Clean Ganga campaign could shift India's view of responsibilities to safeguard natural bounty: Study

CHENNAI: Government's ambitious Ganga cleaning programme and setting up of the National Green Tribunal could shift India's view of its responsibilities to safeguard its natural bounty, a study by Circle of Blue has revealed.

"Prime Minister Modi's campaign to clean up the River Ganga and development of the National Green Tribunal in 2010 and its emergence as a centre of environmental enforcement, could shift India's view of its responsibilities to safeguard its magnificent natural bounty," Circle of Blue Senior Editor, Keith Schneider, told PTI.

Referring to projects done under the Choke Point India programme by Circle of Blue, he said "in 2012 we started the project and have posted number of groundbreaking reports on energy, food, policy and environmental impediments".

Circle of Blue has undertaken similar studies in the United States, Mexico, Australia, China and Mongolia, he said.

On the government's policy to provide free power and water to farmers, he said one of their key findings was that the government's policy to provide free electricity and water to farmers was simultaneously yielding huge surpluses and draining groundwater level.

Stating that several reports were done on various issues in North, East and Central India, he said the next Choke Point India report would focus on issues related to South India, including cities like Chennai.

Choke Point India Global Initiative Manager, Jennifer Turner who was here recently, said she briefly interacted with the state government environment and pollution officials.

"I had great talks with some of the environment and pollution officials in Tamil Nadu and the consensus in the room was that we should definitely do some reporting on Chennai and South India", she said.

Circle of Blue represents several researchers and journalists who have undertaken environmental studies across various countries.