Environment and Forests
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4. Environment and Forests Ecology and Environment Environmental Conservation is the need of the hour. As an integral part of economic development, various environmental schemes with the main objectives of environmental conservation, abatement of pollution and the importance of sustainable development are being implemented. Department of Environment The Department of Environment was created in the year 1995 as the nodal Department for dealing with Environmental Management of the State. The Department is entrusted with the implementation of major projects like pollution abatement in Cauvery System, Pollution abatement in Chennai City waterways, National River Conservation Programme, National Lake Conservation Programme and all aspects of Environment other than those dealt with by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. The Directorate started functioning in Chennai from March 1996. Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) was constituted in pursuance of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and started functioning from 27th February 1982. The objective of TNPCB is to control, prevent and abate pollution of streams, wells, land and atmosphere in the State to protect the environment from any degradation by effective monitoring and implementation of pollution control legislations. The TNPCB is implementing the Pollution Control Legislations and Rules and Notifications framed therein. In discharging the duties entrusted to it, the Board investigates, collects and disseminates data relating to water, air and land pollution, lays down standards for sewage/ trade effluent and emissions. The field Officers of the Board periodically inspect every industry under their jurisdiction to assess the adequacy of treatment measures provided to treat the effluent and gaseous emissions. The TNPCB implements its programmes with its own resources. The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India has revised the air quality standards since 18.9.2009. In order to meet the requirement of monitoring capabilities due to the revised standards, the Board has approved the proposal to upgrade all its 13 Air Monitoring Laboratories by providing PM10 & PM2.5 samplers at a cost of Rs.2.53 crore. The TNPCB is monitoring the Cauvery and its tributaries river water quality at 29 locations under Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources (MINARS) programme and 4 locations under the Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS). Apart from this, under MINARS programme, the rivers Thamiraparani, Palar and Vaigai and lakes such as Udhagamandalam lake, Kodaikanal lake, Yercaud lake, Veeranam lake, Poondi lake, Red hills, Porur and Pulicat lake are being monitored. The water quality of River Cauvery, Thamiraparani, Palar and Vaigai are categorized for the designated best use of outdoor bathing and drinking water source with conventional treatment followed by disinfection. Further, the Cauvery water is used for fish culture and wildlife propagation. The water quality of the Udhagamandalam, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Veeranam, Poondi, Redhills, Pulicat and Porur lakes are categorized for the designated best use of drinking water with conventional treatment followed by disinfection and fish culture and wild life propagation.Water ways of Adyar, Cooum, Buckingham Canal and Otteri Nullah are being monitored at 34 river stations and 24 industrial outlets. Twelfth Five Year Plan – Objectives, Strategies and Outlay The guiding principles for the Twelfth Five Year Plan period for the sector would be (a) Equity and gender sensitivity; (b) Green Lens; (c) Co-ordination of various Departments; (d) Facilitating agencies; (e) Capacity building and technology inputs and (f) Monitoring, Evaluation and learning. While Tamil Nadu focuses on Industrial development at a pace faster than the national average, it will not lose sight of the need to preserve the environment and its heritage. Efforts will be made to ensure that the environmental protection regulations are on par with the best in the world and deliberate and focused efforts will be made to ensure that the environment is protected. Preserving, and wherever possible, improving the quality of the environment and nurturing the cultural heritage of the State would be an essential ingredient of Vision Tamil Nadu 2023. An amount of Rs.236.50 crore has been proposed for the sector “Environment & Climate Change” in Twelfth Five Year Plan. Performance during Annual Plan 2012-13 Environmental awareness is done through Eco-clubs and National Green Corps with a view to help students to know about their immediate environment and to make them understand the reasons for environmental degradation and to sensitize the students in finding out possible solution for various problems relating to environment. Environmental awareness competitions in districts are conducted among the members of eco-clubs/National Green Corps. In Tamil Nadu, 8000 school eco-clubs at the rate of 250 schools per district in all 32 districts have been started under the National Green Corps (NGC) programme with the financial assistance from Government of India. About 40 to 50 students are enrolled in each school under a teacher co-ordinator. The Department of Environment is functioning as the Nodal Agency of NGC. The Government of India has released a grant of Rs.2500/- per school every year. State level steering committee and district level monitoring committees have been formed to monitor the implementation of this programme. Environmental awareness under this programme is organized through thematic campaigns, tree planting, competitions and eco-camps. There are also 1869 Eco Clubs functioning in the State with the financial assistance from the State Government. A sum of Rs.46.73 lakh has been sanctioned to 1869 schools during the year 2012-2013. The department conducts environmental awareness camps for the students who participated in the environmental awareness competitions and teacher coordinators for three days. The students are exposed to various environmental problems through awareness camps. The activity included visits to polluted hotspots and to areas abounding with wildlife and forest growth for a firsthand experience. A three-day awareness campaign is organized by the Department of Environment throughout Chennai City to create awareness about the ill effects of burning of tyres, plastics and other materials on the eve of Bhogi by requesting the public to refrain from burning tyres etc. The Eco-clubs throughout the State are also organizing similar campaigns in their areas every year. Because of this campaign, there has been significant reduction in the burning of plastics and tyres in the urban areas. An Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Centre has been commissioned in the Department of Environment under the World Bank supported project called Environment Management Capacity Building Technical Assistant Project (EMCB-TAP) of Government of India. Department of Environment has been identified as a centre for the Environmental Information System (ENVIS). This ENVIS centre provides web based database (www.tnenvis.nic.in) on State of Environment and related issues and answers environmental related queries for the policy makers and the user groups. The preparation of State of Environment (SoE) Report was undertaken with financial assistance from the Government of India. A SoE Atlas, SoE Photo Catalogues, Video film on State of Environment and an interactive website have been prepared under this. To provide details on the current status of the main environmental issues viz., human settlements, atmosphere, land, water, biodiversity to ecological sustainable development etc., of the Chennai Metropolitan Area, the Government of India have released Rs.2.20 lakh for the preparation of State of Environment Report for Chennai Metropolitan Area. The draft report has been sent to the Ministry of Environment & Forest, GOI for approval. Besides this, the State has its own report published at regular intervals. The State Government have instituted environmental awards to honour the outstanding Non-Governmental Organizations, experts and individuals in recognition of their excellent contribution in the areas of Environmental Education, Environmental Management, Environmental Protection and Environmental Research. To create awareness among the students and general public, seminars and workshops are being conducted. This scheme will be continued during the year 2013-14 also and will be taken up as a regular activity during plan period. The Department of Environment has been designated as the nodal department for the development of State Action Plan on Climate Change for Tamil Nadu (SAPCC). German Technical Co-operation (GTZ), now renamed as GIZ is identified as a technical partner. The funding is by Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India. To initiate the preparation of SAPCC, inception workshop was organised in Chennai. The draft report is under preparation. The Government of Tamil Nadu have created an “Environment Protection and Renewable Energy Development fund” in July 2010 for implementing schemes for the protection of the environment and promotion of clean energy in the State. The Fund is utilised for promotional, project-based activities, activities of greening of Tamil Nadu through planting of trees outside the forest areas, the initiatives and interventions in the field of renewable energy and prevention of environmental degradation. A mass drive for clearing the accumulated plastics