At a time when the venom of global warming is spreading steadily and concern for counteracting it is growing all over the world, India has decided to set its own pace for going green. One of the largest contributors of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, India is no more following the duplicitous attitude of other developed and developing nations, rather it has decided at the highest policy level to opt for a comprehensive guide map to ensure sustainable development and environmental protection.
A country, which is very much prone to natural disasters like floods, droughts, failed monsoon in one season, incessant rains the other needs to initiate now or never. The Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, who was until now reluctant to step up against climate change in the face of India being a developing country, has advocated for green India. According to Dr Singh, Green India would set itself its target of emission cut to help in energy efficiency and sustainable development.
Dr Manmohan Singh said, ‘Our government plans to undertake a major affore station programme called Green India for greening six million hectares (15 million hectares) of degraded forest land.’
Climate change is a global challenge and India being the second largest populated country in the world contributes substantially to the environment. Its green house gas emissions around four percent make it one of the world’s top polluters. But, the country blamed the industrial nations for the ever-growing environment pollution.
The country will be severely hit in the wake of climate change for the southern part of India lies in ocean, while the Himalayas, which are the source of most of the rivers of the subcontinent dot the northern part. If we see the severest form of climate change as is predicted by the scientists, Himalayan glaciers would melt down soon laying the rivers barren and dry. While the oceans would inundate the coasts submerging southern India.
It is right time for India to curtail its global emissions of green house gases going for cleaner and greener technologies. Dr Singh’s resolve to plant trees on 15 million acres of deforested land is a step forward in this regard, provided the idea is put into practice and does not remain on paper. Once implemented, the step would be India’s answer to the western pressure on India to cut short on its industrial progress and impose stringent measures on green house gas emissions that may eat into the vitality of national economic progress.
India has set the example and it is now up to the so-called economic leaders of the world in the western hemisphere to follow suite. It also complements the survey by Seattle-based research group Global Market Insite, declaring Indians as most conscious about global warming and climate change.
Via: Climate Ark