Preserving the Environment, Protecting the Trees 4 December 1986 :Ch.Bhajan Lal (Part 3)

this practice. All types of help is being provided to meet this situation.
Similarly, there are problems of water pollution, air pollution, pollution by thermal power stations, etc. We have duly considered the problem of emission of hydrocarbons. You would have noticed that we have started a new system regarding plying of buses, trucks, four-wheelers, ete. Some battery-operated buses have been started on an experimental basis within the city limits. They are a bitmore expensive and their speed is also comparatively less. But there is nothing Wrong if the speed of the vehicles plying in the cities is less. We shall try that battery-operated buses are plied in metropolitan cities. It will also decrease pollution to a large extent.
The hon’ble member has rightly said that a motorcyclist or a scooterist driving behind a bus will not see anything due to the smoke emitted by buses. We are, therefore, thinking that at least the silencers of buses, etc., should be raised to higher level. If a bus is ten feet high, it should have a bend at the top. It will reduce the emission of the Smoke to the minimum and will keep the environment a bit more clean. We are considering this proposal.
Similarly, there was a mention about the desert also. An hon’ble member, Shri Hannan Mollah said that the desert is expanding. Trees can control the expansion of the desert. Trees prevent floods also. We are planting forests and this will solve both these problems. It will preventerosion of soil as well.
Water pollution was also mentioned. Drinking water is certainly polluted when sewerage water goes from the drains into the rivers. We have made programmes to prevent discharge of dirty water into the rivers.
The issue of sanctuaries and national parks has also been raised. Secondly, there was some reference to industrialists as well. I want to say that no leniency will be shown to them. The question of any concession to them does not arise. Any poor man can file a complaint and law is the same for all. Whether the suit is filed by the governmentor some private person, there can be no leniency.
The Bhopal gas tragedy was mentioned, it was stated that such factories should not be set up. This factory in Bhopal was a very old one. Something untoward happened there. Now the government has decided that in future there will be a condition for granting licence that the water treatment plant, air pollution treatment plant and all other safety devices will be provided in the factories to ensure clean environment around them. The factories would be established around them. The factories would be established only after ensuring installation of all such arrangements.
Sir, so far as plantation of trees is concerned, one hundred crore rupees were spent during the Sixth Five Year Plan under the 20-Point Programme. During the first year of the Seventh Five Year Plan, i.e. in 1985-86, a sum of Rs. 425 crores has been spent for this purpose. Previously only forty crore rupees per year used to be spent. In the Seventh Five Year Plan we shall be spending about Rs. 2500 crores on afforestation so that it is ensured that maximum plantation is done in the country. In 1986-87, Rs. 550crores will be spent for this purpose.
Shri Manoranjan Bhakta mentioned that the meeting of the regional committee was held six months back but the report has not been received so far. The resolution and the minutes of the meeting were sent to you within seven days of the meeting. Either you have not gone through your mail or it has been misplaced. The department had sent its report within a week. We shall send you another copy of it so that whatever little misunderstanding is there, it may be removed.
I want to tell the House in brief about the measures which we are going to take. The government has taken many steps for increasing the awareness among the people and also to educate and inform them about the environment. As a result of that, tremendous awareness is now seen among the general public, public and private sector industries, governmentemployees, policymakers, legislators and politicians.
The details in brief about the steps taken by the government for creating awareness and providing education and information about the environment are as follows: (1) Under the new 20-point programme (point no. 17), the following objectives have
been fixed for the preservation of the environment; (a) To increase public awareness against environmental dangers. (b) Tomotivate popular support for preservation of the environment. (C) To lay stress on the theory that ecological preservation is essential for
development. (d) To ensure the right selection of site and technology for the projects. (2) Recently “a movement for the awareness of the environment has been launched to create environmental awareness at all levels. Seminars, training programmes/workshops for school teachers/students, public meetings, camps, rallies, publicity through posters and other materials are being organized all over the country in order to elaborate its importance. On the lines of the 20-point programme, a 35-point programme has been formulated in this regard for the preservation of forests and the environment. This programme will be propagated among the people of the country so that there is minimum deforestation and the ecology of the country can be properly maintained. So far as saving of wood is Concerned, it has been decided to use Concrete or steel sleepers instead of wooden sleepers for rail lines, which will save fifty lakh sleepers every year. The Wood which is used for making apple boxes has been exempted from excise duty by the government. There will be no excise duty on general licence so that if somebody wants to import he can do so which will also save our forests. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and all the honble members for this late sitting upto 7.15p.m. I also thank Shri Digvijay Singh and request him to move the amendment so that the motion may be adopted. We do not have any objection to it. Reference Lok Sabha Debates, Vol. XXIII, CC. 457-70.