Plant more trees

There’s a report in your daily about how India needs to find a solution to its water crises. In the same breath, there is another column whose title is New Delhi should update its climate targets. The sentiment behind the two stories is completely opposite. While the one about water is dire and paints the picture of a living hell, the one about the targets is anything but.

The one about climate targets is complacent, even going to the extent of giving several pats on the back with statements such as “Thanks to rapidly falling technology costs and supportive policies, the country is on track to achieve those goals years ahead of schedule. Moody’s forecasts that India will overachieve against its targets...”

Are water crises and green technology mutually exclusive? Why is this report so chirpy about overachieving targets while, as the report was being written, people are in dire straits about there being no water?

How can the policy makers think of zero carbon footprint and yet there is a water crises? There is a missing link and missing the mark. It is very fine to think of green energy, which also means planting more trees. Trees are a point that the concerned countries have understood, but sadly, India seems to be looking every which way except trees.

The report about green technology doesn’t have a single mention of trees. But in their corruption, they don’t realise that the only saviour is not solar panels and windmills. The solution is trees.

Rohit Silva
By email