In an interesting move that came on World Environment Day on June 5, the State government has asked all departments to purchase electric vehicles in place of scrapped ones with a price cap of Rs 30 lakh. It also stated that the emergency and utility vehicles will not come under the ambit of this decision. The idea behind the move appears to be to reduce carbon emissions and move towards a cleaner environment. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant mentioned that adopting new technologies is another step to preserve the environment.
There is no denying that the government has promoted EVs with subsidies and set itself a mammoth target of a 30 per cent switch to electric vehicles by 2025. However, the progress made is slow with a mere 17,000-odd EVs on the roads as of April-end this year. Nonetheless, the question is whether boosting EV sales forms the core of the State’s environmental preservation plan.
What about a green energy plan? According to the Goa State Energy Vision 2050, the State aims to generate 150 MW of renewable power by 2030 and will become the first State to run on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050. The government plans to convert Panaji into a complete “solar city” within two years. There are massive plans to promote rooftop solar projects along with solar projects on government buildings. The State government has signed a MoU with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Limited to explore rooftop solar projects across the State.
Lest we forget, the State government in February this year had signed an agreement with Power Finance Corporation seeking support in various green energy initiatives to tackle climate change. There's lots in the pipeline, but what is the progress? Where have the green initiatives landed? On paper, there is a plan in place, but the government needs to assess the ground situation to understand whether the State is keeping pace with the goals. Setting timelines would be an exercise in futility if implementation is not measured.
Secondly, focusing only on EVs and green energy cannot be the only elements in our environmental preservation plan. We need to begin by respecting our environment. Rampantly cutting down trees and paying lip service to reforestation reflects hypocrisy.
If we may recall, the recent Siolim tree-cutting incident where dozens of trees were illegally cut down with authorities washing their hands off before the High Court and blaming it on the contractor. Last month, there were trees marked for cutting down in Taleigao. In most of such incidents, environmentalists and citizens have stood up against and have been the true guardians of the environment.
Preserving the environment needs a holistic and serious approach because there could be consequences to face in the immediate future. Climate change or global warming are issues that the entire world is concerned with. Groundwater is projected to be warmer by 2 to 3.5 degrees Celsius before the turn of this century affecting water quality and threatening ecosystems. An earlier study suggested that the groundwater depletion rate could triple in India majorly affecting agricultural produce.
There are worrying signs across the world, and there are concerns in India and Goa too. The State government must take a holistic view of the conservation and protection of the environment. Phasing out fossil fuel is a welcome step, but it is easier said than done. Goa’s EV and solar plans are going at a snail’s pace. And more importantly, there is a lack of trust when it comes to any promises of protecting the environment. It’s time to look at the scary picture of climate change unfolding every passing year and course-correct. Merely drawing up plans will not help.
