Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Enough is enough, focus on climate now, greens tell poll contestants

Mumbai: As the fireworks will continue from this Diwali through the election season, green groups have called upon various political parties to “mind the environment” as the climate change is for real.

Pointing out that the environment is a state subject, the activists have made renewed appeals to the electorate to question their candidates as to what they will do to conserve nature.

The protection and conservation of wetlands, mangroves, along with green cover and open spaces can no longer be wished away, NatConnect Foundation which spearheaded the drive said.

Enough damage is being done to the environment by reckless infrastructure, industrial and real estate development and it is high time that the future lawmakers took a serious view of the destruction, NatConnect director B N Kumar and Watchdog Foundation’s Godfrey Pimenta said.

In a related development, NatConnect reminded the Election Commission of its earlier promise and asked it to spare the officials responsible for monitoring the environmental violations from the election duties. At best, the EC must limit the officials’ election related duties to bare minimum so that they can focus on enforcing the law, Kumar said.

NatConnect and Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishtan had complained of rampant destruction of wetlands and mangroves in Uran during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when the officials were away on election duties.

The activists, therefore, appealed to the election commission to spare the district level officials from poll duties. The ECI responded saying that the suggestion was noted, and the poll body would take appropriate measures.

Turning to the poll manifestos, the activists said the parties must outline their plans, targets for an all-inclusive environmental care. For instance, the objections and suggestions submitted during the environmental impact assessment of industrial and infrastructure projects must be in public domain so that the respondents can monitor the execution of the works, Kumar said.

Nandakumar Pawar, head of Sagar Shakti, called for setting up an environmental clearance monitoring system to see if the conditions imposed in projects are being adhered to or not. The compliance reports being submitted by the project proponents should be cross checked independently, he said.

Jyoti Nadkarni of Kharghar Hills and Wetlands group said wetlands and mangroves are being damaged under the guise of projects such as Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (PMAY) or coastal roads. With an unplanned water management system, the rapid urbanisation will turn out to be a meaningless exercise, she cautioned.

“As it is we are forced to depend on tanker water supply in this so-called city of the 21st century and on top of that we see a series of 50-storeyed buildings coming up,” Nadkarni lamented.

Mumbai's rapid urbanisation has resulted in challenges that directly affect public health, infrastructure resilience, and environmental sustainability, said Adv Godfrey Pimenta, director of Watchdog Foundation.

The city's air quality has been worsening due to the continuous rise in uncontrolled construction activities and an increase in vehicular traffic posing a serious health risk, particularly to children and the elderly. He, therefore, called for enforcing strict air pollution controls at construction sites, including dust mitigation and monitoring systems.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.