GS-III: Allocation are Keys

Context

The budget must focus on the priority areas for the budget allocations. It is expected to provide funds and an assurance that the allocations would be rule-based.

Rural distress needs to be allocated to funds.

• Drinking water
• Improving the efficiency of existing irrigation systems
• Rural finance including temporary waiver of loan repayments :

Job creation

• It will depend on the revival of industrial production, continuing growth of exports and an agricultural revival.
• Most policies have a lag of around four to six months.
• In the short run, the money will be needed for the MGNREGA.
• The budget should concretely raise public investment to revive private investment to reverse the declining growth rate in every quarter.

Fiscal Deficit

• The fiscal deficit is a real issue and leads to pressures on the bank rate and exchange rates.
• The need is to raise resources by taxation and not cutting consumption by the government and non-government sectors.

Banking sector

• The cleanup of the banking and NBFC sectors should be immediate and it needs funds.
• Though these are outside the budget, they determine the fiscal deficit.
• Raise government investment at the central, state and parastatal levels.
• The economy is suffering from a decline in investment ratios. This is reflected in the declining growth rate, which is below the potential of 8%.
• The last round of the NSS data shows that girl child dropped out of school more than earlier. If she goes to college, marries late, the first child comes later the real demographic dividend starts.

GS-III : Centre unveils plan for coastal zone management

NEWS

The Environment Ministry has unveiled a draft plan that will dictate how prospective infrastructure projects situated along the coast ought to be assessed before they can apply for clearance.

Plan

1. The draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) is part of a World Bank-funded project.
2. It lays out guidelines for coastal States to adopt when they approve and regulate projects in coastal zones.
3. It seeks to assist the Government of India in enhancing coastal resource efficiency and resilience by building capacity for adopting and implementing integrated coastal management approaches
4. The document was prepared by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management, a Ministry-affiliated body.
5. As per the report, Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) has to be a continuous process rather than a “one-off” investment action.
6. The key activities proposed for coastal zone development include:
   1. mangrove afforestation/shelter beds
   2. habitat conservation activities such as restoration of sea-grass meadows
   3. eco-restoration of sacred groves
   4. development of hatcheries
   5. rearing/rescue centres for turtles and other marine animals
   6. creation of infrastructure for tourism
   7. restoration and recharge of water bodies
   8. beach cleaning and development
   9. small infrastructure facilities
7. Livelihood improvement projects include
   1. demonstration of climate-resilient or salinity-resistant agriculture
   2. water harvesting and recharge/storage
   3. creation of infrastructure and facilities to support eco-tourism
   4. community-based small-scale mariculture
   5. seaweed cultivation
   6. aquaponics
8. Environmental and social aspects ought to be integrated into the planning, design, implementation of projects.
9. Projects should avoid or minimise impacts on cultural properties and natural habitats, compensate any loss of livelihood or assets, adopt higher work safety standards, occupational and community health and safety

Action so far

1. So far three coastal States, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal, have prepared Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans with support from the World Bank.
2. Such plans would be prepared for the selected coastal stretches in other States/UT.
3. Inadequate planning has often obstructed coastal zone development projects.

GS-III: Rethinking water governance strategies.

Context

India’s severe ‘water crisis is in the news recently. India’s cities are running out of water. Chennai witnessed the worst drinking water woes.

Facts

• Niti Aayog’s report ‘Composite Water Management Index: A tool for water management’ stated that 21 major cities are expected to run out of groundwater as soon as 2020, affecting nearly 100 million people.
• The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has been reporting on the increasing number of over-exploited blocks across India, labeled as the ‘dark’ category blocks. The recent annual book of CGWB has reported 1,034 units, out of the 6,584 units it monitors, as over-exploited.
• CGWB’s 2013 estimates say that groundwater development in India is just about 62% of the utilizable groundwater reserves.
• A recent report by the Central Water Commission and ISRO asserted that India is not yet in “water scarcity condition”, but in a “water-stressed condition”, with reducing per capita water availability.

Way ahead

• Ensure adequate access to quality water, more so in urban areas where inequities over space and time are acute.
• With rapid urbanization, demand cannot be met by groundwater reserves alone. Groundwater meets just 10% of Delhi’s drinking water needs. The rest is met by surface water sources transported from outside Delhi.
• Water resource departments in the States are following conventional approaches to supply augmentation. They should reorient themselves and deploy demand management, conservation, and regulation strategies.
• Centres and states should work towards an institutional change by building federal governance of water resources.