Advisory Services in Environmental Management

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I can not change.

The courage to change the things that I can

and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”- Chesterton

In Brief. . .

Befitting the trends of the time, matching with the winds of change the role, responsibilities and functioning of various organizations are being remodeled. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, the techno-administrative arm of the Government of India in all matters pertaining to environmental governance, legislation and awareness creation in it’s efforts to address the widening spectrum of issues under it’s regularly expanding horizons is adding newer strategies and programmes to it’s fold. Advisory Services in Environmental Management is a result of the Ministry’s endeavor to consolidate the progress and achievements made by it under the Indo-German Bilateral Programme. This has been conceived as the canopy of all the present and future projects supported by Germany in the urban-industrial sector and aimed at interlinking and reinforcing all the projects supported by the Indo-German Environment Programme. Initiated in the second half of 2002, this technical cooperation project is slated to run for a period of 10 years. The period of 2002-2005 is considered as the Opening Phase of the project and has got an initial allocation of DM 3 Million.

The project is a new and trend setting initiative in the Indo-German Bilateral Programme monitored by the Project Steering Committee chaired by the Additional Secretary (CCI), Ministry of Environment and Forests. In addition to the Steering Committee, there is a Standing Committee chaired by the Joint Secretary (Sustainable Development) for looking into the process related issues and periodical monitoring of the project activities. So far the Ministry has decided to initially obtain the support of the ASEM project in the following five fields of activities.

Fields of Activities

Eco Cities: Comprehensive urban improvement plan involving planning and management of land and it’s resources and implementation of environmental improvement measures. An Eco city is a city that decreases environmental burden/stress, improves living conditions and help in achieving sustainable development. Central Pollution Control Board through it’s Centre for Spatial Environmental Planning implements this project.

Eco Industrial Estates: An initiative to integrate business and environmental excellence to create economic opportunities, social relationships and improved eco systems. An Eco-Industrial Estate will reduce many sources of pollution and waste, as well as decrease demand for natural resources. The functional framework will include energy efficiency, water management, resource recovery and other environmental management methods and technologies. This is a the logical continuation of the Industrial Estate Planning studies carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board under the World Bank funded EMCBP and is implemented by the Centre for Spatial Environmental Planning in CPCB.

Under this as a pilot project, an Eco Industrial Park for Electroplating Industries of Madurai where about 100 electroplating units located in and around Madurai, Tamil Nadu has also been undertaken. It is intended to support the infrastructure planning, design and development such as establishment of a state of the art sewerage system, drainage system, effluent treatment and metal recovery system.

Waste Management: This involves activities on e-Waste, co-incineration of waste in cement industries and contaminated sites. Also it is proposed to establish a National Reference Laboratory in Central Pollution Control Board for trace organics analysis. Remote measuring of emission data from refineries and waste incineration plants is another area which is being developed under this. Central Pollution Control Board is the implementing agency. ASEM project provides necessary technical support in terms of provision of experts and training in the initiatives of the Ministry implemented through CPCB. The ongoing HAWA (developing a TSDF for Hazardous Waste) project of Karnataka is a separately financed sub component of ASEM.

Clean Development Mechanisms: Mobilize the potential for economically and ecologically viable CDM projects in sectors important for sustainable development (Power, Industry, Waste Management, Agriculture etc.). Specific projects have to be developed under this area.

New Initiatives:

1. Corporate Responsibility on Environmental Performance (CREP)

2. Support of Human Resources Development Programme of CPCB