Climate Change: The India Chapter

In this day and age when time seems to be consuming everything rapidly, it feels like it is consuming environment with the most pace. The humans have exploited nature to its maximum and are facing the crisis, a dreadful result of procrastinating the action which should have been initiated years ago. While some of the countries are still living in delusion of having the planet for themselves for eternity and continue to be ignorant in this respect, thankfully India has been trying to conserve and revive nature as much as possible. India’s concerns do not stem out of nowhere. According to Global Climate Risk Index 2018, India is 12th most prone to dreadful impact of climate change. The pace at which the population is rising it is necessary for India to get hold of its already deficient resources.
2018 was sixth warmest year in India. From 2014 India has been facing series of droughts and floods in its various parts, with Chennai losing its water table resource recently. Estimates have shown, if not paid attention to, by 2021, the leading states such as Delhi, Bangalore etc. will face severe water crisis. The portions of southern and northern India are fighting with drought like situation in summer season, the north eastern and western coastal regions are constantly battling with torrential rainfall. India does not have the luxury of spending time in planning, deliberating and making promises beyond its purview. Crisis brought by climate change can cost India 2.8% of its GDP. Hence, India cannot afford to sit idle or make hollow promises. The need to act is NOW.
The Prime Minister of India called for a global people’s movement into reshaping the climate change action plan wherein he added that India would do its part and more by doubling the energy production from 175 GW in 2020 to 450GW in the coming years. The bilingual speech at UN Climate Action Summit saw many representatives addressing the issue of climate change and pledging to bring a comprehensive programme to solve and mitigate the grave issues of global sea level rising, extreme increase in temperature, droughts, floods, ecological disturbance, etc. Instalment of 50KW Gandhi Solar Park on the roof of the United Nations headquarters is a huge gesture towards India’s commitment in tackling the resource problem. The solar park contains 193 panels commemorating all the member countries. While this gesture has put India on a high bidding space it has yet to acquire a status of a leader in combating climate change.
India plays its card on the renewable energy sector wherein it has acquired strength through research and development. The renewable sector in India is ranked 5th in solar power and 4th in wind power. As of June 30, 2019, the installed renewable energy capacity was 80.47 GW, of which solar and wind comprised 29.55 GW and 36.37 GW respectively. Biomass and small hydro power constituted 9.81GW and 4.6 GW, respectively. Overall, India added 8.62 GW of grid interactive renewable energy capacity in FY19. The renewable energy sector’s capacity during the first quarter of fiscal year 2019-20 is higher at 2,151 MW. 2030 will see India meeting more than 40% of its resource needs through renewable energy sector. Renewable energy market in India is coming out to be the largest investment attracting industry. According to 2018 Climatescope report India has emerged as the second among the emerging economies to lead to transition to clean energy. The National Action Plan on Climate Change: Though launched and framed in a hurried manner, lot of revision has been gone through in this programme under this, various missions were given spotlight, e.g. National Solar Mission, National Water Mission, National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, National Mission for Green India, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture etc. While these missions have exemplary programmes under their purview, there is dire need to fast forward the objectives, strategies and deadlines. The National Solar Mission is the best performing programme out of all. The International Solar Alliance which the countries between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn ratified vouches for India as the leader in the renewable sector.

Way Forward:

• PARTICIPATION OF YOUNGSTERS: India needs to put in the potential of young population to join the band wagon to tackle the climate change problems. Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old from Sweden with her frequent movements on climate change questioned the world leaders regarding their action plan. The activist’s teary-eyed speech should be taken as both warning and inspiration to take active steps. With the physical and mental power India can reach a new height in combating its own resource problems but also as the Prime Minister said, bring behavioural change towards the issues
• CHANGE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: No movement has succeeded without the support of society. Self-reliance is the key to better future and for that India needs to aware the people belonging to all sections of society. Common man needs to realise the hazard of throwing away plastics in the rivers, and as basic as not segregating the garbage. Therefore, the government needs to make people aware at the basic level.
• PROFITABILITY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS: This sector is already topping the charts, if the sector can guarantee enough incentives and project a beneficial approach towards cultivating solar and wind energy it would answer various concerns.
• REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE: The aviation sector, the fuel energy sector should look up for blending in the renewable and non-renewable energy sources and come up with innovative fuel options.

India needs to revisit many of its plans, bring in new strategies to the table, e.g. acknowledging the contribution of aviation sector in carbon footprints, better methods of irrigation etc. in agricultural sector, carbon sequestering, instead of just bringing new objectives and deadlines. It has already done noteworthy work in the energy sector. It now needs to address the climate change issue as a whole through an innovative perspective, wherein, launching new science and technology, new measures to cope with frequent disasters, from mitigation to adaptation, and new set of fresh ideas should set the discourse. 

Hello! My name is Manisha Vishwakarma, an English Major from Delhi University currently pursuing Masters in same. A vigorous learner in the day, theatre enthusiast by evening and poet at night, I believe no mountain is impossible to climb. A neat freak, with next to Monica Geller's OCD, I can be seldom found correcting cereal aisles. You will often find me in a library or a nearby coffee house. I believe in perseverance and quality hard work with a tinge of smartness.