Describe key areas of environmental significance which need attention on a priority basis as per Himachal Environmental Policy Guidelines. (HPAS Mains Question Paper 2022 – GS 3, Q.12)
OBJECTIVE
The objective is to develop sustainable development approaches in the Himalayas, which take into account the unique features of mountains. Sustainable development means “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations”. From this definition, the following principles of sustainable development emanate:
i) The Govt. and public perspective must shift towards ecological consideration in development.
ii) Mindless exploitation of natural resources, which are not renewable, must be stopped.
iii) The state needs to conserve resources and use technologies that generate minimum waste.
STRATEGY
- The purpose of the Environment Policy Guidelines for Himachal Pradesh is twofold:
i) Taking stock, as it were, of the development process pursued – its gains and its pitfalls.
ii) Identification of remedies and interventions as may be required at Institutional, Regulatory and, ultimately, policy and implementation levels.
- The Policy Guidelines comprise parts covering subjects of land use, Geology, Forest, Agriculture, Horticulture, Water Resources, Industries, Energy, Tourism, Health, Biodiversity and Pollution in relation to the environment and action required in each area. The present status of each sector, including its environmental concerns, has been indicated.
- Himachal, being a small, hilly State, needs not only to develop its resources of land, water, etc. but also make development humane, ecologically friendly and sustainable. Presently, most departments have their policies Industrial, Mining, Forest, Tourism, Power, etc. All these policies have certain safeguards/regulations built into them to cover ecological issues. Through this document, the endeavour is that the guidelines are considered and adopted by the Govt. departments to make their policies and activities more ecologically sound and better regulated so that the existing lacunae could be plugged and the present developmental process improved upon to sustain itself and ecology. Such a development strategy would ensure a better ecological assessment of projects/schemes, better coordination and, as a result, a better and safer life for the people of the State.
- It is important to recall at this stage that environmental disturbances are pretty often caused by pressures of social or economic expediency. Man does not possess original blueprints of Nature. Therefore, it would be necessary to realise that any action, in order to be ecologically sound, must have foundations on excellent and detailed evaluation of competing options and parameters. In a situation of complexities arising out of technological, social and economic variables, it would be necessary always to have a structured approach while dealing with environment-related issues and evaluations.
- For this, the step-by-step approach as indicated below should be followed in the sequence in which it is mentioned:
i) Technological parameters.
ii) Social, including political parameters
iii) Cost and economic parameters.
iv) Overall reasonability parameters.
