Sub: Control on over-consumption of natural resources.
Sanjeev Goyal
84604
|
DWARKA FORUM Dwarka Ki Awaaz (Regn No. S-63070) (A Welfare Association of Residents & RWA's / CGHS Representatives of Dwarka Sub-City)
|
|
|
Regd. Office: 720, Pocket-1, Sector-14, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110078 |
Phone No. 011-20514195 E-mail: dwark...@gmail.com |
|
No. SKG/PMO/227 18 May 2022
Sh. Narender Modi,
Prime Minister,
7 Lok Kalyan Marg,
Delhi-110001.
Sir, PMOPG/E/2022/0136621
Sub: Control on over-consumption of natural resources.
Concerned Department: NITI Aayog
Everyone knows that throughout the world nature and natural resources are being over exploited and are put under heavy pressure by mankind. While in some countries there is a penalty even for wasting food, in India unfortunately there is no concept of penalty for wastage/over utilisation of natural resources. If one has money in his pocket, he can pay bills and waste any quantum of water on car washing, swimming or for any other leisure. Since water is still cheap one may not bother plugging leakages. One may keep AC running for 24 hours at 18 degree Celsius, keep refrigerators working even if empty generate greenhouse gases. One can, any number of times break and rebuild home, buy food and waste it. There is no parameter made for consumption or rather wastage of natural resources. Recently, while addressing the Indian diaspora in Denmark PM stressed that consumption of natural resources by individuals should not be dependent upon ‘paying capacity’ but on need. The same holds true for everyone. It is understood that in Germany it is an offense if your leftover in your food plate is more than the standards set for it.
As a society, we must also start thinking in that direction. For example, we may come up with following (suggested) baby steps to introduce the concept:
(1) Air-conditioning is the most misused equipment in offices, specifically Government offices. It is set at earliest in the day and switched off at last. During the day there is no question of it being switched off even if there is no one in the room for hours or is on leave. The lower the temperature higher is the consumption of electricity and higher the quantum of emissions and loss to the environment. AC should not be used as a device for luxury. It is suggested that the temperature in AC units should be fixed mechanically at the time of manufacturing itself, i.e. all ACs being used in residences and offices must have fixed minimum starting temperature of 24 degrees. No air conditioner should function below this temperature.
(2) The cost of water consumption must be disproportionately higher with consumption. Higher the consumption much higher must be the bill, there must be step tariff with a steep increase in cost. For example, @ 150 litres per day/per head, any house consuming more than 4.5 kilolitres in a month must be charged heavily. The price per unit cannot remain static irrespective of consumption. The pricing must be fixed as a deterrent and encourage people to limit consumption within the standards. Further, there must be a national policy that should prohibit supply of any scarce natural resource free of cost. Anything supplied free of cost is bound to go waste. For example, in Delhi 20 KL of water is supplied free to every household. This much water is provided free of cost even if there are only 2 residents in the house?
(3) As per recent analysis the consumption of concrete and generation of debris has emerged as one of the top threats to the environment. But there is no thought process evolving around this for exercising control. There is no concept or deterrent fixed for consuming concrete or generating debris.
It is suggested that NITI Aayog may be advised to work on this and develop a concept paper.
Regards,
S K Goyal
Vice President
D-103, Shivam Apartment,
Sector-12/14, Dwarka,
New Delhi-110078.