Independence Day 2022: How India has emerged as a global force in environment protection

As India prepares itself to celebrate the 75th independence day on August 15, the country has not only worked a lot in the last 75 years in the direction of safeguarding the environment but has also led the world by building International Solar Alliance to mobilise the efforts against climate change through the deployment of solar energy.

Since the dawn of time, the concept of environmental conservation has been ingrained in Indian culture. Independent India followed its age-old culture of preserving the environment by bringing several laws and regulations to deal with environmental issues such as air pollution, water pollution, global warming and climate change. The enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 for the protection of plants and animal species in the country was the first major step that independent India took on the road to safeguarding the environment.

Some major laws and regulations that India took for environmental protection are the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Forest Conservation Act, 1980, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, the Ozone-Depleting Substances (regulation and control) rules, 2000, Biological Diversity Act, 2002, Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA), National Green Tribunal Act (NGT), 2010, Hazardous Wastes Management Regulations, 2016 and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2018.

India saving its forests and animals

In terms of protecting forests and animals, India's national parks have increased from 5 in 1970 to 106 in 2022. Also, the population of tigers which was on the brink, is recovering, with annual growth of 6%, with India housing 75% of the world's tigers.

Notably, the tiger population went up to 2,967 in 2018-19 from 1,411 in 2006 with Tiger reserves increasing from nine in 1973 to 52 in 2022. Speaking of conserving wetland areas, India ranks 1st in Asia in terms of the most number of protected wetlands under the Ramsar convention along with China with a total of 75 wetlands registered as Ramsar sites as of May 2022.

India to become home for Cheetahs after nearly 7 decades

Notably, the country's last spotted cheetah died in Chhattisgarh, undivided Madhya Pradesh in 1947, following which the animal was declared extinct in the country in 1952. However, the government of India under the reintroduction plan will bring Cheetahs from Nambia to Madhya Pradesh and it is likely that they will be brought before Independence Day, August 15. The aim of the reintroduction of cheetahs after nearly 7 decades in India, is to reestablish the population of cheetahs in the country. 

Separate body to adjudicate environmental case & plastic ban

To deal with environmental litigation and provide fast redressal, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was constituted in India in 2010. Notably, NGT is a specialised judicial body equipped with expertise solely for the purpose of adjudicating environmental cases in the country. This move is also one of the major steps taken after the independence in redressing the environmental cases as it famously passed some rulings for the protection of the environment including prohibiting the open burning of waste on lands. 

Plastic is one of the major sources of environmental pollution in India with Indians generating about 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste per year. However, the government of India on July 1, banned single-use plastic which will not only reduce plastic waste drastically but will also affect the environment in a positive sense.

India on a road to clean energy

From being a less scientifically developed nation at the time of Independence to aiming to boost clean energy, India’s installed renewable energy capacity is the fourth largest in the world. A total of 150.54 GW of Renewable Energy capacity (including large hydro) was installed in the country.

Notably, India will also house the world's largest floating solar plant, which will help generate 600 Megawatt power by 2022-23 in Madhya Pradesh. Apart from solar energy, India is also utilising hydropower to promote the use of green energy. From 4.2 GW in 2016, the installed capacity of the small hydropower plants has increased to 4.8 GW, which is close to the target of 5 GW set by the Ministry of New and Renewable energy.

From the first electric vehicle in 1996, India now houses over 1.5 million e-rickshaws. In 2021, the sale of electric two-wheelers went up by 132% as compared to 2020, indicating the faster adoption of methods to protect the environment. Also, by next year, India will blend 20% ethanol in petrol, which will reduce carbon emissions as well as air pollution.

Notably, this will contribute to a reduction of greenhouse gases equivalent to about 3 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per annum, which is equivalent to taking around 63,000 cars off the roads per year.

All of the renewable projects from solar to hydro to the use of EVs and ethanol blending aims to reduce the carbon emission of developing India which requires energy but will not compromise the environment. India has gone ahead of many developed countries in terms of utilising renewable energy as it stands 4th in the list of countries having installed renewable energy capacity worldwide. Notably, from 13,242 MW in 2008, India's renewable energy went up to 1,59,949 MW in 2022, taking the total share of renewable sources of energy in India's power sector to 39.7%

From less than 1% sanitation coverage to more than 99%

Apart from this, the Government of India's several programmes including Swachh Bharat, Namami Gange etc., have also helped the environment stay clean. Notably, as per the reports, during 1947, the sanitation coverage in India was less than 1%, however, by 2019 it crossed 99%, showing the path of India's road to a clean environment.