Agenda for Government of Punjab on Public Health and Environmental Governance

Punjab is reeling under a serious social, health and ecological crisis at present because of environmental toxicity, addictions and other socio-economic factors. The ground water aquifers are being over-used to the extent of exhaustion. The surface as well as ground water has been thoroughly polluted. Our air, water and food chain are full of toxins. The possible root causes are (a) excessive use of agro chemicals – GM is just an extension of this science (b) excessive use of ground water from deeper aquifers (c) pollution of air, water and soil by the criminal practices of the industry (d) pollution caused by untreated water of sewers which is also laden with chemicals (e) Pollution of air, water and soil by coal-based thermal power plants (f) pollution caused by too many polluting vehicles on road (g) pollution caused by burning of mixed domestic solid waste and crop residues and so on.

Our 'Right to Life' is being seriously impinged upon by this environmental toxicity. It is beyond doubt now that our air, water and food are full of harmful toxins. The evidence of presence of excessive amounts of uranium in the environment of Punjab has been reiterated recently when BARC confirmed this, saying it is due to excessive use of phosphate fertilizers.

For the last few decades the health of the people of Punjab has worsened drastically. No extensive and proper epidemiological investigations to know the exact incidence and prevalence of these diseases and their root causes are being undertaken. Neither are investigations being taken up to know the extent, magnitude and seriousness of toxicity in soil, water, food chain and tissues of humans and cattle. Appropriate remedial measures are possible only after such studies, including detoxification and stopping further additions of toxins in our environment and particularly in the water sources. This obviously requires that victims should be treated and compensation be given by the polluters.

Agri-Chemicals have been proved to be the major polluters of environment, and cause for ecological degradation and ill health. Millions of people are dying prematurely and billions are suffering from serious chronic diseases because of these toxic chemicals. Reproductive health of animals and human beings is being gravely affected.

Punjab is essentially witnessing a slow genocide by the manufacturers and traders of a variety of toxins along with misuse of resources like water. The government, PAU scientists and bureaucrats have failed miserably to act in time to stop these crimes.

The myth that agriculture is impossible without chemicals has now been shattered with large scale state-supported ecological farming projects unfolding in different parts of the country. Punjab also must shift to a non-chemical, non-GM sustainable model of agriculture.

It is in this context that the following People’s Charter on Public Health, Farm Livelihoods & Environment is being presented.

People’s Charter on Public Health, Farm Livelihoods and Environment

(1) Peoples' 'Right To Life' Must be Protected:

It is our basic human right to get clean air, unpolluted water and toxin free food. The Government should conduct an ‘Environmental Audit’ to test the levels of toxins in the environment-air, water, food chain and human bodies. All sources of Environmental Toxicity should be traced. Legal action should be taken against the polluters who must pay compensation to the victims, in addition to deterrent action taken on them to curb further offences. Free treatment should be provided to the people suffering from diseases resulting directly or indirectly from toxicity. All possible measures should be taken to detoxify the eco-system of Punjab.

(2) Environmental Emergency must be proclaimed in Punjab:

 Environmental Emergency should be declared in Punjab to emphasize mitigation and remedial measures. A special action plan should be evolved in consultation with communities and social groups and special budgetary provisions should be made to implement this mitigation action plan. All on-going and upcoming developmental activities and projects should go under stringent Environmental Impact Assessment.         

(3) Environmental-epidemiological Mapping and Environmental Audit of Punjab:

To know the toxicity impact on ecology, the Government must undertake extensive epidemiological studies to know the exact incidence and prevalence of all diseases and their root causes. Fool-proof data collection for diseases in the Government and Private healthcare facilities should be employed. Free treatment and compensation should be given to the victims by the polluters. A scientific audit with participation from community groups and civil society organizations should be done to know the extent and nature of environmental / ecological damage including damage to human and animal health. All sources of pollution of air, water and soil be identified and remedial measures should be taken as per the findings of this audit. Government policies and budget be modified to undertake these remedial measures.

(4) Organic/ Natural Model of Agriculture:

Natural / Organic Farming technique be promoted and farmers shifting to such techniques be supported by various means including direct subsidies. Punjab Government should establish a separate institution equaling   to Deemed University for participatory research in Ecological Agriculture. PAU should be told to dedicate its one-fourth Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) to Organic Farming. The cropping pattern/ agricultural techniques should be changed in such a way that use of water is reduced, biodiversity enhanced and soil health restored even as net returns to farmers are protected or enhanced. Emphasis should be placed on farmers’ collectivization for a massive shift to ecological farming and for increasing incomes through post-harvest value-addition and marketing processes taken up by such collectives. Appropriate incentives should be provided to farmers, at least on par with chemical agriculture, to farmers of Punjab to make this shift possible. Coming Punjab Government should immediately ban at least those pesticides that have been banned in other countries including all Class 1a and Class 1b pesticides.

(5) Conserving Water and Stopping Water Contamination  :

Coming Punjab government should initiate a state level drive with all inclusive community participation for water conservation and to check and stop contamination of water sources – rivers, rivulets, canals, wetlands and ponds by industrial waste and agro-chemicals.  The state government should formulate a time bound action plan to rejuvenate the water bodies and to build new across the Punjab. Depletion and contamination of water resources and providing safe potable water to the people is one of the most severe crises of Punjab.  Measures must be taken for recharging of aquifers by making rain-water harvesting mandatory in Punjab. Water pollution should be stopped and any offender to be severely punished.

(6) Punjab State Environment Commission: Present Ecological and Environmental Health crises are to be dealt holistically, with inter disciplinary interventions and multisectorial approach with large scale community participation in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. ‘Unidirectional and de-bureaucratized’ earnest effort is urgently needed to take up environmental conservation to bring Punjab out of present ecological catastrophe. This is the need of the hour to ensure safe and sustainable future of coming generations of Punjab.
Thus the Coming Punjab government should constitute ‘Punjab State Environment Commission’ as a statuary body. The proposed Environment Commission would be the first of its kind in India. The Environment Commission shall work as the highest agency for all issues related to environment and natural resources. The commission should be empowered to act as per the needs of the environment and to protect the environmental rights of people of Punjab to get clean air, pure water, safe and nutritious food and for the preservation of the natural, historical, aesthetic, cultural and spiritual beauty and values of the environment. Commission should have more participation from communities and civil society