Take ‘green’ advice seriously

The brazen flouting of the National Green Tribunal’s directives emphasises the scant regard the government has for the body that concerns itself so intensely with environmental issues. No government department is known to respond to the tribunal’s directives to help clean up the environment so that cities become more inhabitable and not affect citizens’ health adversely. The manner of the approach suggests that the establishment does not care.

The environment minister speaks about giving more teeth to laws on the environment and handing out severe punishments in cases of violations covering the whole gamut of environment protection issues. However, the reluctance to implement “green” recommendations and orders is indicative of the real situation. The argument that all environment issues are being raked up to hold back development falls flat when we consider the measurable quantum of pollution of the major cities.

The reluctance to even consider enforcing the ban ordered in New Delhi on old diesel vehicles, which do the most damage in terms of particulate pollutants, is testament to the importance the government attaches to the environment. The CJI supported the tribunal’s stand, saying, “One tribunal is trying to do something which is good for the people. Let us assist them and not discourage them.” The diesel engine issue is just a test case in the overall story of how much our environment has been degraded. What the tribunal is pointing to is the direction to take. Taking environment-friendly advice seriously would reflect in good governance and the welfare of the people and the environment they live in.