The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Modi parrots its ambitions of making the country into a USD 4 trillion dollar economy. The recently re-elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh – Yogi Adityanath has sent out requests for proposals (RFPs) to make UP into a trillion dollar economy.
On the face of it, it is hard not to see that after the cold shoulder Modi and other bigwigs gave Yogi, the Mahant of the Gorakhnath Math and the UP legislative assembly is indicating he has ambitions similar to that of Modi.
While the economy may benefit from political ambitions, the environment trills in protest. The capital of India, Delhi, has been ranked the most polluted capital in world. India, under PM Modi holds this outstanding record for the last four years, 2022 included. India comes fifth in the ranking of most polluted nations. Globally, 35 Indian cities figure in the top 100 most polluted cities, of these 14 are in UP. Lucknow, the capital of UP is the most polluted city in India as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
As per the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) at the University of Chicago, India is ranked number 1 in air pollution rankings among 243 countries. The index states that the country’s entire population is exposed to air pollution levels that are higher than the WHO standards; 94 per cent of the population live in areas where air quality levels don’t meet national guidelines. What is worse is that ‘a quarter of India’s population is exposed to pollution levels not seen in any other country’.
Besides the quality of air, the state of the country’s water quality is as abysmal. Water bodies in India are dumping grounds for all kinds of waste. Is it any wonder that almost 70% of the country’s water is contaminated? Maybe that is why the bottled water market is increasing at a CAGR of approximately 20.7% since 2018. If the country is consuming more bottled water, it can only mean that more empty plastic bottles are joining the waste stream. India generates 1.5 lakh MT of solid waste. The amount is not decreasing as the common person is finding more ways to spend and purchase goods.
The amount of waste that an Amazon delivery generates is mindboggling. What a short walk, accompanied by a cloth bag, to the local store did has an alternative – the same product wrapped in paper, plastic and usually cartooned is delivered to the doorstep.
Between the concept of pollution being a necessary evil of industrialisation, and therefore social progress, to industry must stop polluting there has been a lot of environmental damage and, human death and despair. The Climate Change fuelled existentialist crisis that we face today is just one of the consequences of pollution being accepted as a necessary evil for socio-economic progress.
Be that as it may, over the decades scientists have developed technologies that reduce, delay, if not eliminate, pollution in production processes. This doesn’t have to do with just the kind of raw materials used, but also to do with finding other uses for the waste. Closed loop manufacturing, upcycling, zero-waste-manufacturing are some examples of reducing waste in the manufacturing process.
The concept of Circular Economy – a system that is regenerative and restorative by design – is being put to practice in some communities. Circular Economy incorporates recycling, product life extension, sharing, reusing and repairing.
But not all industries and communities can opt for such methods, can coal fired thermal power plants reduce air emissions and fly-ash production to zero? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
There are other industries that have become major waste generators and therefore polluters. Take for example Amazon and the food delivery service industry. In creating a need and then fulfilling it these two service industries have increased the amount of waste. Globally, Amazon produced 600 million pounds of plastic waste in 2020, 23.5 million pounds of which ended in the oceans.
So, there-in lies the dilemma – can economic progress occur without adding to the kaleidoscope of by-products that harm our wellbeing? I think not, because currently our economy is directed towards ‘making our life easier’. But this is a short term and short-sighted concept because it constantly is evolving being based on whims, outsmarting competition, and second-guessing consumers. For example, recently a delivery service desirous of increasing its consumer base and staying a step ahead of the competition promised a 10-minute delivery. Other than the potential of causing road accidents, has the new service enhanced the quality of life of its subscribers in any other way?
It is turning out that the current economic model and the human mindset is geared towards eliminating the human race. The progress and prosperity that has been achieved and is being promised requires auto-cannibalism. Invention and innovation have been geared towards replacement. And there was a reason for this – it resulted in more jobs in a variety of sectors.
The outcome of innovation and invention has never been stasis. However, today there is need for a recalibration of the definition of these terms. Making things redundant cannot be the outcome of innovation. Better living standards and better eating habits should not result in more pollution and depletion of forests.
Humans need to find ways to make more of less, to prolong the life of products, to find new uses for what they have and most importantly to consume less. Just as there is a slow-food movement in response to the fast food industry can, for example, fast fashion be replaced?
Can humans evolve from a consumption driven economy to an economy fuelled by reusing, repairing, and recycling? Is there potential to transition from pride for a new acquisition to pride and satisfaction for prolonging the life of existing possessions? Our survival is hidden in the answer.
(Samir Nazareth is an author and writes on socio-economic and
environmental issues)
