Theoretically, dystopia has already arrived in India where people are fighting over water than any environmental crisis. And that is not it, India ranks top in all the environmental conflicts, according to the recently released Global Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas).
More than 27% of the environmental conflicts are related to water only.
India has 222 listed conflicts–in proportions to population in water management, waste management, fossil fuels and climate justice, and biodiversity conservation. India is followed by Colombia and Nigeria with 116 and 71 conflicts.
India currently facing the worst weather crisis in a decade and the country is on the verge in becoming “water-scare” within nine years. As reported by EJAtlas the situation to be become worse in the coming time.
The EJAtlas is a work-in-progress and hopes to add more cases over the coming years.
Over hydroelectric projects, water conflicts in Himachal Pradesh are on the rise
The struggles over water are evident in Himachal Pradesh and most of them are related to hydroelectric projects which are often planned simply avoiding the needs of local communities. Similar conflicts have been reported in other parts of the country like in Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Orissa and Sikkim.
Dams and hydroelectric projects are persistent sites of conflicts, especially when they are being built and commissioned, said Sailen Routray, an independent researcher based in Bhubaneshwar.
“Almost all inter-state conflicts in India over river waters surround dams, and the consequent water allocations to warring states,” said Routray. “There should be no more investments in big- and medium-sized dams in India. Similarly, work should stop on the river interlinking plan, as this plan has the potential to increase inter-state water conflicts manifold.”
Other environmental conflicts arise from expanding economy
Most Indian conflicts listed in the EJAtlas appear to be a consequence of the country’s expanding economy.
Several conflicts center on garbage dumping sites, such as Deonar in Mumbai, Sultanpur and Bandhwari villages near the NCR, Kodungaiyur near Chennai, Eloor in Kerala and villages around Bangalore have seen a gradual rise such conflicts.
Across India, more than 30 lakh truckload of garbage is dumped without being treated is a sign of growing urbanization.
Conflicts have also erupted at construction sites of new airports, seaports and other big infrastructure projects. The common theme running through most conflicts is loss of right to land or livelihoods of local communities.
More conflicts in India than the EJAtlas lists
Although the EJAtlas lists 220 environmental conflicts in India but in reality there are many more. “You should realize that 220 is in proportion to population. “India has more cases than any other country because good work has been done on the EJAtlas by our partners at JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) and also obviously because India is the country with the largest population in the world.” said Joan Martinez-Alier, Professor of Economics and Economic History at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and director of the EJAtlas project.
“India is average in terms of environmental injustice and conflicts, we would say,” said Martinez-Alier. “The situation regarding environmental injustice is bad overall.” He added.
Keeping an eye on the rising environmental quarrels, the Government of India in 2010 established a National Green Tribunal as a fast-track court to counter such disputes. But the surge of environmental conflicts is not receding.
“NGT has played a good role (in delivering environmental justice),” said Swapan Kumar Patra, one of the Indian contributors to the EJAtlas. However, despite NGT’s intervention and rising participation from affected locals, environmental injustice in India is on the rise.
“The problem lies in the way our governments perceive environmental issues,” said S Ravi Rajan, faculty member in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
“The Indian government (present and past) has failed to understand that economic growth is not inimical to environmental justice. In India, the laws are good, with a robust rights regime, and yet we have failed to deliver. China, in comparison, has a weaker rights regime, but they seem to have done a much better job at bringing down environmental abuses than India has.” He said.
The question shouldn't be how to avoid the conflicts, said Martinez-Alier, but how to make the best of awareness of so many conflicts–“in order to move to an economy which is more sustainable and also more socially just”.
The article was originally published in IndiaSpends.
Image Credit: Live Mint
