A green platform has prepared a charter of demands to protect the environment and submitted it to all parties contesting the upcoming elections.
Sabuj Mancha, a collective of environmental crusaders, organised a rally from Ruby to Jadavpur to raise awareness among voters on Friday.
“We have been campaigning since 2009. Environmental issues have made it to the manifestos of political parties, but they still don’t get the importance they deserve,” said Naba Dutta, general secretary of Sabuj Mancha.
“Election campaign rallies violate noise norms at will, irrespective of the party organising such events,” he pointed out.
The platform has scaled up the campaign this time. On April 6 and 7, its representatives met senior leaders of political parties and submitted the charter to them. Friday’s rally was meant to urge voters to raise these issues when the candidates came seeking votes.
Metro lists some of the key demands.
Waste management
The waste management situation in Bengal’s municipalities and panchayats is dire, the dossier says.
“Almost everywhere, mixed waste is being dumped together on the outskirts of the city, sometimes in rivers, sometimes in water bodies and wetlands,” it says.
Waste segregation in Calcutta started with much fanfare but has yet to pick up. The charter has demanded that waste management in the state should be improved immediately; the local administration should be held legally accountable in this regard.
Air pollution
Several cities in Bengal rank among the most polluted globally. Official data shows that air pollution levels in all districts, except Kalimpong, exceed national permissible limits.
“We demand that the main ‘sources’ that create pollution, such as vehicles and industries in cities and villages, be controlled. Waste burning must be
completely stopped. The ‘standard limits of air
pollutants must be made equivalent to international standards,” the dossier
says.
Carbon emission
Describing Bengal as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions, the platform has called for immediate measures to cut carbon emissions.
“We demand that the National Climate Action Plan be implemented in the state immediately to reduce climate hazards; sufficient investment should be made in this sector,” the dossier says.
It has also sought compensation for people displaced by climate disasters in vulnerable regions such as the Sundarbans.
Water body protection
The platform has called for the creation of a dedicated department led by a full-time minister to conserve Bengal’s rivers, swamps and wetlands. It also proposed separate legal mechanisms to investigate complaints related to these ecosystems — including dam construction and illegal sand mining — and to issue appropriate orders, members said.
Save groundwater: Groundwater levels are steadily declining across various parts of the state, and the dossier calls for strict enforcement of guidelines governing itsuse.
Coastal environment: Environmentalists warned that the coastal ecosystems of East Midnapore and the biodiversity-rich districts of South and North 24 Parganas are under threat. Polluted water from the tourism industry and factories is damaging coastal biodiversity.
The dossier calls for comprehensive guidelines to safeguard the coastline.