Published in Dwarka Express on 18.2.23

A beautiful golden plated pen gifted by someone was lying on my table for quite a long time. To use or not to use was my dilemma. If I use, I may not get the refill. Pen refill is not available in the market nowadays. After using the pen, I showed the refill to someone and curiously I asked someone what it was. Prompt came the reply ‘REFILL’. I was reminded of the ball point pen of yester years. The pen was costing Rs 2 in 80’s and refills were available in pockets of 10 pcs. Now the so called refills along with stylish pens reach landfills. One day, landfill will overflow, and perhaps we may not be able to refill. Those born in 50’s might be using ink filled pens. They used to go to nearby stationer to refill the pen. Ink filler was used to pour ink in the pen’s tummy. The 30’s born oldies were heard of carrying in ink bottle and  a wooden pen with nib to choke the same in the bottle and use for writing. Even the school desks were seen having a round portion to keep the ink bottle. Gone are those days of madness? Today anything and everything is disposable, including the old dependents! Recollect your daily use items. From a menstruation napkin, PET bottles, tooth brush, to all cosmetics, battery cells, containers, sachets, hospital syringes, kitchen consumables, packing materials, cello tapes, stickers and many more such items are part of our life. We are unable to get rid of the plastics, though Govt has enforced Single Use Plastic (SUP) Ban from 1^st July 2022. Plastic reusing is literally seen only in slums where one can find your used TV or mobile phone or recycled plastic buckets. Literally slum dweller are the real environment friends. They repair, refill or reuse many items rejected by common man in day today life.

Published in Dwarka Express on 11.2.2023

If anyone climbs up Gazipur (Delhi) landfill, she can very well have a sighting of Qutub Minar’s top at her eye level. This is indeed a true but tongue-in-cheek comment of an environmentalist, who is fed up with the ever-increasing landfills. If alone, waste is properly managed, there is no need to address the economic problem of the country. Waste recycling is critical, given the fact that the population growth is unabated. When PM Modi mentioned about the Circular economy, a term which was much unknown in India, it received some attention from all quarters.

What is circular economy and how it is different from linear economy? In linear model, which has been in existence in India for long, factories, the manufacturers use raw materials, make end products, supply the same for consumption. Consumers use the same and throw them which end up in landfills and oceans. On the contrary the circular economy advocates a model of MAKE, USE, REUSE & RECYCLE again and again.

India desperately needs the circular economy and we have to encourage proper waste management in place. “The Circular Economy gives us the tools to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss together, while addressing important social needs. It gives us the power to grow prosperity, jobs, and resilience while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, waste & pollution control.” – Ellen McArthur Foundation.  Circular economy will be fully operational only when we depend fully on the renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels. Whatever we extract out from earth will never get replenished and some critics argue that circular economy in true sense is near difficult. But with advancement of science and technology, a day will come when circular economy is feasible in totality.  Better augmentation of resources is not utopian task. India badly needs it. And as the country envisages green growth as the maxim for the new national objective, PM’s statement gathers attention. Budget allocation for green growth is one step towards it. But the implementation rests on the bureaucracy. Also India needs to focus on balanced growth duly incorporating poverty alleviation measures

Published in Dwarka Express on 4.2.23

For a common man in India, especially the working class, FEB 1 is a ‘D-day’ at least from the income tax perspective. Sans this, swelling fiscal deficit, the bullish trend in Dalal street or plummeting Adani stock makes no impact on the aam admi, whose damp squib is managing his daily errands. While for many others, union budget as just an annual ritual, though this time, the FM seems to have caught up with the GREEN GROWTH. For one reason, the FM deserves a thumbs up, as the budget highlighted green growth in a popping way, indeed a big prominence is given unlike the past, though the PAGE 3 journalists as usual are averse to the term ‘environment’ apparently unaware that it is now part of lifestyle definition, going by Government’s new maxim i.e., LiFE (Liftstyle For Environment) initiative

While PM spoke about the AMRIT DAROHAR SCHEME during the recent Mann ki baat, FM has quoted the same in her speech while talking about GREEN GROWTH. She has mentioned that the RAMSAR sites has increased to 275 whereas the same was at 26 before 2014. Local communities have always been at the vanguard of conservation efforts for wetlands. The government will promote their unique conservation values through the Amrit Dharohar, a scheme that will be implemented over the next three years to encourage optimal use of wetlands and enhance biodiversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generations for local communities,” she said.

GREEN GROWTH is treated by Finance Minister as one of the SEVEN PRIORITIES, called Saptarishi (seven sages) which is expected to guide the Amrit Kaal (next 25 years), which inter-alia speaks of Green Credit Program under Environment (Protection) Act to sustainable actions by all in tune with LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment) initiatives to reduce carbon footprints. PM- PRANAM (Program for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth).

When Finance Minister said old vehicles have to be replaced and in it is the Government policy, by slip of the tongue, she said “old politicians” instead of “Old polluting vehicles”, entire house went into laughter. She corrected it but there is genuineness in eliminating both.  (In lighter vein)

PM’s circular economy initiative envisages recycling of the 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) including compressed biogas (CBG) plants, and community-based plants at a total investment of Rs. 10,000 Cr is expected to take off soon. A series of initiatives such as Coastal shipping, Mangrove initiative (MISHTI, Compensatory plantation, vehicle replacement to control pollution (not politician !!!) Bio-Input Resource Centres, National Green Hydrogen Mission, priority capital investments towards energy transition and net zero objectives, Battery Energy Storage Systems are lined up. All these tall promises paint a greener picture to the budget, though certain deficiencies and inconsistencies are predicted by critics and environmentalists. Even if it is criticized as election budget, the fact remains that the Government needs to prepare itself emphatically to meet the global zero emission targets. Let’s wait to see how these are going to be enforced