CHANDIGARH: For the first time in the run-up to the upcoming assembly elections, a Green Manifesto 2024 prepared by citizens has been given to all the political parties be it the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana.
This has been done to safeguard and increase the abysmally low forest and tree cover, conserving the Aravallis, Shivalik ranges and open natural ecosystems of the state. It has also been done with an aim of improving surface water and groundwater availability, implementing climate resilient agriculture, ensuring sustainable waste management, reducing air pollution, improving livability index in rural and urban areas, along with demands for good environmental governance. It urged them to make a public commitment to protect the environment by including this manifesto in the manifestos of their parties.
Founder Member of People for Aravallis, a group of rural and urban citizens and ecological experts working to conserve the oldest mountain range in India, Neelam Ahluwalia said, "In July this year, our team travelled to 17 out of 22 districts in Haryana to do consultations on the first draft of the Green Manifesto that we had prepared".
She said that it was prepared with inputs from a wide variety of environment, youth and farmer groups, Khap leaders, Sarpanches, experts in various fields, heads of organizations working for rural advancement and natural resource management. Farmers, retired foresters, school and college teachers, communities impacted by mining and pollution, social workers, urban planners, architects, lawyers, eco-conscious citizens were also included.
She further said that the manifesto was prepared based on the inputs they received from the extensive consultations with 100 plus rural and urban stakeholders. "We prepared the final draft of the Haryana Green Manifesto 2024 in August. Over the last few days, citizens’ delegations have met the top brass of leadership of all the political parties contesting the assembly elections in the state and presented the Green Manifesto to them. ‘’
She said that it is the sincere hope of the rural and urban citizens living in the state with the lowest forest cover in the country. They bear the brunt of highly degraded and threatened natural ecosystems, extreme water stress, high air pollution, heat wave conditions and erratic climate events. She asked all the political leaders to make a public commitment to protect the natural environment by including the contents of the Green Manifesto in the manifestos of their parties.
One of the key demands in this manifesto is that ecological planning and design thinking be made the foundation of all development policies, projects and plans in Haryana. Inclusion of communities, civil society and independent experts should also be made central to all local and state-level decision-making processes.
"The legacy that our forefathers left us of a Johad and Bani in every village must be revived to protect our future generations. No construction of any government or private buildings must take place on our common lands." said Dr Om Prakash Dhankar, Haryana Sarv Khap Coordinator and Chief of Dhankar Khap.
To revive the Banis of Haryana, there is a need to do native planting of local trees, bushes, grasses and legal protection should be given to all existing and afforested Banis with immediate effect to save them from misuse in the future, he added.
We demand the forest department be directed to impose a complete ban on planting of trees like Papdi, Kabli Kikar in our public places, near roads, ponds as these release poisonous gases and are negatively harming the health of humans and animals, he said.
"We also demand that all the polluted ponds and other water bodies of Haryana should be cleaned and sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) should be built in rural and urban areas as at present most of the villages and small towns do not have STPs and dirty sewage water is dumped into ponds or released in the ground, which is poisoning the surface water and ground water of our State,” said Dr Om Prakash Dhankar.
Eco Restoration Practitioner Vijay Dhasmana who has rewilded many urban spaces in Gurugram said, "We would like the Haryana State Climate Action Plan and Master Plans of all towns and cities reviewed with citizen-expert committees in consultation with all relevant government officials."
He said the clauses in the Master Plans allowing land use changes in eco-sensitive zones and the Haryana State Climate Action Plan that promote the growing of trees that use a lot of water like Eucalyptus as part of agroforestry, promoting Miyawaki plantations which are not considered healthy from an ecological viewpoint must be changed. He also emphasised that it must be ensured that authorities are not allowed to allot SCOs or any other projects on green belts.’’
"Going forward, beyond inclusion in the political manifestos of all parties, what the citizens expect from our elected leaders is that once the new government is formed, this manifesto be used as a blueprint for the state to create an environmentally strong and climate-resilient Haryana and an action plan is devised in collaboration with active rural and urban citizens across different districts, environment experts from diverse backgrounds and government officials to explore how the demands outlined in the manifesto can be translated into reality",said Sunder Lal, Founder Director, Social Centre for Rural Initiative and Advancement (SCRIA) based in Khori village in Rewari.
This action plan can be developed in a series of round table discussions over a period of 3-6 months, he added.