Development energy and the environment: India

The development of a country has become energy intensive in the twentieth century. India’s achievements in food production and industrial growth along planned lines in the last three decades have been in no small measure due to an increased input of oil, coal and hydropower energy in different forms. However, 70 per cent of all available water in India is said to be polluted about 73 million workdays are estimated to have been lost due to water–related diseases. Levels of sulphur and other particulate matter in several Indian cities exceed permissible limits. Over one million hectares of forests are cut every year and some 0.15 million hectares of forests are lost to development projects annually, while a significant portion of the 15,000 plant species and 75,000 animal species found in India are threatened by the pressure of human activity on land and forests. Steps are being taken towards soil conservation, afforestation and wild life preservation. Clearance from the Department of Environment of the Government of India is needed to proceed with any development project now. It is realized that development has to be achieved, but not at the expense of the environment.