As climate change and conservation are firmly in focus the world over, the Karnataka Government has announced an “eco budget” of ₹ 100 crore to “compensate the negative effect created on the forest system due to natural and human interventions over past five years”. However, no concrete measures have been listed.
Also announced is, what the Government has deemed a first in the country - a Blue-Plastic Management Scheme. The scheme will be brought into force with assistance of the World Bank in the next five years at a cost of ₹840 crore to address the issue of plastics polluting water resources in coastal areas, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said. This is in addition to ₹5 crore grant for the conservation and development of conversation reserves under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, along with ₹100 crore for constructing fence on railway crossings to stop elephant menace in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu.
“The administrative mechanism of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) will be reformed so as to fulfil the objectives of legislations formulated for protection of environment and strengthening its implementation,” Mr. Bommai said.
But environmentalists pointed out that one cannot “compensate” for the loss of forests. “Natural disasters are happening because of the onslaught on forests. Even a biodiversity hotspot like the Western Ghats has not been spared. Largescale destruction of environment is being allowed in places such as Kodagu and Malnad in the name of development. You can never compensate the natural forests. What they should do is take a political decision that natural forests we will not be touched. They should create a buffer around existing forests,” said Sharatchandra H.C., former chairperson of the KSPCB.
Siddhartha Krishnan, environmental sociologist with ATREE, said recent reports had shown that the amount of forest land diverted in Karnataka for non-forestry purposes since 2016-21 is about 1,355 hectares. “If you calculate it, it adds up to ₹13 crore per biodiverse hectare. Forests cannot be monetised,” he said.
Mrunmaye, Conservationist, WildCAT-C, Chikkamagaluru, said: “The World Bank support for blue plastic management is a good step. But otherwise, no vision for biodiversity conservation is seen in this budget. It would have been good if the government had made futuristic plans about how conservation could economically incentivise people and how to deal with climate change scenarios that our state is already facing.”
Commenting on the proposed “reformation” of the pollution control board, Mr. Sharatchandra said over the period of time, KSPCB has become an extended arm of the government, which determines funds, transfers and postings. “The KSPCB has lost its autonomous, statutory nature in its functioning, and there is too much interference by the political masters. If governance has to improve, one has to restore the autonomy and statutory nature of the board,” he said.
