Development That Is Mindful Of Nature

Newspaper Rainbow Series     23rd October 2021     Save    

Context: Environmental disaster has become a recurrent phenomenon in Kerala, hence requiring course correction in development strategy.

Causes behind frequent environmental disasters in Kerala

  • Geographical factors: Kerala’s longitudinal topographic grain combined with its east-west-running rivers gives rise to an alternating ridge-valley landform.
    • Due to this, construction of roads or any structure with a north-south alignment involves cutting across valleys and lowlands, impacting natural drainage and overall landscape ecology.
    • Widespread alteration in basin characteristics of rivers: Results in gross disturbance of character of terrain through weathering and formation of soil under natural vegetation cover.
    • River catchment lost water-absorbing capacity, contributing to increasing surface run-off and reduction in groundwater recharge.
  • Developmental issues:
    • High pressure on land: As population density of Kerala is 860 persons/sq. km against an all-India average of 368 persons/sq. km (Census 2011).
    • Shift in settlement towards eco-sensitive highlands from coastal plains and adjoining lowlands.
    • Housing boom: Population grew by 5% whereas the number of houses grew by 19.9% between 2001-11.
    • Land-use change across topographic boundaries: As a consequence of population growth, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, road construction and intra-state migration.
    • Heavy pace construction with serious implications on geo-environment: High demand for construction materials, with the attendant quarrying and excavations, is altering the landscape.
    • Unscientific road construction in hilly areas destabilising and creating conditions conducive to landslides.
    • Construction in hills poses danger to life: As construction on hill slopes prone to disintegration during heavy rain and may cause landslides.
    • Misplaced development priorities: Instead of expansion of the Kochi Metro network, Kerala needs a sewage disposal system.
  • Governance issues:
    • Knowledge gap: As authorities responsible for oversight of construction are not aware of the nature of environmental problem.
    • Extremely complicated rules for registration of purchase and sale of property in Kerala are not matched by building plans.
    • Improper review of projects without consulting the affected people Silver Line project, Light railway connecting two extremities of state can usurp agricultural land and cause ecological disturbance.
    • Apprehension in enforcement of regulations like construction-free Coastal Regulation Zone and implementation of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (Gadgil Committee,).
  • Social issues – Mindless consumerism gripping Kerala’s society.

          Way forward: Development interventions should be cautious, sustainable, and ecologically sensitive

          • Proper cost-benefit analysis of projects considering all stakeholders.
            • Patience should be shown while implementing light railway or adopting a ‘one nation, one highway specification’ in densely populated and ecologically vulnerable regions of the country.
            • Public hearings open to citizens when creating new railway lines and highway widening.
          • Creation of a pool of technical expertise when re-engineering earth, which should include earth scientists, independent public policy experts, elected representatives and citizens from affected areas.
          • Focus on human development approach, through Planetary-Pressures Adjusted Human Development Index of United Nations that weighs a country’s human development for its ecological footprint.