Waste should be taxed, drawing of ground water must be monitored, metered by government, taxing of rich using more water than poor must be curbed by legislation, making mandatory usage of recyclable building material in construction, are some of the suggestions emerged to ensure India becomes a sustainable nation
India has limestone reserves which are only sufficient for next 40years, after which time, we will be forced to import building material, which will add economic burden to the country: says an expert
Two Day National Meet on Environment and CSR kicked off here in a city hotel in Kolkata today. Organised by New Delhi based not for profit organisation Greentech Foundation, the meet is being held with theme "Sustainability & CSR for inclusive growth" was inaugurated by Former Chief Secretary of Govt of West Bengal Asok Mohan Chakrabarti 200 delegates from large corporate houses, government bodies and Public Sector Undertakings are participating. Some of these include Environmentalists, Sustainable Officers and other experts informed Kamleshwar Sharan, President of Greentech Foundation while welcoming the gathering and delivering his presidential address.
The inauguration was followed by a Panel Discussion on "Sustainability and Future Trends". Asok Mohan Chakrabarti moderated the panel discussion. The other panelists include: K.U Mistry, Chairman, Gujarat Pollution Control Board; Narendra, former CMD of Indian Overseas Bank; KN Rao Director Energy and Environment of ACC Ltd and Prof T. Harinarayana, Director of Gujarat Energy Research and Institute and others
The speakers who spoke on the occasion came out with few suggestions to ensure sustainability and also predicted trends. Some of these include taxing of those individuals and companies who generate lot of waste, monitoring and metering of drawing of ground water to discourage wastage and unnecessary usage and taxing such things. In India rich waste lot of water for flushing and shower bath. Whereas poor don't have that luxury. So India must have right policy framework to curb this kind of wastage if you want to become a sustainable nation, K.N.Rao, Director of Energy and Environment of ACC Ltd said, while participating in the discussion
The other suggestions include buildings code must incorporate usage of only recyclable construction material, encourage forestation, planting of trees by making it mandatory. The Water Harvesting must be made compulsory. Sustainability as a curriculum must be introduced in our educational system. Indiscriminate disposal of construction waste must be banned. Such debris must be recycled and reused they said.
K.N.Rao further stated that we have been consuming more than half of our natural resources in the 200 years of industrialisation. Concrete has become the largest material consumed in the world after water. Current Limestone deposits can only sustain for another forty years. After that we need to import all the construction material, which can adversely affect the economy of our country, he said
Consume natural resources as low as possible. The waste can create a value than the original product, Upcycle waste said Rao. Singapore is the most sustainable country. They introduced such a building code that permissions are not granted if the 70 per cent of building material used in construction is not recyclable.
Municipal waste is efficiently used in Singapore. They have come out with Gardens by the Bay. Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city. This is one good example for the sustainability Mr, Rao said.
Norway and Sweden also have undertaken very good environmental sustainable initiatives. India must replicate such practices observed Mr. Rao. Japan is the most energy efficient country, Israel water efficient, Austria is good in gasyfying of Agri waste, Norway and Sweden have used Bio Mass and Meat waste to produce gas that is being used in public transportation. Singapore is known for sustainable environmental practices. There is nothing wrong in following such sustainable environmental practices, he said
The way financial risk management gets its due attention, even Environmental Risk Management must be given high priority said Narendra former CMD of Indian Overseas Bank.
T.K. Joshi, Advisor to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India said Environmental Health is a big concern, which is being neglected so far
Adopting wasteless processes, preservation and maintenance of Environment etc will ensure sustainability observed other panelists. Sustainability starts from the individual, they observed. Sustainable Development means a development using with fewer resources and less waste, development without polluting our environment and developing while preserving greenery, Water ways and our natural heritage . This way,we ensure that India can enjoy both economic growth and a good living environment for ourselves, and for future generations, they concluded.
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