Nagpur: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2022 on 1st Feb,2022. Nagpur Today analysed Union Budget 2022 on Environment perspective with Kaustav Chatterjee & Surbhi Jaiswal, well known environmentalists of Nagpur city.
While talking to Nagpur today, Kaustav Chatterjee, Founder, Green Vigil Foundation explained, this budget is in line with the Paris Agreement & Prime Minister’s declaration at COP 26. Chatterjee stated, by 2030, India has committed to achieve non-fossil energy capacity of 500 GW , fulfil 50% energy requirement via renewable energy , reduce 1 billion carbon emissions & reduce carbon intensity below 45% . Allocation of Rs.19500 Crore for manufacturing of solar modules shows India’s step towards climate action, Chatterjee added. Chatterjee highlighted, government’s commitment towards linking the river continues with allocation of Rs.44605 crore for Ken Betwa project & installation of 103 MW hydro power & 27 MW solar power generation units.
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Surbhi Jaiswal, Team Lead, Green Vigil Foundation stated, allocation of Rs.2217 crore for tackling air pollution in 42 urban centres with a million plus population will surely help cities to combat air pollution. Surbhi Jaiswal feels fossil fuel policy as well as Battery swapping policy will promote electric vehicles and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Allotment of Rs.1000 Crore to Solar energy corporation of India and Rs.1500 crore to renewable energy development agency is a committed step towards promoting renewable energy, Surbhi further added. Surbhi pointed out, launch of the hydrogen energy mission will surely open up a new chapter in paradigm shift from fossil fuel to alternate source of energy. Surbhi added, the increase in allocation for the Jal Jeevan mission from a revised estimate of Rs.45011 crore to a budget estimate of Rs.60000 crore is a welcome step. Surbhi further added, total expenditure for the Ministry of Environment , Forest & Climate Change has been increased to Rs.3030 Crore which was Rs.2520 Crore last year.
Kaustav Chatterjee further added that our government is committed to enhance the renewable energy capacity which is apparent from the fact that Rs. 1000 crore has also to implement measures to support agroforestry and private forestry in order to increase green cover. The budget also proposes that 5-7 % of biomass pellets will be co-fired in thermal plants resulting in carbon dioxide savings of 38 Million Metric Tonnes annually, Chatterjee added.
However, both Chatterjee & Jaiswal feel, while focusing extensively on air pollution & sustainable energy, other sectors of environment like forest and wild life conservation, water pollution, solid waste management , biodiversity conservation etc received less attention.
