The earth has enough for
man’s need but not for man’s greed was what one of India’s greatest
visionaries, Mahatma Gandhi had to say. With 5th June being decreed as
World Environment Day, one wonders whether the date will just come
around and go with people holding functions to commemorate the occasion,
mouthing platitudes, and then forgetting all the ground realities till
the issues come close enough to haunt all of us.
Environmental degradation is certainly one of the most terrible
offshoots of globalization and rampant consumerism. To start from home,
Bangalore is one of the cities that have been terribly affected by the
indiscriminate cutting down of trees and sealing in of lakes in the name
of growth and industrialization. Till about ten years ago, Bangalore,
enjoyed the nomenclature of Air-conditioned city and did not need
fans even in the summer months. But in the past few years, everybody has
been making a beeline for air-conditioners as the Mercury has started to
soar to unbelievable heights in the summer months.
In 1961, the city boasted of 262 lakes that were considered to be a part
of Bangalore’s green belt. Presently, only 61 of them are alive while
the remaining have made way for concrete structures including the City
Bus Station. Most recently, the Hulimavu Lake has been converted into a
huge shopping arcade with different areas for each member of the family
to shop in.
When most of the lakes were in existence, the vapor from these used to
rise up and spread across the city, giving it its salubrious climate and
air-conditionedeffect. They also provided an excellent
drainage area for rainwater. Recently, there was a heavy spell of rain
(pre monsoon showers) that caused huge water logging in Bangalore and
resulted in the overflow entering the houses of people in low-lying
areas. Many of these residential areas have come up where the lakes were
originally situated so it was only natural for the rainwater to have
ended up there but try telling this to the people who live there. Most
of them blame the civic authorities for their woes but very few have
tried to understand what has led to this state of affairs with a city,
which has been choked in the name of progress and growth. It is hoped
that the government and city planners will at least heed the warning
bells and remember that progress cannot be at the cost of degrading the
environment as the chickens can only come home to roost.
But why blame the government alone, every individual, has a
responsibility in protecting the environment, if he/she is serious about
leaving a world for the next generation to inherit. It is common
knowledge that in a place called Plachimada in Kerala, the Coke factory,
has been depleting the ground water (for the mass production of its
drink) and generating sludge from its plants that has affected the
potable water and the health of the people in the region. Thankfully,
with the awareness created by environmental activists, the people have
become aware of their rights and the government has been forced to take
action against the factory in question.
As far as individuals are concerned, a very important area where each
one can make a difference is in the matter of civic consciousness. The
not in my backyard syndrome (NIMBY) does not really help the
environment when it comes to throwing the non-biodegradable plastic that
you have generated from your backyard into your neighbor’s alley. What
has to be remembered here is that your environment will still become
polluted wherever the plastic is thrown! Saying No to Plastics
can certainly be one way of fighting the huge ocean of plastic waste
that is not only threatening to engulf Bangalore but the whole world.
Listening to a BBC Radio program, I was surprised to hear a listener
from Italy complain about plastic bags fluttering on bushes and taking
away from the natural beauty of her city and this despite the country
achieving a fair amount of success in reducing the usage of plastic by
asking shoppers to pay a heavy amount if they take home their shopping
in plastic bags.
Most important of all is to remember Gandhi’s exhortation that the world
has enough for man’s need but not for his greed. There is a need now to
curb the unhealthy consumption that the world has become slave too as
there is a direct link between excessive production and environmental
degradation. One clear example is that of the increase in the use of
cars with each member of a family claiming the need to own and
drive his/her own vehicle. The 700 million automobiles of the world are
already using up two-thirds of the gasoline and releasing carbon dioxide
that has already ushered in the era of global warming and the greenhouse
effect. The desire to control the oil resources has also seen the worst
war of the 21st century and one wonders what others will follow with
environmentalists warning that the next wars will be those fought over
water, which is likely to become a commodity in short supply.
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The earth has enough for
man’s need but not for man’s greed was what one of India’s greatest
visionaries, Mahatma Gandhi had to say. With 5th June being decreed as
World Environment Day, one wonders whether the date will just come
around and go with people holding functions to commemorate the occasion,
mouthing platitudes, and then forgetting all the ground realities till
the issues come close enough to haunt all of us.