Action Plan on Climate Change
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 13 , 2014 -

Kudos to the Directorate of Environment as well as the Government of Manipur for successfully drawing up the State Action Plan on Climate Change. It comprises of eight major, comprehensive inter-related missions.

Ecosystem biodiversity and livelihood sustainability, water resources, sustainable agriculture practices, health, forest resources conservation, enhanced energy efficiency and conservation, urban planning and, climate change strategic knowledge and information are the thematic missions listed in the action plan.

To our understanding and knowledge, this would be the biggest and most comprehensive project the Government of Manipur has ever planned or embarked upon.

Targeted financial budget estimate of the action plan for the period 2012-17 is Rs 3914.55 crore. So far, so good. It is laudable that the Government of Manipur is ready to invest so huge an amount and more, and contribute its mite in the global battle against climate change.

Apart from common people, vast majority of world leadership, economists and policy planners view that protecting the environment constitutes a net expense to economy.

Corresponding to the global climate change and rising temperature, mankind's concerns for environmental protection have grown multiple times in the past decades.

However, despite the much enhanced knowledge and concerns for environment and its preservation, all the human efforts are still not enough to preserve a sustainable environment.

Polls conducted across the planet showed that the public attached great value to protecting the environment. Yet, environment is only degrading year after year.

One primary reason is mankind's economic concerns and prioritization of economic agenda over environmental concerns by almost all the countries.

In spite of the ever rising temperature, the imminent threats of melting Arctic glaciers and subsequent rise of sea levels, all the international environmental summits including the latest one could not come up with any effective mechanism to counter environmental degradation.

Very often, environmental concerns faded into oblivion during economic hard times, and it is a reflection of the fact that majority of the public and most of the leadership still believe that protecting the environment represents spending money rather than saving it.

This is the general scenario across the planet vis-a-vis climate change and it is at this juncture that the Government of Manipur came up with an ambitious action plan.

The plan may not be perfect but something is better than nothing. The Government's commitment to the costly project would be known at the time of execution.

But the sad part is, the State of Manipur is known for inordinate delay or complete failure when it comes to execution of major projects. Just remember how many years it took the Government of Manipur to complete Singda Dam.

Mapithel Dam, even after decades, is still not ready to be commissioned. The Imphal Sewerage project is still in limbo.

Another defining characteristic of the State of Manipur and its contractors and engineers is near complete dodging of the qualitative aspect of almost all construction works.

Break down of both incomplete and completed bridges/buildings have been making newspaper headlines every now and then. Given such distasteful weakness and inefficacy of the State, the action plan on climate change is highly doubtful.

As stated above, the action plan is a much bigger project which would require dedicated and concerted efforts involving all stake holders. There is no room for delay and dragging feet when it comes to combating climate change.

Howsoever far-sighted and ambitious the action plan may be, it is good for nothing if it cannot be translated into action. The words used in the mega project such as action plan and mission are strong, emphatic words.

We fear the name of the project turns out a misnomer at the end of the day. We may sound pessimistic.

But we would like to be pessimist and proved wrong rather than being an optimist only to be proved wrong, specially when it comes to such crucial issues like climate change. Still then, we sincerely wish the action plan and its missions complete accomplishment.