Budget 2024 neglects major environmental Concerns

The recently announced Union Budget 2024 has raised eyebrows among those concerned about the environment. The budget misses out on addressing key environmental issues, like climate crisis, air pollution, rivers, energy transition, and loss of biodiversity.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has been allocated ₹3265.53 Cr for the fiscal year 2024-25, a mere 34% increase from last year’s budget, concerns arise over the specific allocations and their implications for environmental conservation.

Budget neglects key environmental concerns

The budget lacks a robust focus on pressing environmental issues such as the climate crisis, air pollution, rivers, and energy transition. The MoEFCC, the nodal agency for climate change, sees only a 34% increase in its budget. The Clean Air Action Program receives a modest increase of 102.5 crores, while programs like the Climate Change Action Plan and National Adaptation Fund receive no budget allocation.

Despite the Finance Minister's mention of boosting electric buses, the allocated funds for the PM eBus scheme fall significantly short of the required funding to transform the public bus system. The 1300 crores allotted pale in comparison to the 21335.98 crores granted for Metro projects under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA).

In 2023, India experienced extreme weather events on 86% of the days, resulting in nearly 3000 lives lost. Critics argue that the budget fails to address the urgent need for concrete actions and a robust financial system to support both mitigation and adaptation efforts.

India’s main meteorological agency, India Meteorological Department IMD, which plays a critical role in issuing warnings on extreme weather, received only 537 crores, 3 crores less than last year. In contrast, the Deep Sea Mission, a potential threat to ocean biodiversity, was granted 600 crores, a 25% increase from last year.

The budgetary allocations also raise eyebrows regarding disaster response departments. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Disaster Management, and Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project face significant budget cuts, sparking concerns about the country's preparedness for climate-related disasters.

Less funding contradicts solar emphasis

Despite the government’s emphasis on solar energy, the budget allocation for solar projects paints a contradictory picture. The Solar Energy Program faces a significant decrease of 217 crores from the previous budget, and this amount is even 40.32 crores less than the revised budget of 184.32 crores.

The present allocation to MoEFCC reflects a marginal increment of 1.05% compared to the Revised Estimate (RE) of ₹3231.02 Cr for 2023-24, but a 4.92% increase from the original budget of ₹3079.4 Cr for 2023-24. Notably, the budget for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has seen a substantial increase, with a budget of ₹35 Cr, double the RE of ₹15.80 Cr and triple the original budget of ₹11 Cr from the previous year.

The 2024 Union Budget has revealed a mix of budget cuts and increases in key environmental sectors. The National Biodiversity Authority and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) have seen budget reductions, likely due to lower government expenditure. The Revised Estimate (RE) for the CAQM shows only ₹13.1 Cr out of the allotted ₹17 Cr in last year’s budget.

Budget cuts impact environmental conservation programs

Last year, the Sovereign Green Fund and the National Afforestation Program each were allocated ₹169 Cr and ₹167.28 Cr respectively, but they saw a significant reduction to approximately ₹120 Cr each in the RE. This year's budget maintains a similar allocation of ₹170 Cr each for these programs.

However, the REs for centrally sponsored schemes such as ‘Biodiversity Conservation’ and ‘Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems’ programs have decreased compared to the original allocations, indicating limited government expenditure in these critical sectors.

All heads have seen lower Revised Estimates (REs) than last year's budget under the Externally Aided Programs (EAP). For instance, the authorities merged Project Tiger and Project Elephant last year, for a combined budget of ₹331.8 Cr. They have shown an RE of ₹239.6 Cr, indicating a lower expenditure.

The budget for ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ decreased from ₹160 Cr to ₹110.4 Cr in the RE, with the budget allocation for this year remaining unchanged at ₹160 Cr.

The government states the RE for Grant-in-aid to States to be ₹430.48 Cr, comparing to the original allocation of ₹619.43 Cr. This year, the government allocates ₹576.58 crore under this head. However, the budget for Grant-in-aid-to-Union Territories increased to ₹14 Cr against the RE of ₹1.5Cr, and last year’s budget of ₹3Cr.

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