India was one of the first countries to have “preservation” and “conservation” embedded in the constitution. In 1952, barely three years after independence we had the National Forest Policy. Infact, conservation is one of the points engraved in the Ashoka’s pillar or the Ashok ‘Stumb’, wherein it has “The duty of the King is not only to protect the citizen but also the animals and plants in his kingdom”.
Article 48 A under the chapter, Directive Principles of State Policy and Fundamental Duties declares – “The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country”. A similar responsibility was imposed on every citizen in the form of fundamental duty – “Article 51A (g) states that “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forest, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures”
However that is what we say and there is a mile long gap between what we say and what comes forth as action. India has only 4.7 per cent of its land as protected area against a world average of 10 per cent. Only 12 per cent of total land of India is covered by forest: it should have been 33 per cent according to the National Forest Policy, 1952. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kanpur, etc all figure in the top polluted cities of the world. Of the three million premature deaths in the world that occurs each year due to air pollution, the highest numbers are assessed to occur in India. This high score on pollution front can be linked to the 103 per cent rise in the per capita energy consumption between 1980 – 2001. More than 50 per cent of India’s energy is derived from coal and Indian coal unfortunately is not of good quality (bituminous variety has more than 4% sulphur). Though India’s per capita carbon emission in 2001 was 0.25 metric tons by 2025 it would account for 3% of world emission much higher than that of US at that time.
Why this deviation between what we say, what we are suppose to do and what we ultimately land up doing??? India’s high concentration of pollution is neither due to the absence of sound environmental legal regime nor due to lack of technological know how on abatement techniques, it is but, due to lack of environmental enforcement at the local level. One example here would make things crystal clear. In 1998, honourable Supreme Court of India issued a ruling requiring all city-buses in Delhi to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by March 31, 2001. However, only 200 out of 12,000 busses complied due to lack of enforcement and also due to non completion of the CNG pumps etc. So, the local government changed course and allowed a gradual phasing out of diesel bus fleet and unfortunately till date 100 per cent compliance looks a distant dream.
Another hard hitting and pathetic situation is that there is not even a single full-fledged water treatment plant or a proper sewage treatment plant in the country. The sewage of Kolkata is dumped into the Hoogly wetlands, and the waste of Mumbai finds its way into the Milli river (the cause of the recent Mumbai Flood) and I am very sure all of us know about the ‘drain’ called the Yamuna flowing near out National Capital. We don’t have to go that far, looking at our own backyard, Umshyrpi and Umukhrah who can say or prove that they are rivers and not drains to a visitor.
All this, surely must have stirred the grey-matter of all the reasonables, as to what are the reasons for the same. I, for one, say that there are no reasons but a single reason.
“Environment” is a luxury that is enjoyed only by the economically sound and the affluent. As the African proverb goes “Hungry stomach has a deaf ear”. Hence, with more than 30 per cent of the Indian population living under the poverty line and another 15 to 20 percent barely surviving and staying afloat (government may have different data regarding population below poverty line); Environment is something most of us Indians cannot afford. If I have to fight for survival of me and my family everyday, I would not care little for the fact that Mumbai may be submerged in sea water by 2050.
So, what is the way out? Education! Firstly, formal, vocational and professional education, this would improve the skill to earn well and hence giving people a chance to look forward for tomorrow and thus being concerned about it. And secondly, Environmental Awareness and Education as the Tewari Committee, 1980 puts it, “A sound, well-informed interest in nature among our people needs to be cultivated. Nature education at all levels of education and public communication must be effectively organized in our schools”.
That is what was said in September 1980. A National Environmental Advisory Committee was constituted in 1983 for highlighting environmental issues and giving advice on remedial measures. Lots of water has flown (though dirty) through the Ganges from 1980 till date, State Pollution Control boards have been formed, 2,500 NGOs in 1972 has risen to 25,000, dozens of Centers of Excellences has been set up, Environmental Information System(ENVIS) has been set up to disseminate environmental information. But India is still facing significant challenge in balancing its developmental urge and environmental concern.
It was only in 2005, after the Supreme Court of India ruling that Environmental Education was enforced by the Government in all education boards at all level. However, as pointed out earlier its enforcement is another whole story altogether. Take the point of our state the subject has been introduced no doubt but who is teaching the subject and with what knowledge? The introduction in such a manner is a mockery of the honourable Supreme Court ruling. Because, this is introducing for the sake of doing so and it is just another burden for the student who cannot but accept… as the buck stops with them
What is Environmental Education?

Environmental Education is the education through environment, about the environment and for the environment.
This definition of Environmental Education appears of first reaction to be simplistic and superficial but actually it is comprehensive and deep, for it denotes that environmental education is a medium and process of education and that it covers man’s relationship with his natural as well as social and man-made environment, and also it includes the relationship of population, industrialization, pollution, resource allocation and depletion, conservation, transportation, technology, energy and urban and rural planning to the total biosphere.
Environment Education is a lifelong process and should aim at not merely imparting knowledge and understanding of man’s total environment and of the methods and their application for improving our near and distant surroundings but it should aim at including skills, attitude and values necessary to understand, appreciate and improve our surrounding.
The UNESCO state – “Environment Education is the process of recognizing values and clarifying concepts in order to develop skills and attitudes necessary to understand and appreciate the inter-relatedness among man, his culture and his biophysical surroundings. Environment Education also entails practice in decision-making and self-formulation of a code of behaviour about issues concerning environmental quality”.
The objectives of Environmental Education can be categorized as:
a) Awareness; to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness of and sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems.
b) Knowledge; to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experiences and acquire a basic understanding of the environment and its associated problems.
c) Attitudes; to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment.
d) Skills; to help social groups and individuals to develop ideas and techniques at all levels for the resolution of environmental problems.
e) Participation; to motivate social groups and individuals for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.
Environmental Education is a revolutionary new concept and unfortunately out hardwired brain so fixed on the conventional way of thinking is not flexible enough to comprehend it. Environmental Education is not something that is supposed to be mugged-up (rote learning) to be vomited in the examination hall. Because if that happens the five pillars of Environmental Education viz. Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, Skill and Participation would be non-existent and without any of the five pillars, Environmental Education would be a futile exercise.
Environmental wisdom is not something new, it is infact something that developed here in India. The earliest recorded Indian custom found in the Rig Veda begins with the vivid description of the element – Earth, Water, Air, Space and Energy – which constitute our universe and provides the life support for all living organisms on earth. The Upanishads speaks of the need for restrain in the use of resource in order to protect the interest of future generation.
The concept of Environmental preservation in our ancestors can be seen clearly in “Sacred Groves” here in the North East and in the Western Ghats. The inclusion of these environmental observation in the Vedas, Upanishads and the “Sacred Groves” etc indicates that ours was ecologically sound region. Perhaps the reason, Why, Indian Culture has identified itself as the ‘Aranya’ or Forest culture through centuries. However we have, with development lost this sustainable way of life, which made our civilization survive for more that 5000 years.
All said and done, it ultimately boils down to one fact, we have realized the concept of “One Planet” and “One Environment”, but will this lead to us realizing the notion of “One Humanity”.
We have to wake up to the fact that – “Global Warming”, “Climate Change”, “Rise in Sea level”, Ozone Depletion” etc. is “MY” problem and that “MY” efforts, participation and voice in over coming petty differences would go a long way to extend the survival of the fragile ecosystem of OUR EARTH. As we are merely the custodian of Nature for the next generation and we are but, “Dust”.