Union Budget 2020–21: The Economics of Environment.
By Mehakdeep Singh Thind
Climate change has brought several imbalances in the natural environmental processes all around the world, and many changes has happened specifically to rainfall patterns in the India also. According to World Migration Report 2020, more than 2.7 Million people displaced due to storms and floods in India. Air pollution too has been increasingly becoming a serious problem for the nation. As stated in the World Bank’s Report, India is losing equivalent to 8.5% of its GDP just because of air pollution. With elevating global as well as domestic pressure on the country to tackle down its environmental problems, India’s budget of 2020–21 tried to bring the train back on track by pushing for policy level interventions.
The Finance Minister’s budgetary allocation for environment on one side is trying to give a push to preserve the environment, it is also simultaneously bringing into picture several environmental domains which are not given much focus as well as money to work upon.
This year a total of Rs.4400 crore have been given for cleaning the air and taking climate action in the cities, out of which Environmental Ministry got Rs.3100 crore. This amount is merely 5% higher than the last year’s budget of Rs.2955 Crore. Even though the budget is increased but there is no change in the allotment to pollution control and Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). The Government’s strict advisory to shut down all factories and plants, generating huge carbon emissions was a much needed step but they somewhere missed to make it clear that how Government is planning to collaborate with all the sectors to get a real reduction in the emissions and how they will monitor its implementation at the ground level.
The Green India Mission which aims to increase the green cover in country up to an extent of 5 million hectare and to improve the quality of already existing green cover on other 5 million hectare, got an increment and went up to Rs.311 crore which was Rs.240 crore in FY20. With respect to animal conservation, ‘The Project Elephant’ got a mere addition of Rs.5 crore this time, while down heartedly ‘The Project Tiger’ has seen a devaluation in the allocation to Rs.300 Crore from Rs.350 crore in budget 2019–20.
A focus has been given to promote solar energy via Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan scheme (PM-KUSUM) under which 20 lakh farmers will set-up their stand-alone solar pumps and further 15 lakh people will get grid connected pumps. Even though it is a step lowering down the fossil fuel consumption in agriculture sector, however it can lead serious over-exploitation of the ground water. Farmers getting water free of cost, without paying any electricity bill would somewhere lead to negligence at their part and hence lowering down the groundwater table.
Overall, budget provides some sense of relief by fact that government has started becoming considerate towards environment and its resources. However, the Finance minister could have more considerate in allocations to the environment sector. But as Martin Luther King said, “we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope”. Considering the same, hope next year’s budget might proves to be a boon for the ecology. However, along with the policy level guidelines, somewhere we citizens too should realize our basic responsibilities towards the nature. Only this way, both the environment and mankind can exist together, safer and happier.
