and make the country assume technology and market leadership in this sunrise sector. Our target is to reach an annual production of 5 MMT by 2030.
The Himalayan mountains make it difficult to connect the Ladakh region to the main national grid. Historically most electricity was created using diesel generators. However, Ladakh has been called the “roof of the world” with abundant sunlight and clear air making it unusually suitable for solar energy technologies. The Inter-state transmission system for evacuation and grid integration of 13 GW renewable energy from Ladakh will be constructed with an investment of ` 20,700 crores, including central support of ` 8,300 crores.
Most of the environmental destruction is caused by industries. For a sustainable future, we need to run industries without causing much damage to the environment. A Green Credit Programme will be notified under the Environment (Protection) Act to encourage behavioural change. This will incentivise environmentally sustainable and responsive actions by companies, individuals and local bodies, and help mobilise additional resources for such activities.
Another noteworthy recommendation is ‘MISHTI’ (‘Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes’) for afforestation along our coastlines. Mangrove afforestation has been given prominence till now. Even during the tsunami that struck us in 2004, we have seen the effectiveness of mangroves in protecting our shores. Similarly, the conservation of wetlands is much needed for human survival as they are the world’s cradle of biodiversity. The government will promote their unique conservation values through Amrit Dharohar. This scheme will be implemented over the next three years to encourage the optimal use of wetlands and enhance bio-diversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities. Wetlands are vital ecosystems that sustain biological diversity and play a vital role in the hydrological cycle. If these are lost, it will affect the whole human species.
Artificial Intelligence dominates today’s world and we can see its influence in our day-to-day activities. From the simple ALEXA that you can talk to from across the room to play music, get the news, set timers, make hands-free calls, etc., to robotic surgery, AI has touched almost everything humans used to do manually earlier. AI will also control future ware fare. So it is of high necessity that our country becomes a superpower in AI technologies. To realise the vision of “Make AI in India and Make AI work for India”, three centres of excellence for Artificial Intelligence will be set up in top educational institutions. Leading industry players will partner in conducting interdisciplinary research, developing cutting-edge applications and scalable problem solutions in agriculture, health, and sustainable cities. This will galvanise an effective AI ecosystem and nurture quality human resources.
In short, we can see that this is the first budget of its kind that focuses on issues that concern not only the development of our country but the survival of the whole of humanity.
(The author is a science
communicator and academic.)
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