MAINS Current Affairs includes Western Ghats & Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) & Reconnect Public Health With People’s Needs in India

ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

1. Western Ghats & Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs)

Context: The Union Government is moving towards finalising the notification of Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats.

• The region may receive stronger legal protection, especially in Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra, after years of delay due to disagreements between the Centre and States.

About Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA)

• The Western Ghats, stretching over 1,500 kmalong India’s western coast across six states i.e. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• They constitute one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity, spread over approximately 1,64,280 sq km.
• It holds vital importance for the regulation of Indian Monsoon, climatic regulation, soil conservation and providing water security to millions of people.
• This area is considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Sitedue to its unique biological diversity and endemism.

Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA)

• ESA refers to an ecologically fragile region notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• These areas are declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) considering:
  • Biodiversity richness
  • Ecological sensitivity
  • Environmental vulnerability

Objectives of ESA

• Protect fragile ecosystems from irreversible damage.
• Ensure sustainable use of natural resources.
• Maintain balance between conservation and development.
• Protect local communities dependent on ecosystem services.

Activities Restricted in ESA

Certain environmentally damaging activities are banned or regulated such as:

• Mining and quarrying.
• Red category polluting industries.
• Large construction projects.
• Thermal power plants.
• Unsustainable infrastructure development.

Other Regions in India Designated ESAs

• Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan (Aravalli Range)
• Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape, Assam
• Gir National Park, Gujarat
• Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
• Sundarbans, West Bengal
• Great Indian Bustard habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat
• Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, Uttarakhand
• Chilika Lake, Odisha, and Deepor Beel, Assam

Ecological Significance of the Western Ghats

• Biodiversity Hotspot:The region is home to nearly 30% of India’s flora and fauna and exhibits high endemism.
  • Several endangered species including Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Malabar civet, Great Indian hornbillinhabit the Western Ghats.
• Water Security and Climate Regulation: Western ghat acts as a water-divideand serves as a wind barrier, affecting rainfall patterns over peninsular India.
  • Major rivers like Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Tungabhadra, Periyaroriginate from the Western Ghats.
  • Dense forests help in groundwater recharge, carbon sink, and disaster management.
• Socio-Economic Significance:The Western Ghats sustain millions by agriculture and plantations unlike Himalayas.
  • The region is known for export crops like pepper, cardamom, coffee, tea, cinnamon, rubber, and spices.
  • The ecosystem supports tourism, hydroelectricity generation, and livelihood.

Evolution of ESA Delineation: Gadgil vs Kasturirangan

• Gadgil Committee (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, 2011):It defined the Western Ghats region as 1,29,037 sq km and proposed declaration of the whole Western Ghats as ESA.
  • It suggested a graded regulation regime with strict norms on mining, pollution industries, and mega infrastructure projects and promoted participatory bottom-up approach involving local bodies.
• Kasturirangan Committee (High-Level Working Group, 2013):It adopted a more balanced approach.
  • It defined the total Western Ghats landscape as 1,64,280 sq km and recommended designation of approximately 60,000 sq km as ESA.
  • It differentiated between Cultural Landscape (60%) and Natural Landscape (40%).
  • It suggested ban on mining and quarrying, prohibition on red category polluting industries, restriction on thermal power plants, and regulation of large scale constructions and township projects.

Why Has ESA Notification been delayed?

• State Government Opposition:State governments feel ESA notification might hinder industrialization and infrastructure development, impede plantation agriculture and livelihoods, and limit revenue generation from mining and quarrying activities.
• Disputes over Boundaries:The Centre’s draft notification had proposed 56,825 sq km as ESA.
  • States were making demands for exclusions through ground level survey findings.
  • Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra are demanding huge reductions in the area.
• Challenges in Data Reconciliation: Difference in satellite imageries, village wise data, revenue records, land uses have made consensus difficult.

Recent Developments

• Expert Committee (2022):MoEF&CC has formed an expert committee headed by former Director General of Forests for reevaluation of objections raised by states.
  • Some major tasks are reconciliation of village wise data, field verification, and review of proposals for monetary incentives to states.
• Draft Notification (July 2024):It has introduced an important provision like:
  • ESA boundaries can now be finalized either state-wise or through combined notification.
  • It intends to avoid delays in states where a consensus is possible.

Why is the Protection of Western Ghats Crucial?

• Increasing Ecological Threats: The Ghats are being threatened by deforestation, quarrying and mining, expanding infrastructure, unregulated tourism and climate induced extreme rainfall events.
  • Recent landslides in Kerala and Karnataka have underscored the vulnerability of the ecosystem.
• Ecosystem Services:Western Ghats offer valuable ecosystem services including water provisioning, floods moderation, carbon sink, pollination and soil conservation.
  • These services not only serve six states but also the whole nation.
• Imperative of Sustainable Development:Protection of the region does not mean exclusion of people.
  • Instead, it means promotion of sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, community involvement, compensation mechanisms and payment for ecosystem services.

Way Forward

• There needs to be a balanced approach to integrate protection and development. Key measures include:
  • Boundary delineation of ESA through scientific and participatory consultations.
  • Offering financial incentive and compensations to states and communities.
  • Devising decentralized environmental governance through Panchayati Raj Institutions.
  • Promoting sustainable livelihood and climate resilient agriculture.
  • Stringent regulation of mining and polluting industries in ecologically sensitive regions.

Conclusion: The Western Ghats are not only a biodiversity treasure but also a foundation of India’s water security, climate stability and livelihood systems. A balanced ESA framework based on science, community participation and sustainable development is essential for protecting this fragile ecosystem.

HEALTH ISSUES

2. Reconnect Public Health With People’s Needs in India

Context: Questions have been raised regarding the effectiveness of Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

• Concerns exist that health policies should focus more on people’s actual healthcare needs rather than only digitalisation and individual wellness.

Public Health System in India

• Public health aims to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to all citizens.
• It includes:
  • Preventive healthcare (disease prevention)
  • Promotive healthcare (improving health awareness)
  • Curative healthcare (treatment)
  • Rehabilitative services
• Important for India due to:
  • Rising communicable and non-communicable diseases.
  • Large population and health inequalities.
  • Need to utilise demographic dividend.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

• UHC means ensuring that every person receives required health services without suffering financial hardship.
• It is linked with SDG-3: Good Health and Well-being.

India’s Commitment Towards UHC

1. National Health Policy (NHP), 2017

• Targets increasing public health expenditure to 5% of GDP.
• Focuses on strengthening primary healthcare.

2. Ayushman Bharat Programme (2018)

• Major initiative to achieve universal healthcare.

3. Health and Wellness Centres

• Aim to strengthen primary healthcare delivery.

Major Public Health Policies in India

1. National Health Policy, 2017

• Focuses on:
  • Universal health coverage.
  • Preventive and promotive healthcare.
  • Strengthening primary health institutions.
  • Reducing healthcare inequalities.

2. Ayushman Bharat Programme (2018)

It has two major components:

1. Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)

• Transform existing:
  • Sub Centres (SCs)
  • Primary Health Centres (PHCs)
  • Community Health Centres (CHCs)
  • into comprehensive healthcare centres.

Services include:

• Maternal and child healthcare.
• Immunisation services.
• Screening of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
• Mental healthcare.
• Elderly care.
• Palliative care.

      2. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

• Provides health insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year.
• Covers secondary and tertiary healthcare.
• Mainly targets poor and vulnerable families.

3. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), 2021

• Aims to create a digital health ecosystem.

Components:

Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA)

• Provides unique digital health identity.

Health Facility Registry

• Database of hospitals and healthcare centres.

Healthcare Professional Registry

• Maintains information about health professionals.

Electronic Health Records

• Enables digital storage and sharing of health information.

Achievements in Public Health

• Expansion of healthcare insurance coverage.
• Growth of digital healthcare infrastructure.
• Improved disease surveillance.
• Better access to healthcare records.
• Decline in Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE).

OOPE Reduction:

• Declined from nearly 6% (2014-15) to about 43.89% (2023) of total health expenditure.

Issues in India’s Public Health Policies

1. Shift from Population Health to Individual Wellness

• Implementation of ‘Health and Wellness’ concept has caused the focus to shift from population health strategies to individual wellness.
  • Issues include ambiguity in terms of the role of institutions; and the difficulty of measuring well-being because of its subjective nature.
  • Well-being, unlike indicators such as immunization coverage or maternal mortality, does not have any universally accepted measure at population level.

2. Ignoring Social Determinants of Health

• The wellness framework increasingly makes individuals responsible for their health behavior.
  • The risk of this framework is that it tends to overlook poverty; malnutrition; poor sanitation; poor housing facilities; and the social determinants of health.

3. Weak Primary Healthcare Infrastructure

Many SCs, PHCs and CHCs suffer from:

• Shortage of doctors.
• Lack of specialists.
• Poor diagnostic facilities.
• Shortage of medicines.
• Infrastructure gaps.

Impact is higher in:

• Rural areas.
• Tribal regions.
• Remote areas.

4. Digitalisation Without Strong Healthcare Delivery

• ABDM focuses on digital health records.
• But digital systems alone cannot provide healthcare.

India also needs:

• Hospitals
• Doctors
• Medicines
• Diagnostic facilities

Digital infrastructure should support physical healthcare.

5. High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure

• Many families still depend on private healthcare.
• Major expenses include:
  • Medicines
  • Diagnostic tests
  • Hospitalisation
• Health expenses push many households into poverty.

6. Inequality in Healthcare Access

• Urban areas have better healthcare facilities compared to rural areas.
• Regional differences exist between developed and backward states.

7. Policy Implementation Gaps

• Many schemes focus on technology and innovation.
• But basic healthcare problems remain:
  • Availability
  • Affordability
  • Quality

Way Forward: Strengthening Public Health Policies

• Enhance Three-tier Public Health Infrastructure:Ensure adequate infrastructure, diagnostics and human resource development in SCs, PHCs and CHCs; and effective linkage.
• Increase Investment in Public Health:Hasten efforts to meet the target of 2.5% of GDP as per NHP; and make primary healthcare investments priority.
• Adopt Evidence-based Approach:Policymaking needs to be based on health indicators like IMR, MMR, disease burden, and health services provision.
• Strike Balance between Digital Health and Provision of Healthcare Services: The implementation of ABDM needs to enhance, not undermine, the healthcare provisions; and digital health needs to be linked with strong institutional arrangements.
• Focus on Social Determinants of Health: Ensure convergence with initiatives related to nutrition, sanitation, drinking water and social protection.
• Engage Communities:Local government bodies, ASHA and other community organizations need to be part of the health planning and monitoring process.

Conclusion

India’s journey towards Universal Health Coverage requires more than insurance schemes and digital platforms. Public health must reconnect with people’s real needs by ensuring affordable healthcare, strong primary institutions, social equity and community-based health governance.

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