24 June 2024 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1. Create the space for governance with a green heart

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Topic: GS2 – Governance – Government policies

Context

The article emphasises the urgent need for the Indian government to prioritise environmental concerns as it begins a new term. It highlights the country’s severe environmental degradation and calls for the adoption of green policies to address climate change, forest cover loss, urban pollution, and the destruction of the Himalayas.

Introduction

• As a new term begins for the government and the Lok Sabha, it is imperative to prioritise environmental concerns.
• Historically, no government has truly prioritised the environment, with the last administration focusing heavily on a ‘development’ agenda that often harmed environmental interests.
• Environment Ministers over the past decade have mainly prioritised industries such as mining, oil, coal, highways, and power, neglecting significant environmental concerns.
• India faces severe environmental degradation that can only be mitigated by adopting green policies while pursuing economic growth to become a middle-income economy.

Greater Vulnerability

• Climate change is frequently mentioned by India’s leadership, but substantial engagement and action are lacking, except for limited promotion of the solar energy industry.
• Despite soaring energy consumption, there have been no significant steps to reduce emissions.
• Remedial measures for climate change, such as building resilience, ensuring food security, and providing access to essentials, have not been prioritised.
• Increasingly common natural disasters such as floods, famines, heatwaves, wildfires, water shortages, and droughts require contingency plans to protect vulnerable populations.
• Necessary actions include updating building guidelines, preserving natural storm barriers like mangrove forests, and establishing funds for evacuation and rehabilitation, tasks currently neglected by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Forest Cover

• India has one of the lowest levels of green cover per capita, with only 28 trees per person, compared to 8953 in Canada and 130 in China.
• Qualitative forest cover has significantly decreased over the past 20 years, with urban forestry efforts being notably poor.
• Damage to forests has been obscured by questionable accounting, including plantation forests and urban tree cover.
• Recent legislation like the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, which was hurriedly passed, needs to be repealed, and robust new protections need to be established.

Unliveable Cities

• India’s metropolitan centres have outgrown the plans laid for them, with cities like Delhi and Mumbai facing severe air pollution, affecting residents’ lifespans.
• Cities such as Bengaluru and Delhi are running out of water, with the poor often queuing for hours for minimal access.
• Rivers that once brought life to cities, like the Adyar in Chennai and the Yamuna in Delhi, have become open sewers.
• Urban green spaces and water bodies have been built over, creating heat islands.
• Smaller cities have more manageable issues but need timely intervention to avoid reaching crisis levels similar to larger metros.
• Sewage treatment requires a major national overhaul, as Indian cities currently treat only about 28 percent of the sewage they generate.

Destruction in the Himalayas

• Climate change has disproportionately affected the Indian Himalayas, with glaciers rapidly receding, some disappearing entirely, and up to 80 percent of their volume expected to vanish this century.
• Changes in rainfall and temperature patterns have significant impacts on water and food security for mountain residents and much of North India.
• Protests and demands for action from residents, such as those in Ladakh, have often been ignored, possibly due to their lack of voting power.
• Wetlands and other critical landscapes for biodiversity also face severe threats and require urgent attention.

Public Participation

• A significant issue is the Indian government’s long-standing refusal to listen to stakeholders and affected persons.
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) mechanisms have become mere formalities, with protests and criticisms often ignored.
• The Char Dham Highway project is an example of rapid, ill-considered development, causing significant environmental damage, including deforestation and erosion.
• The sanctity of the EIA Notification of 2006 has been compromised with numerous amendments over the past five years.
• EIA mechanisms need to be elevated to statutory status to prevent further dilution and ensure robust environmental assessments.

Genuine Conservation vs. Greenwashing

• Ill-advised policies driven by commercial interests, such as green credits and compensatory afforestation, have replaced genuine conservation efforts.
• Sustainable development should not be limited to commercially profitable government actions.
• Enforcement mechanisms and bodies need to be strengthened to ensure genuine environmental rule of law.

Conclusion

• These environmental concerns are not luxury issues but are critical for the survival and health of millions.
• The absence of these issues in the election manifestos of major political parties was disappointing, but it is not too late to address them.
• For the government to truly be a steward of the people, it must take a hard look at the physical health of the country and prioritise environmental concerns in its policies and actions.

PYQ: How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006?(150 Words /10 marks) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-3 2020)

Practice Question:  Discuss the major environmental challenges faced by India and suggest policy measures to address these issues while balancing economic development. (150 Words /10 marks)

2. Indian Railways and safety challenges

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 9)

Topic: GS3 – Indian Economy – Infrastructure – Railways

Context

A recent tragic collision between a GFCJ container train and the 13174 Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express resulted in 11 deaths and about 40 injuries, highlighting critical safety issues within Indian Railways. This incident underscores the need for improved safety protocols, better management, and faster implementation of safety technologies.

Tragic Train Accident

• The GFCJ container train collided with the 13174 Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express, causing 11 deaths and approximately 40 injuries.
• The accident highlights the need for critical examination of safety measures and protocols in Indian Railways.

Improving Safety Record

• Focused measures like closing unmanned level crossings and enhancing track maintenance have improved the safety record of Indian Railways.
• However, comparing current data to past records can be misleading; modern systems make a zero-fatality goal achievable.
• Substantial government investment, allocating nearly 25% of its total capital expenditure to railways, makes funding all safety measures feasible.

Inquiry and Responsibility

• A statutory inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety is underway to determine the cause and responsibility for the accident.
• It is likely that the crew of the container train, the station master, and possibly the signal maintainer will be blamed for ignoring the Automatic Signal territory protocol.
• This pattern of assigning blame to lower-level functionaries is common in serious accidents.

Information Management and Communication Issues

• The premature declaration by the Railway Board Chairperson about the cause of the accident and the status of the crew members was both insensitive and inaccurate.
• This incident underscores the need for better information management and communication within Indian Railways.

Slow Rollout of Safety Systems

• The slow implementation of Kavach, an indigenous signalling system to prevent collisions, is a significant issue.
• The Indian Railways should encourage and nurture the supporting industry to invest in capacity building for faster implementation.
• The decision to adopt Kavach over the established European system, ETCS Level II, needs reassessment if implementation speed and system efficacy are concerns.

Prioritising Safety in Automatic Signalling Territories

• The Commissioner of Railway Safety recommended the priority implementation of Kavach in Automatic Signalling territories to prevent collisions.
• Faster installation of Kavach in locomotives and trains is needed to increase safety, focusing on trunk routes and Automatic Signalling territories.
• The Indian Railways should aim for installing Kavach over 4,000 to 5,000 kilometres per year.

Ambiguity in Safety Protocols

• There are differing views on protocols for station masters and crews in case of Automatic signal failure, leading to confusion and safety risks.
• The CRS criticised the ambiguity in rules regarding Automatic signal failure in a previous report, highlighting the need for clear and well-drafted regulations.

Staffing and Safety

• Indian Railways is overstaffed in general, but critical safety categories like loco crew, train managers, station masters, pointsmen, and signal maintainers often face vacancies.
• Vacancies in these critical categories lead to stress and overwork, compromising safety.
• Despite nearly 20,000 vacancies for loco pilot/assistant loco pilot positions, Indian Railways initially issued a notice for only 5,658 recruits, later revising it to 18,799 after the accident, showing a lack of seriousness in handling important safety matters.

Addressing Management Failures

• A key question is whether the accident was an aberration or if similar near-misses are common in the affected section.
• If frequent incidents are revealed, it would indicate significant management failure.
• The inaction in employing artificial intelligence-enabled applications to improve safety analysis and provide actionable alerts is another managerial oversight.

Need for Managerial Focus on Safety

• The extensive digital data from station data loggers and microprocessors on locomotives and trains should be effectively managed by artificial intelligence to filter out irregularities and highlight significant issues.
• The inquiry report should delve into managerial issues to chart a clear path toward a safe, accident-free Indian Railways.

Conclusion

• The tragic accident underscores the urgent need for Indian Railways to prioritise safety measures and protocols.
• Effective implementation of modern safety systems, clear regulations, adequate staffing, and managerial focus are essential to prevent future accidents and ensure the safety of passengers and railway personnel.
• Indian Railways must leverage technology and substantial government investment to achieve a zero-fatality record and enhance overall railway safety.

PYQ: The setting up of a Rail Tariff Authority to regulate fares will subject the cash strapped Indian Railways to demand subsidy for obligation to operate non-profitable routes and services. Taking into account the experience in the power sector, discuss if the proposed reform is expected to benefit the consumers, the Indian Railways or the private container operators.  (200 words/12.5m) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-2 2014)

Practice Question:  Examine the role of advanced signalling systems like Kavach in enhancing rail safety in India. Discuss the challenges faced in their implementation and suggest ways to expedite their deployment across the railway network. (250 Words /15 marks)