The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Both public, private sectors `have role in conservation'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 01, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Both public, private sectors `have role in conservation'

Staff Reporter

Environmental deterioration impacts on economy: expert

CHENNAI: The responsibility of protecting the environment lay with both the public and the private sectors, according to Ananda Ranjana Das, former chief planner of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.

At the monthly meeting of the Indian Institute of Public Administration, Tamil Nadu Regional Branch, on Saturday, Mr. Das said the city had several environmental assets such as beaches, the Guindy National Park and heritage areas.

Pressure on assets

Due to development, there was a great deal of pressure on these assets.

Water was another resource that needed to be protected.

"We are a city that lives on water supplied by water tanks. Water sources have been polluted by certain industries. Air pollution has also proved to be a serious concern.

"I think the transport corporation does not have enough buses. That's why so many people have taken to two-wheelers. As it is so easy to purchase a two-wheeler these days, the traffic and (therefore) the pollution on the road has increased," Mr. Das said.

Negative effect

The deterioration of the environment had a negative effect on the economy. For instance, "places with parks that are clean and kept well tend to have a higher rent."

He suggested a participatory method to solve environment problems. "People should do what they can, maybe switch to CNG instead of petrol or diesel for their vehicles."

He cited the Sustainable Sites Programme, conducted a few years ago, as a good example. "There was a synergy of all the departments working in the areas of salt waste management, waterways and land."

The public sector needed good policy-making to protect the ethos of environment.

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