WELCOME to the

5th HLAC Meeting on the

State Environmental Action
Programme (SEAP)

18th August 2003

Presentation by
Gujarat Ecology Commission
State environmental action programme
(SEAP), Gujarat
■ Prepared by the Gujarat Ecology Commission
(GEC), Dept. of Env. & Forests (GDFE);
■ Supported (financially and technically) by
The World Bank;
■ Co-ordinated by the Govt. of India (MoEF).

The Hon’ble CM launches SEAP on 15th

April 1998 (Baisakhi)
SEAP, Gujarat…

■ Pilot project to Gujarat, in view of its various

success stories;
■ Addresses environmental problems,
underlying causes and suggested remedies;
■ Aims to merge with the sustainable
development efforts of the State Government.
SEAP………………The process

 Engaged best consultants in India

■ mostly through competitive quality-based
selection;
■ three separate reports from each in as many
years;
■ rigorous review and consultation process;

■ TCS (industrial pollution); TERI (energy); CEPT

(urbanisation); ORG-INREM (hydrologic regimes);
GUIDE-IRMA (land degradation); NEERI
(coastal); WISA (wetlands); GES (biodiversity).
SEAP………………The process
 Wide consultations held with different groups
■ regional consultations with people at Surat, Mehsana,
Rajkot & Bhuj;
■ repeated consultation with major NGOs & civil society
institutions;
■ detailed consultation with government officials at all
levels.

Jummabhai makes a point in the Bhuj

consultative meeting
SEAP………………The process
 Rigorous review & expert guidance
■ validation of data, method of analysis,
conclusions;
■ people’s perception, priorities, possibilities;
■ feasibility of adoption, synergies with State plan.

■ HLAC (CS & other Secretaries);

■ EAC (Shri V Ramachandran & other senior specialists);
■ Independent Review (Shri Ashok V. Desai & others)
■ The World Bank (Carter Brandon & other professionals);
SEAP…………the role of HLAC
■ High-Level Advisory Committee
(Chaired by the Chief Secretary)

■ 1st meeting: planning;

■ 2nd meeting: problem statements;
■ 3rd meeting: priority problems;
■ 4th meeting: policies, programmes & institutions;
■ 5th meeting: formally adopt the document.
SEAP………………The process
 Synthesis of the action plan
■ initial synthesis of the problems;
■ development of the overall approach;
■ identification of key elements of sectoral action plans;
■ critical review of draft by external consultants & WB;
■ review and approval of draft by the Expert Advisory Committee
(EAC).

 Key persons
■ in GEC:
GEC Chairman, Member Secretary, Nodal officer; Ambrish
Mehta
■ External: Carter Brandon, Ms Elizabeth Mehta, Dr Ashok V
Desai, Dr Parth J Shah
SEAP………………Overview
 Introduction
■ SEAP - the need & the process;
 Gujarat
■ the setting - environmental & developmental;

 The problems
■ in water, land, air, biodiversity & coastal areas;
 The causes
■ primarily in irrigation & water management, forest & wildlife
management, pollution control, urban waste management etc.
 The solutions
■ primarily through water management, land & forest
area management, management of urban
development and management of industrial
development.
SEAP………the priority problems
Over-exploitation of groundwater, deteriorating nks
quality & salinity ingress in coastal areas
Degradation downstream of dams n
In situ deterioration of soil (salinity) n sk
Loss of vegetation cover, soil loss (erosion) e s
Threat to biological diversity k se
Overexploitation of marine fish stock k s
Increasing pollution in estuaries and coastal areas g

Pollution of surface water n g

Outdoor air pollution n g
Dumping of solid wastes n g
Occupational health & safety g ns
Indoor air pollution e

n:Northern Alluvial tract; k: Kachchh; s: Saurashtra;

g: Southern Alluvial tract; e: Eastern Hill tract
SEAP………………the key issues

1
Problems of Natural Resources Management,
are equally, if not more important than
problems of urban & industrial pollution.

Need to strengthen institutions engaged in research and

policy analysis for natural resources management.
SEAP………………the key issues

2
A baggage of institutional history leads to
continued extraction of natural resources,
rather than its sustainable management.

Need to review the institutional mechanisms dealing with

natural resources
SEAP………………the key issues

3
Publicly owned property and assets are freely
used and cannot be sustained through
subsidies.

Need to gradually phase-out subsidies, along with the

transfer of ownership (and hence management
responsibility) to the communities/ stakeholders
SEAP………………the key issues

4
Pollution control costs money, and stringent
norms cost more, particularly to smaller
enterprises, providing dis-incentives to comply.

Need to frame more realistic programs that boldly address the

issues of transparency, stakeholder participation, flexibility of
norms, administration of fiscal penalties, etc. over time
SEAP………………the key issues

5
Lack of cost-recovery, accountability and
professional management capacity constrain
the delivery of efficient municipal services

Obligatory functions do not imply free delivery of services;

need to improve urban governance, involve the private sector,
and move towards full cost-recovery
Causal Analysis Chart Increase Improve Cess on fuel to
Introduce telescopic traffic public improve road
annual registration penalties transport infrastructure
fees > 5 years

Green areas

Vehicular
emissions

Adulterated fuel Weak regulations Old vehicles Old technology Poor road Poor traffic
quality management

Subsidized High tariffs on Low No incentive to Inadequate

fuels import income upgrade maintenance

High
tax Inadequate
capacity

Rationalize Enforcement based on

fuel prices certificates rather than Weak traffic Parking &
emissions monitoring encroachments

Not core function Scrap PUC &

of traffic police charge based on Capacity Building /
emissions Evaluate present
structure and improve

Policy of subsidizing
domestic fuel for the Reduce taxes on new
poor technology vehicles Private pay &
park

Problem 1st Level Causes 2nd Level Causes Actions

SEAP………the suggested approach

 EAP is essentially a Sustainable Development

Plan;
 Most of the current programmes are on track;

 Build upon these with bold & progressive

policies;
 Generate awareness about the programmes;

 Adopt a mission approach for a major scale-up.

 SEAP………..the key messages
(Managing Water)
Strategic actions

… build on PIM
 Transfer management of water services to the
appropriate user groups
 Augment water supply in water scarce regions through
bulk inter-basin transfers
 Empower local communities to monitor and regulate
groundwater extraction
 Restructure institutions and build capacities

Rationale
 Irrigation accounts for 90% of water use;
 Improved management of surface water will reduce dependence on
costly groundwater.
 Transfer management of water services to the
appropriate user groups
 Establish Project Implementation Committees (PICs) at the State and
project levels with participation of stakeholders, technical experts and NGOs
Steps

(NWRD)
 Study the cost of supplying unit of water at each level of distribution and the
pricing mechanism (NWRD and GWSSB + consultants)
 Awareness, motivation and education for participatory water management
(NWRD, NGOs, farmers' organisations)
 Broadening the scope of draft PIM legislation to cover all water services
(say, PWM act) (NWRD)
 Identify current project allocations and historical consumptions at individual
farm, village, city and industrial estate levels (NWRD)
 Formation of WUAs at project, branch, distributory and minor levels
(Individual irrigation projects)
 Agreements between NWRD and WUAs/ ULBs/ GIDC estates on
proportional water allocations (NWRD)
 Examination and upgradation of the physical infrastructure for water supply
and drainage before transfering these to the WUAs (NWRD and WUAs )
 Augment water supply through bulk inter-
basin transfers
Steps

 Study the feasibility of converting Mahi command to the

Narmada command; transfer Kadana waters to N Gujarat
through a canal/ aquaduct; examine the possibility of sharing
the capital costs of the project by the WUAs (NWRD)
 Implement the chosen scheme (NWRD)
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Regenerating bio-resources)
Strategic actions

Forestry & wildlife

… build on JFM
 Transfer all forest lands to local community groups
under an improved JFM program;
 Introduce participatory Protected Area management
systems by initiating eco-tourism, with stakes to the
communities and the private sector;
 Set up dedicated bio-diversity and wetland centre

Rationale
 Outside interests tend to undervalue products;
 Long term stakes to the communities is the only rational bet.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Regenerating bio-resources)
Strategic actions

Revenue wastelands
& other CPLRs
… build on WDP
 Transfer all cultivable and uncultivable revenue
wastelands to Village Panchayats with freedom to
manage and reallocate;
 Undertake a large-scale programme for low-cost slope
stabilisation in the eastern hill tracts;
 Restructure existing programs for land regeneration.

Rationale
 Empower the PRIs with physical resources;
 Introduce flexibility in management - private, community, corporate etc.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Regenerating bio-resources)
Strategic actions

Fisheries & coastal

Show the way ... zone management
 Introduce a system of tradable quotas for marine fish
catch
 Reconstitute and strengthen Coastal Zone
Management Authority (CZMA)
 Initiate a process of streamlining regulation of the coastal
zone with greater decentralization to the State level
Rationale
 Future development of Gujarat is linked to its coastal areas;
 An apex body, such as a revamped CZMA, vital to plan development
under diverse constraints;
 New concepts need to be introduced, rather than deal with the fallout of
the collapse of fisheries.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Mitigating pollution)
Strategic actions

Industrial air & water

 Introduce and implement the “polluter pays” principle
 Decentralise compliance monitoring and strengthen
ambient monitoring
 Improve information disclosure and civil society participation
 Enrich knowledge-base and strengthen cleaner production
initiatives
This implies
 Developing a system of monetary non-compliance penalties;
 Making CETPs responsible for compliance within industrial estates;
 Strengthening GEMI for expanding ambient monitoring systems;
 Publishing key information, and piloting a programme for green rating;
 Take up specific studies and strengthen GCPC & LCPCs.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Mitigating pollution)
Strategic actions

Vehicular air pollution

 Use pricing instruments to curb vehicular emissions
 Increase private sector participation in transport
management

This implies
 Introducing an on-the-spot fine for emissions and a nominal fuel
surcharge within the cities to finance road improvements;
 Enlarging the role of private sector in managing urban transport
systems;
 Phasing out the State-run city bus services.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Mitigating pollution)
Strategic actions

Work-zone air pollution

 Conduct health and work-zone audit alongwith training
 Restructure ESI in light of the open health insurance
sector

This implies
 Auditing work-zone environment and occupational health, beginning with
the most hazardous sectors;
 Undertaking impact studies on specifically hazardous vocations;
 Developing norms and guidelines for work-zone environmental standards;
 Studying the costs and benefits of the ESI Scheme for workers in Gujarat.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Mitigating pollution)
Strategic actions

Domestic air pollution

 Promote use of cleaner fuels such as LPG in rural
areas
 Promote commercial viability of rural energy
programs through large energy companies
 Revamp GEDA as a monitoring agency for rural
energy and indoor air pollution
This implies
 Removing supply hurdles to cover rural areas;
 Piloting the implementation of rural energy programme;
 Studying health impacts of indoor air pollution, willingness to pay for
cleaner fuel/technologies;
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Managing the urban environment)
Strategic actions

Water & waste water

 Commercialise urban water supply, and integrate

sewerage and storm water management
This implies
 Establishing a separate public utility or forming an autonomous unit in
urban areas to manage water supply (and sewerage and storm water),
on a full-cost recovery basis;
 Sub-contracting specific components of the services;
 Tying up financial assistance from the State to the progress towards
full-cost recovery.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Managing the urban environment)
Strategic actions

Solid waste
 Aggressively push private sector participation in solid
waste management in 3 separate components –
1) Household collection & street sweeping
2) Bulk transport
3) Disposal at dump-site

This implies
 Inviting separate bids to manage the dump sites and transportation;
 Contracting street-sweeping and household collection services to either
community-groups or entrepreneurs through ward committees;
 Encouraging VRS of "safai karmacharis" and formation of cooperatives
that could bid for street-sweeping and household collection services.
 SEAP………..the key messages
(Managing the urban environment)
Strategic actions

Wetlands
 Conserve urban wetlands, through wise-use

This implies
 Mapping Urban Wetlands and water bodies including their wet and dry
period spreads;
 Developing minimal set of Guidelines for management of Urban
Wetlands;
 Transferring responsibilities of managing the urban and periurban
wetlands to ward committees / or panchyats.
SEAP………… the changed roles

■ Government:
❡ to withdraw from grassroots implementation;
❡ to focus on policies, regulations & compliance;
❡ to strengthen institutional capacities suitably
(includes down-sizing, greater autonomy, technical skill
enhancement, upgradation of IT and general infrastructure,
emphasise cost-recovery, and collaboration on the basis of
written covenants).
SEAP………… the changed roles

■ Community institutions:
❡ to assume ownership and responsibility for public
assets and utilities at the grassroots level;
❡ to develop norms and systems for full cost-recovery,
improved O&M and, over time, capital expenses;
❡ to strengthen institutional capacities suitably
(includes democratic systems of functioning, social and gender
sensitivity, upgradation of technical and financial management
skills, skills to engage with other interested communities, NGOs
and government).
SEAP………… the changed roles

■ NGOs:
❡ to organise communities, as User Associations, to
manage grassroots assets and service delivery systems;
❡ to train and assist community organisations in developing
appropriate norms and systems for improving
management;
❡ to strengthen institutional capacities suitably
(includes upgradation of financial management skills,
technical knowledge and effective engagement with other
stakeholders).
SEAP…………….the way ahead

 Integrate with the State Plan;

… State Planning Department/
Commission
 Key departments (GDFE, NWRD, RD & UDD) to
develop detailed projects, with costs and time-frame;
… the HLAC
 Promulgate appropriate policies, through GRs and
legislations (including necessary interface with the
political process);
… the HLAC
 Monitor the implementation of SEAP;
… the GEC
SEAP…………….

a vehicle of sustainable development

for a resurgent Gujarat