Environmental planning as a tool for environmental protection - The need and the possibilities This helps individual sectoral authorities to meet their development targets while ensuring that these targets are achieved in an environmentally compatible manner.  Environmental Planning Initiatives by CPCB Environmental planning is a relatively new tool for environmental protection in India. Historically, the Central and the State Pollution Control Boards were entrusted with environmental protection with emphasis on control and abatement of industrial pollution. The prevailing situation of industrial siting and incompatible surrounding land uses demands adoption of more reliable and long-lasting solutions. The need for environmental planning was understood by CPCB and the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Govt. of India. Consequently, certain pilot studies were taken up at Central as well as State level. Experience with this type of studies, in particular in the Union Territory of Pondicherry (1988) and for Hassan District in Karnataka (1991-1993), stimulated CPCB and SPCBs to start a programme on developing necessary capacities for environmental planning within the environmental administration. The provisions for this strategic development are founded in the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which authorises the Central Government "to take all such measures as it seems necessary for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating environmental pollution" [Section 3(1)]. Measures under this clause may include "planning and execution of a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution" [Section 3(2)], (ii)). This task of environmental management includes also spatial (geographical) aspects as explicitly mentioned under Section 3 (2) (v) "restriction of areas in which any industries, operation or processes shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain safeguards."  "Technical, instrumental and institutional capacities needed for producing spatial environmental assessments for planning purposes are established or strengthened in order to produce the targeted studies whose results could be used to effectively promote the environmentally compatible spatial planning in India" This formulation reflects the thrust of the programme which not only includes capacity building and strengthening but in particular the use of the capacities built-up in the environmental administration of India to promote environmentally compatible spatial planning. The purpose of the programme has been formulated as follows: "To strengthen and increasingly utilise competence, instruments and the institutional basis for environmentally compatible, sustainable management of land and land based natural resources, in order to harmonise spatial development and environment in India " The activites under the programme have been intiated at national and State levels for preparing information base on environment and at the District level for zoning the areas for sititn of industries, at microlevel (1:50,000) for identification of sites for industrial estates and at the city level for preparation of enviroentnal mangement plans for improvement of environmental quality. The programme is being well received and it is hoped that the initiatives of CPCB will go a long way in helping developmental objectives in an environmentally sound manner.
Page 3 of 3
| Previous | |