India’s Recent Environmental Policies for Sustainable Development

India has taken decisive steps to address environmental challenges through ambitious policy initiatives. These programs demonstrate the country’s commitment to sustainable development while balancing rapid urbanization and economic growth. From river conservation to air quality management, these policies represent a holistic approach to environmental protection.

Namami Gange programme: reviving India’s sacred river 🔗

The Namami Gange Programme, launched in June 2014, stands as one of India’s most ambitious environmental initiatives. Initially allocated Rs 20,000 crore, the programme was later extended with an additional Rs 22,500 crore until March 2026, bringing total investment to over Rs 42,500 crore.

This flagship initiative focuses on three core objectives. First, it tackles pollution through sewage infrastructure development. Out of 206 sewage infrastructure projects sanctioned, 127 have been completed with treatment capacity of 3,446 MLD, significantly reducing wastewater discharge into the river. Second, the programme emphasizes ecological restoration through afforestation and biodiversity conservation. Approximately 33,024 hectares have been afforested along the main stem of the Ganga, while wildlife conservation efforts have shown promising results.

Community involvement forms the third pillar of this mission. The programme identified 1,674 Gram Panchayats along the river banks across five states, where over 8.5 lakh toilets have been constructed to prevent open defecation near the river. The Gangetic dolphin population increased from 3,330 in 2018 to 3,936 in 2024, demonstrating improved aquatic health. The programme has garnered international recognition, earning a place among the Top 10 World Restoration Flagship Initiatives under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in December 2022.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: transforming sanitation across India 🔗

Launched on October 2, 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission aimed to make India open defecation-free by 2019, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. The mission’s achievements have been substantial and measurable.

Phase I of the mission resulted in the construction of over 100 million individual household toilets in rural areas. By 2019, over 630,000 villages were declared ODF, benefiting 500 million people. The World Health Organization reported 300,000 fewer diarrheal deaths in 2019 compared to 2014, directly attributable to improved sanitation. Families in ODF villages saved an average of Rs 50,000 annually on health costs, while groundwater contamination decreased significantly.

Phase II, launched in 2020-2025 with an investment of Rs 1.40 lakh crores, focuses on sustaining ODF status and implementing comprehensive waste management. The mission introduced ODF Plus certification, where villages maintain their ODF status while implementing solid or liquid waste management systems. As of 2023, more than 4.43 lakh villages achieved ODF Plus status, representing 75% of all villages. Urban India has also made significant progress, with all 4,715 Urban Local Bodies achieving ODF status, and 3,547 advancing to ODF+ status with hygienic community and public toilets.

Behavioral change and community participation 🔗

The mission’s success stems from its emphasis on behavioral transformation rather than just infrastructure development. Over 600,000 community volunteers called Swachhagrahis were mobilized to disseminate key messages and monitor progress. The Swachh Survekshan, an annual cleanliness survey, fosters healthy competition among cities, driving continuous improvement in sanitation standards.

Mission LiFE: mobilizing individual climate action 🔗

Introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in Glasgow and jointly launched with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in October 2022, Mission LiFE represents a paradigm shift in climate action. Unlike traditional supply-side interventions, this mission focuses on demand-side solutions through individual lifestyle changes.

The mission’s ambitious goal is to mobilize at least one billion Indians and other global citizens to take individual and collective action for environmental protection between 2022-23 and 2027-28. Within India, at least 80% of all villages and urban local bodies are targeted to become environment-friendly by 2028.

Mission LiFE operates through three distinct phases. Phase I focuses on changing demand by nudging individuals to practice simple environment-friendly actions daily. Phase II aims to change supply as industries respond to shifts in consumer behavior. Phase III seeks to influence policy at industrial and governmental levels to support sustainable consumption and production.

The 75 lifestyle habits framework 🔗

The government published 75 lifestyle practices across seven categories: energy saving, water conservation, reduction of single-use plastic, sustainable food systems, waste reduction, healthy lifestyle, and e-waste management. These actions range from switching to LED bulbs and using public transport to composting food waste and choosing local products. When adopted by one billion people, these small changes can deliver significant environmental impact, potentially saving millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions and reducing waste substantially.

National Clean Air Programme: breathing cleaner air 🔗

Launched in January 2019, the National Clean Air Programme initially targeted a 20-30% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 2024, using 2017 as the baseline year. In September 2022, the Centre revised this target to a 40% reduction by 2026.

The programme covers 131 non-attainment cities that did not meet prescribed national ambient air quality standards for five consecutive years. Approximately Rs 9,650 crores have been allocated to these cities for air quality improvement through measures including strengthening monitoring networks, reducing vehicular and industrial emissions, and increasing public awareness.

Progress has been mixed but noteworthy in certain cities. Varanasi exhibited the most significant improvement with a 72% reduction in PM2.5 and 69% reduction in PM10 levels from 2019 to 2023. Other cities showing substantial improvement include Agra with a 53% reduction in PM2.5 and Jodhpur with a 50% decrease. However, 22 cities saw their PM10 levels deteriorate over five years, and only 8 cities met the initial 20-30% reduction target.

Challenges and the path forward 🔗

The programme faces implementation challenges, with only 60% of allocated funds utilized by states. Despite these hurdles, 95 cities out of 131 have shown improvement in annual PM10 concentrations in 2023-24 compared to baseline levels, and 18 cities have met national standards for PM10. The PRANA portal enables monitoring of implementation across non-attainment cities, improving transparency and accountability.

Nagar Van Scheme: creating urban green lungs 🔗

Announced on World Environment Day in June 2020, the Nagar Van Scheme aims to develop 200 urban forests across India over five years. These forests will primarily be established on existing forest land within cities or vacant land offered by urban local bodies.

The Warje Urban Forest in Pune, Maharashtra, serves as the role model for this scheme. Developed over 16.8 hectares of previously barren forest land, Warje now contains approximately 6,500 trees and attracts about a thousand visitors daily. The project demonstrates successful public-private partnership, involving the Maharashtra Forest Department, TERRE Policy Centre (an NGO), Tata Motors, and Persistent Foundation.

Urban forests provide multiple benefits beyond carbon sequestration. They act as urban lungs, improve air quality, reduce the urban heat island effect, conserve biodiversity, and offer recreational spaces for city dwellers. The forests also contribute to water and soil conservation while providing environmental education opportunities. Financing for the scheme comes from CAMPA funds, which are collected as compensation when forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes.

Implementation and community engagement 🔗

The scheme emphasizes people’s participation and collaboration between forest departments, municipal bodies, NGOs, corporates, and local citizens. This multi-stakeholder approach ensures community ownership and long-term sustainability of urban forests. Each city forest is designed to provide wholesome natural environments for recreation, conservation education, and biodiversity protection while serving practical needs like pollution abatement and temperature moderation.

What do you think? How can individual lifestyle changes complement these large-scale government initiatives? Which of these environmental policies do you believe has the greatest potential for long-term impact?

References

1. https://nmcg.nic.in/NamamiGanga.aspx
2. https://ddnews.gov.in/en/namami-gange-programme-over-300-projects-completed-rs-40000-crore-invested-in-rejuvenating-river-ganga/
3. https://ddnews.gov.in/en/namami-gange-programme-achieves-major-milestones-in-river-ganga-restoration/
4. https://swachhbharatmission.ddws.gov.in/
5. https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/swachh-bharat-abhiyan-clean-india-mission
6. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1959918
7. https://missionlife-moefcc.nic.in/
8. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/01/davos23-india-climate-mission-is-focused-on-sustainable-lifestyles/
9. https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/mission-life-centre-lays-down-75-point-agenda-under-seven-categories-122102600703_1.html
10. https://www.ccacoalition.org/policy-database/national-clean-air-programme-ncap-0
11. https://www.respirer.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Five-years-of-the-National-Clean-Air-Programme.pdf
12. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/pollution/national-clean-air-programme-missed-2024-target-to-push-back-pollution-study-shows-93848
13. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1629587
14. https://blog.ipleaders.in/nagar-van-scheme-significance-urban-forest/