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7 ISLAMIC STEWARDSHIP TOWARDS ENVIRONMENT
ANIL DHAR
83
8 IMPACT OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE
MD. ZAFAR MAHFOOZ NOMANI and MOHAMMAD
RAUF
95
9 SPATIAL VARIATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PERCEPTIONS: A CASE OF DHAKA CITY
MD. SHAHIDUL ISLAM, MD. MASUD PARVES RANA
and RAQUIB AHMED
111
10 ENVIROMENTAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
RESPONSIBILITIES & ISSUES
B. PRADHAN and JITENDRA K VERMA
127
11 BIODIPLOMACY IN ICNP-2 NEGOTIATIONS OF
NAGOYA PROTOCOL ON ACCESS AND BENEFIT-
SHARING
HASRAT ARJJUMEND and SABIHA ALAM
137
12 ECOTOURISM: PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS IN
INDIA
ANAMIKA POONIA
155
13 EFFLUENT TREATMENT SYSTEMS AND CURRENT
TECHNIQUES FOR ABATEMENT OF POLLUTION IN
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
AHMAD ASHFAQ
165
14 A STUDY ON ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY
MARKETING
AVINASH PAREEK and SATYAM PINCHA
178
15 ENVIROMENTAL ISSUES IN RAJASTHAN
TOURISM: ROLE OF RAJASTHAN TOURISM
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
LAXMI NARAYAN ARYA and BAJRANG LAL
192
95
Chapter 8
IMPACT OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE ON ENVIRONMENT
ANDSOCIALCHANGE
Md. Zafar Mahfooz Nomani
Associate Professor & Project Director,
ICSSR Major Research Project, Department of Law,
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
Mohammad Rauf
Research Associate,
ICSSR Major Research Project, Department of Law,
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
Conceptual Aspect of Special Economic Zone
India was one of the first in Asia to recognize the effectiveness of
the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) model in promoting exports, with
Asia’s first EPZ set up in Kandla in 1965. With a view to overcome
the shortcomings experienced on account of the multiplicity of
controls and clearances; absence of world-class infrastructure, and
an unstable fiscal regime and with a view to attract larger foreign
investments in India, the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Policy
was announced in April 2000.The Special Economic Zones Act,
2005, was passed by Parliament in May, 2005 which received
Presidential assent on the 23rd of June, 2005. The draft SEZ Rules
were widely discussed and put on the website of the Department of
Commerce offering suggestions/comments.
1
Around 800
suggestions were received on the draft rules. After extensive
consultations, the SEZ Act, 2005, supported by SEZ Rules, came
into effect on 10th February, 2006, providing for drastic
simplification of procedures and for single window clearance on
matters relating to central aswellasstategovernments.
1
Ministry of Commerce web site: http://sezindia.nic.in/.
96
Definition of Sez
A SEZ is a geographical region that has economic laws that are
more liberal than a country’s typical economic laws.
2
Usually the
goal is an increase in foreign investment. The number of SEZs
continues social change and expands globally. SEZs are viewed
as an important policy instrument to promote industrialisation and
economic growth, generate employment, and for regional
development and societal change. To provide a stable economic
environment for the promotion of Export-Import of goods in a
quick, efficient and hassle-free manner, Government of India
enacted the SEZ Act. The SEZ Act and the SEZ Rules, 2006 were
notified on February 10, 2006. The SEZ Act is expected to give a
big thrust to exports and consequently to the foreign direct
investment (FDI) inflows into India.
3
The new law is aimed at
encouraging public-private partnership to develop world-class
infrastructure and attract private investment (domestic and
foreign), boosting economic growth, exports and employment.
4
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry lays down the regulations
that govern the setting up and administering of the SEZs. The
policy framework for SEZs has been enacted in the SEZ Act and
the supporting procedures are laid down in SEZ Rules.
But the SEZs are just a way of giving natural resources cheap to
real estate developers. Development with a human face cannot be
an empty promise in India.
5
Human faces have an uncomfortable
way of asserting themselves it is indeed true that these foreign
territories, which enjoy huge tax concessions and financial
Ϯ
Aggarwal, Aradhana.“Special Economic Zones: Revisit the Policy Debate”, Economic
and Political Weekly, November 4.
3
James Gordon (2002), “Foreign Direct Investment and Exports”, Presentation at IIFT,
September (2006).
ϰ
See: Nomani, Zafar Mahfooz & Mohammad Rauf, ‘Impact Of Special Ecomonmic Zone On
Labour Rights And Social Security Entitlements In Noida District of Uttar Pradesh’, III(2)
Journal of Minorities Rights,28-33 (2012)
5
World Bank, Conference on Economic Zones: Learning from Global Experience, New Delhi,
April 29-30, (2004).
97
incentives, provide livelihoods to thousands of people.
6
Are the
benefits of SEZs in terms of employment sustainable? It is
important to remember that SEZs entice investors with the promise
of cheap labour and a peaceful work environment. One Indian
analyst said that if one were to sum up the SEZ policy in one
sentence, it could perhaps be this: The policy fails on every count,
economic, political, and historic; and, most of all, it fails the test of
social and political justice, by promoting a policy which hurts the
neediest the most. The SEZ Act and the SEZ Rules have been
divided into eight Chapters each. In addition to these, there are
three Schedules in the Act. The First Schedule to the Act lists 21
enactments. All tax duties and ceases payable under these
enactments are not applicable to SEZs.
7
Declaration of Sezs Act 2005
The SEZ Act, 2005 received parliamentary assent in 2005. One
member described the SEZ Bill as “path-breaking legislation in the
course of remarks which otherwise focused on misgivings and
suspicions regarding several of the Bill’s provisions. They did not
address issues such as land acquisition, the size of SEZs, or the
possibility of real-estate developers abusing the policy’s
provisions.
8
It was a speaker from the government benches who
suggested that the spirit of the SEZ policy could be subverted by
real-estate developers if the act did not introduce specific
safeguard measures.
9
10.The SEZ Rule, 2006 contain the
operational details governing the establishment and administration
of SEZs.
11
The rules are regularly amended; more than 50
amendments have been introduced since the rules were first
6
See: Nomani, Zafar Mahfooz & Mohammad Rauf, ‘Socio Eeconomic Impact Of Special
Economic Zone (SEZ) On Sustainability And Resource Utilization With Special Reference To
Gautam Buddh Nagar’. Paper Presented National Conference On Population, Resource And
Environment Organized By Department Of Geography,A.M.U,Aligarh
7
Government of India, Annual Report 2005-06, Ministry of Commerce, New Delhi.
ϴ
World Bank, Conference on Economic Zones: Learning from Global Experience , New Delhi,
April,2005
ϵ
K S ,Rao,. 2005 Discussion on the Special Economic Zones Bill, .(Indian National Congress)
in Delhi
ϭϭ
ibd
98
passed. The rules provide various official actors involved in the
process to respond to political pressures (for instance, with respect
to SEZ size) and to pressure from industry (for example,
concerning the definition of ‘contiguous’ land,).
12
Since the
amendments to the rules are formulated by the SEZ
administration, they are merely tabled in parliament and do not
require its assent. There is no publicly documented discussion on
the rationale for the amendments. One civil servant involved in the
process said that the Board of Approval had given itself wide
latitude of powers to deal with the many different situations that
arise in different parts of the country.
13
Many of the political
discussion and the protests around SEZs since the Bill was
passed have focused on many issues such as Environment land
acquisition etc. Land is also the focus of many of the amendments
to the SEZ Rules, 2006. For example the Rules specify the size of
SEZs – from a minimum of 10 hectares for some types of single
sector SEZs to a minimum of 1000 hectares and a maximum of
5000 hectares for a multi-product SEZ. The cap of 5000 hectares
was introduced as an amendment to the Rules in 2007 following
an Empowered Group of Ministers directive at the height of the
land agitation in Nandigram, West Bengal.
14
At the time there were
four companies, which had approvals for SEZs larger than 5000
hectares.
15
The rule pertaining to SEZ size was amended once
again in May 2009 giving the BoA the discretion to set aside the
5000-hectare cap. The amendment states that a multi-product SEZ
must have a minimum area of 1000 hectares and a maximum of
5000 hectares, provided also that the Central Government may
consider on merit the clubbing of contiguous existing notified
Zones notwithstanding that the total area of resultant Zones
exceeds 5000 hectares. Contiguity of land for all classes of SEZ
12
There are Guidelines to help create uniformity in the application of the Rules, suggesting
that they are open to interpretation
ϭϯ
Interview in Bangalore, 16 November 2008.
14
Press Information Bureau, Government of India, April 5, 2007
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=26679)also
http://pd.cpim.org/2007/0128/01282007_nilotpal.htm and http://sanhati.com/articles/447/ for
different views on Nandigram
ϭϱ
Business Standard, 7 April 2007
99
was a requirement alluded to in the Act and specified in the
Rules. However, the section that refers to contiguous land for
SEZs had also been amended making it, like the rule on SEZ size,
a discretionary matter. The Rules state that while seeking approval
for an SEZ the developer must show that the identified area shall
be contiguous and vacant and it shall have no public
thoroughfare.
16
An amendment in March 2007 states: “Provided
that the Board may relax any or all of the conditions, except the
condition regarding identified area to be a vacant land, specified in
this sub-rule on a case to case basis on merits for reasons to be
recorded in writing and with such conditions as the Board may
decide.” The provision about ‘vacant land’ has also been defined
and diluted through an amendment.
17
To clarify the rules and the myriad amendments to the rules,
the Board of Approval issues guidelines from time to time. These
guidelines, according to SEZ officials, do not have the force of law
but are intended to “bring a uniformity in approach” to apply a
single standard across the country. Take for example the notice
explaining how the amendment to the contiguity rule is to be
implemented: “In terms of the proviso to sub-rule (2) of Rule 7 of
the SEZ Rules, 2006 read with SEZ (Second Amendment) Rules,
2007 dated 16th March 2007, condition of contiguity may be
relaxed by the Board in respect of SEZs subject to the conditions.
The developer shall maintain contiguity by dedicated security
gates/over bridges/underpass/culverts and also fence side of the
16
The two beneficiaries of this unraveling of the Rules on SEZ land size and contiguity
are the Reliance Group’s Navi Mumbai SEZ in Maharashtra and the Adani Group’s
Mundra Port SEZ in Gujarat.
17
Its beneficiaries were Essar’s Hazira SEZ and the Adani Group’s Mundra SEZ (Minutes of
the 32nd meeting ofthe SEZ Board of Approval, 23 Feb 2009, Ministry of Commerce).
However, the BoA (in June 2009) also approved a Larsen and Toubro SEZ in Powai, Mumbai,
on land where some buildings were situated. This exemption was granted on the grounds that
it was covered by the Board’s recent definition of vacant land. The land in question had “three
small institutions whose structures are good conditions, which the developer intended to use
for providing training facilities in the non-processing area to support processing area activities.
Out of these, two institutes have said to have world class facilities for in parting (sic) training.
The developer had requested to allow them the continued use of these institutions for training
purposes in non-processing area.” (Minutes of the 33rd meeting of the SEZ Board of Approval,
2 June 2009, Ministry Commerce of
India.ttp://sezindia.nic.in/writereaddata/BOA/Minutesof33rdBoA%20on%202ndJune09.pdf
100
road facing the processing area.
18
Interpreted in this way, Rule
7(2) allows the Board of Approval to disregard the requirement of a
single unbroken piece of land for an SEZ without specifying the
conditions under which such derogations are permitted.
19
The
Guidelines attempt to clarify this by stating that the non-contiguous
pieces of land have to be linked by bridges/underpasses/etc., to
achieve what civil servants call artificial contiguity.
20
Social Change and Livelihoods of Society
Land is the largest primary source of livelihood in the agrarian
society becomes the most obvious case of forcible transfer of
resources from ordinary people to private corporations, destroying
livelihoods, and displacing people. In this process, invariably the
gainers are the corporations and losers are the ordinary people
connected to land in many ways, the peasants and tenants,
agricultural workers and artisans, tribal’s and fishermen. The SEZ
became the most grotesque reminder of this pro-corporate, anti-
people bias built in this model of industrialization.
21
Only rising
popular resistance could force the government to moderate its
stand, but the difference etween acquiring SEZ land, and land for
mining or industrialisation is very little insofar as the destruction of
social auditing,
22
people’s livelihoods and displacement are
concerned.
23
18
Favaro. “Trade in Institutions and the Integration of Small States to the World Economy,”
The World Bank, January. (2006),
19
Rule7readas: Details to be furnished for issue of notification for declaration of an area as
Special Economic Zone.- (1) The Developer shall furnish to the Central Government,
particulars required under sub-section (1) of section 4 with regard to the area referred to in
sub-section (2) or sub-section (4) of section 3, (hereinafter referred to as identified area), with
proof of legal right and possession and a certificate from the State Government or the
authorized agency that the said area is free from all encumbrances: Provided that where the
Developer has leasehold right over the identified area, the lease shall be for a period not less
than twenty years.(2) The identified area shall be contiguous and vacant and it shall have no
public thoroughfare subject to third proviso to clause (a) of sub-rule (2) of rule 5.
ϮϬ
Aradhna Aggarwal “Performance Of Export Processing Zones: AComparative Analysis of
India, Sri Lanka And Bangladesh”, Working Paper No. 155, Indian Council for Research on
International Economic Relations, New Delhi, March(2005),
21
Susanne Brandtstädter (2006), Muddled Modernities in ‘Peasant’ China, CRESC Working
Paper No. 18, The University of Manchester, May 2006. U.S Foreign Trade Zones Board web
site http://www.ia.ita.doc.gov/ftzpage.
ϮϮ
See: Nomani, Zafar Mahfooz & Mohammad Rauf, ‘Human Right Appraisal & Social Auditing
of Special Economic Zone in India’,III(1) International Journal of Human Right Law.
101
The Indian Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976
was already repealed in 1999, releasing huge chunks of land into
the market.
24
Total amount of land expected to be acquired for
SEZs across India would be 150,000 hectares. This land is
predominantly agricultural and typically multi-cropped.
25
This
conversion would lead to a loss of 1 million tons of food grains
produced, thereby threatening the food security of the entire
country. According to a study, close to 1.14 lakh12 farming
households and an additional 82,000 farm worker families who are
dependent upon these farms for their livelihoods will be displaced
due to SEZ projects .The evicted households would suffer from
loss of livelihoods, damage and destruction of property, productive
assets and loss of or alienation from social entitlements. Also
important is the fact that often these CALs in India are associated
with gross violations of human rights. Affected peasants seldom
get adequate and fair compensation as well as economic and
cultural rehabilitation. The process of CAL is generally marked with
violence and involvement of armed forces. Women face severe
gender violence in this process. Recently an attempt to enforce
CAL in Nandigram, West Bengal, India by the state claimed more
than 47 lives of innocent villagers who were protesting peacefully
against such land grabbing. Besides forced eviction and loss of
livelihoods, the nation will suffer a loss.
26
The SEZ Act states that
as much as 75% of the area under an SEZ could be used for non-
industrial purpose. This option will give rise to real estate business
in SEZs which by no means would strengthen the local economy.
On the contrary, this is likely to introduce large scale real estate
Ϯϯ
See: Nomani Zafar Mahfooz & Mohammad Rauf , Human Right Violations and Special
Economic Zone (SEZ) In India: A Socio- Economic Appraisal In Managerial Pers pective Paper
presented National Seminar On Human Right: A Managerial Perspective; Aligarh College of
Engineering And Management, Aligarh.[19
th
March,2011]
Ϯϰ
(Madan et al 2007)
25
Barbier, E. B., 1987. “The Concept of Economic Development”, EnvironmentalConservation,
14(2):101
Ϯϲ
(Sharma 2006)
102
speculation
27.
The land acquisition processes for SEZs have been
causing widespread discontent among the farmers and common
people in the state.
The goal of any country is development. Development is
development of people – their increased living standards and
improved quality of life. Industry provides goods, services and
material comforts to increase living standards. Social values such
as human dignity, self-reliance and gainful employment for every
person set the quality of life.
28
Such development can only come
by generating, mobilizing and optimally utilizing natural and human
resources.
The SEZ Act lies down that it is to be set up on a minimum
1,000 ha of land. Traditionally these lands would have been under
multiple uses. They could be agro-biodiversity farmlands,
mangrove belts, wetland and even forest patches. Each of these
has a critical ecological role in maintaining healthy environment
besides being having an inherent link with people’s livelihoods.
Thus, when these lands metamorphose in to SEZs, the ecological
functions and human survival are bound to be adversely affected.
The Supreme Court has elaborated on the right to adequate
housing, shelter and livelihood as part of the all-encompassing
Right to Life under Article 21 in the landmark case of Olga Tellis v.
Bombay Municipal Corporation.
29
Local people are resisting
projects in other parts of country like West Bengal, Alibha
Maharashtra on the grounds of the loss of productive lands in
hinterland and costal area and on ecological degradation. Not only
that but also the following,
27
Brundtland, G. H.,“Our Common Future, the World Commission on Environment and
Development, Oxford University Press, Oxford, (1987)
28
See: Nomani Zafar Mahfooz & Mohammad Rauf, Regional Conflict and Cohesion in Trade
regulation in South Asia: A study of Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and Special Economic
Zone (SEZ) of India and China Paper presented National Seminar On Nature Of Conflicts In
South Asia In 21
st
Century. Department of Political Science Dept ,Ch Char An Singh
University, Meerut[9-10-April 2011]
Ϯϵ
AIR,1985
103
(a) Generation of little new activity as there may be relocation of
industries to take advantage of tax concessions, (b) Revenue loss,
(c) Large-scale land acquisition by the developers which lead to
displacement of farmers with meager compensation, (d) Acquisition
of prime agricultural land having serious implications for food
security, (e) Misuse of land by the developers for real estate and (f)
Uneven growth aggravating regional inequalities.
In SEZs there are numerous Laws which are amended or fully
neglected likely Environmental law, concept of sustainable
development. Which affect directly or indirectly on the India’s
society that needs well management?
Land Acquisition: The large scale acquisitions of land entailed by
SEZ development have had serious consequences on the
livelihoods and food security of weaker and vulnerable society in
India. SEZs, due to their high demand for land, have emerged as
the single largest threat to the livelihoods of peasant’s and
violation of human rights in India.
30
It is unfair and unjust that the
SEZ promoters are required to be given more than 1,000 hectares
of land. This is an outright violation of laws& constitution of the
country. It violates a number of Land Reform Acts and the
Parliament of India’s Decisions and Supreme Court Judgments
confirming the Acts. Since environmental public hearing may not
be mandatory for these projects and single window clearance
procedure would be applicable to industries under SEZ, the
affected people have no voice or opinion about the land acquisition
processes and the projects.
Farmer become Labourers: Some of the farmers who were
displaced by pollepally SEZ in Andhra Pradesh were working as
construction labourers with in the SEZ. Many of them spoke of
harassment at the hand of Supervisors, maintaining they were
ϯϬ
See: Nomani, Zafar Mahfooz & Mohammad Rauf, Human Right Violations and Special
Economic Zone in India: A Socio-Economic Appraisal In Managerial Perspective. International
Human Right Review,Vol,III,June,2012 Calcutta,(2011)
104
made to work for more than 12 hours. 42 farmers who lost their
land to SEZ have died Displacement and rehabilitation, experts
fear, will be a major issue that add to agrarian unrest as a result of
the SEZ. In any Democracy, the State is expected to be the
protector of the common and marginalized people and their rights.
However, with the measures like the SEZ, the State itself is
violating the right to life and livelihood of people for the sake of
promoting the interests of rich private parties.
Violation of Many Labour Laws: The SEZ will be exempted from
the Operation of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition)
Act, 1970 to provide units flexibility to take advantage of variations
in demand in global markets. Most of employees in SEZ are
employed as contract workers or trainees. Even jobs that are
permanent nature the units are found to engage contract workers.
These workers are being made to work for long hours without
paying any over Time allowance & gender disparity.
31
This is clear
Violation of Article 14,
32
23, 43 of Indian Constitution.
Land and SEZs expansion: Farmers in India are among the world's
most vulnerable inhabitants. Nothing that is theirs is really theirs.
Their pride, livelihoods, habitats and land can be taken over with
force, without force, within the law and unlawfully as well. The
approach to the creation of SEZs is an example of the systematic
disadvantages and discrimination that farmers face. The Act
violates the right to life and livelihood of people, who are being
forcibly displaced for implementation of projects, The principle of
“eminent domain'', which is the basis of the Land Acquisition Act,
1894 is being misused and even given priority over the principles
ϯϭ
See: Nomani Zafar Mahfooz & Mohammad Rauf Socio-Economic Profiling Of G ender Rights
And Justice In pecial Economic Zone (SEZ) In India, Paper presented National Seminar
Gender Equality In India: Renaissance Of Socio; Legal Justice, Vivekananda College Of Law,
Aligarh.[2an-3
rd
April (2011).
32
landmark case of Maneka Gandhi vUnion of India AIR 1978 SC 597 and the subsequent
cases have interpreted the Right to life to include a life more than mere animal existence and
includes right toeducation, right to safe and healthy environment and a ‘good quality of life’.
105
in the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution that give
primacy to gramsabhas as autonomous decision-making entities.
The status of `deemed foreign territory’ being granted to the SEZs
further undermines the sovereignty of local governance systems.
However, what is really horrific is the concentration of power in the
hands of the Development Commissioner at the State level who
are the Bureaucrats subservient to their political masters who in
turn are controlled by the big industrialists.
Revenue Loss: It is a well established fact that to determine the
optimum size of farmland parcels certain technical and economic
criteria must be taken into account so that utilization of modern
farm machinery may be possible. The central Reserve Bank of
India and even the International Monetary Fund warned the Indian
government that tax benefits accorded to industries operating in
SEZs would lead to massive resources (revenue) losses. Thus, if
the numbers of SEZs continue to grow, the nation-state will be
losing more potential income. Furthermore, economists are
concerned that many industries would shift from non-SEZs to
SEZs in order to avoid paying taxes.
33
In the neoliberalism regime,
the soft targets of these reductions are often the social sectors.
This will result in the worsening of the economic conditions of the
poor, and would weaken the economic future of the society in the
long-run.
An environmentally sustainable system must maintain a
stable resource base, avoiding over-exploitation of renewable
resource systems or environmental sink functions & depleting non
renewable resources only to the extent that investment is made in
adequate substitutes. This includes maintenance of biodiversity,
atmospheric stability, and ecosystem functions not ordinarily
classed as economic resources.
33
Kilusang Magbubukid, Pilipinas (KMP) “The Filipino Peasants struggle for Genuine Agrarian
Reform in Neoliberal Subversion of Agrarian reform”, IBON Foundation pp 144-217(2006).
106
Connection Between Environmental and Society
A serious problem the society is facing at present is the
deterioration of both the natural resources and environment.
Human activities generate environmental pressure in different
ways.
34
Notable among them is overexploitation of fertile
agricultural land renewable resources such as water.
35
The figure
shows the problem in the connection between environmental cycle
and society.
Disturbance in the Carbon cycle due to rapid Industrialization
(i) Position and polluter ingredients of Water: TheSEZ, whichis
posing big threat to the farming class is an anti people and anti
environment scheme. Not only this also a threat to the water
security for the areas where SEZs are proposed and would
certainly have an impact on the national agricultural sector, the
conversion of land to SEZ would mean destruction of groundwater
recharge systems. Industrial production and natural resource use
and conversion often results in the creation of large amounts of
water-borne pollutants. Moreover, in India, right to extract
groundwater continues to be connected with the ownership of land.
Hence SEZs even in relatively small area can pump out huge
quantity of water, drying up the wells of the surrounding area.
There could be conflicts between the zones and the local
34
Barbier, E. B., “The Concept of Economic Development”, Environmental Conservation,
14(2):101(1987).
35
Sivaramakrishnan, K.C. “Special Economic Zones: Issues of Urban Growth and
Management” Occasional Paper No. 19, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. (2009).
107
residents. The impact of all these could be quite serious in most
areas.
Pollution of water by Zones & local people collected for domestic purpose
(ii)Air pollution: SEZ are the sources of pollution in the form of gas
and particulate matters emissions that affects air quality causing
damage to human health. Toxic air pollutants are associated with
cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases.
Carbon monoxide (CO) when inhale affects bloodstream, reduces
the availability of oxygen and can be extremely harmful to public
health.
36
Air Pollution in the society
An emission of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from transportation sources
reduces lung function, affects the respiratory immune defense
system and increases the risk of respiratory problems.
37
The
physical and chemical properties of particulates are associated with
health risks such as respiratory problems, skin irritations, eyes
inflammations, blood clotting and various types of allergies.
36
Halim Ujjaini (Ed), “Neoliberal subversion of Agrarian Reform,” IBON Foundation (2006).
37
Down to Earth, ‘It’s raining GDP’, Centre for Environmental Communication, New Delhi,
(2009).
(iii) Toxic polluta
n
including heavy
m
emitted into air, w
a
qualities or precis
e
since almost no go
v
pollutants in the loc
(iv) Effluents of Fa
c
settingupof SEZs
As of the fiscal yea
r
5%, and they acc
employment in the
SEZ approvals sho
w
61 per cent) has b
e
accounts for only o
consume37% of th
e
90% of world’s So2
(V) Dangerous wa
s
for the main portio
n
generated by lab
o
course of improvin
g
an impact on cons
u
the customer’s loc
a
natural resources a
Overall
108
n
ts: Toxic pollutants released fr
o
m
etals, cyanides and pesticides
a
ter or in solid wastes. Little is kno
w
e
resources of chemical and to
x
v
ernment or industries do any sa
m
al region.
c
tory: The claim about industrial pr
o
to offset such problems remains u
n
r
2004-05, share of SEZs in export
s
ounted for only 1 per cent of f
a
same year. Moreover, the sectora
w
s that the largest number of app
r
e
en in the IT sector. The manufa
c
ne-third of total approvals. Industri
e
e
world’s energy and emits 50% of
and nearly all of its toxic chemical
s
s
te: Inorganic acids and acid mixt
u
n
of dangerous waste. This waste
i
o
ratory operations. As it is gen
e
g
the Sez products and chemical p
r
u
mption optimization of the system
s
a
tions, air and forests, and degrad
a
t whole.
impact of industrialization of Hum body
o
m industry
and can be
w
n about the
x
ic residuals,
m
pling of toxic
o
sperity from
n
satisfactory.
s
was a mere
a
ctory sector
l break-up of
r
ovals (nearly
c
turing sector
e
s in general
world’s Co2,
s
.
u
res account
i
s exclusively
e
rated in the
r
ocess, it has
s
operated at
a
tion of basic
109
The Goals of Sustainable Development for the three Systems
are
A. For the biological system: Maintenance of genetic diversity,
resilience, and biological productivity.
B. For the economic system: The satisfaction of the basic needs
(reduction of poverty), equity enhancement, increasing useful
goods and services.38
C. For the social system: Ensuring cultural diversity, institutional
sustainability, social justice, and participation.
INDUSTRIAL IMPACT SOCIETAL CHANGE
(GENDER, LIVELIHOOD,
POVERTY)
Food and Agriculture
- Less yield from crops-Reduced
calories intake for women
- increased food prices
Less milk/nutrition for
children,
Livelihood
Higher food insecurity for
women
Wate
r
- reduction in water availability
- More dependence on unsafe water
impacts on mother and
child nutrition
Health
- Water borne diseases - Increase of
diseases like dengue, vulnerable
Malaria, etc.
-Respiratory diseases due to indoor -
Disease sensitivity air pollution and other
emissions
Women and children more
- Infant mortality
Conclusion
Human life to a great extent depends on society, nature and it
constitutes, but knowledge of the precise connection between
each other of nature and human life is still rudimentary. Perhaps it
is the reason why development projects in various parts of the
world, aimed at improving human well-being have had unintended
detrimental effects on society, people and natural resources. SEZ
policy in the country deemed to be foreign territory for the
purposes of trade operations, duties and tariffs for an
38
Tinbergen, J. “Economic Policy: Principles and Design, North Holland Publishing Company”,
Amsterdam (1956).
110
internationally competitive and hassle free environment for
exports,
39
units were allowed be set up in SEZ for manufacture of
goods and rendering of services. All the import/export operations
of the SEZ units are on self-certification basis. The Land
Acquisition Act, 1894 when applied to large scale acquisitions
resulted in displacement and deprivation of means of livelihood for
the affected people and societal change, the transfer of
developmental rights to original land holders for a part of the
acquired land could be an option. Moreover, a thorough cost-
benefit analysis of the SEZs, especially the giant-sized ones, from
the point of view of rehabilitation and livelihood security of the
displaced people, diversion of agricultural land and its implications
for food security, the nature of urbanization, usage of power and
water and environmental impact assessment, is necessary before
approving these projects. While land is a state subject and the
cost-benefit analyses have to be undertaken by the state
governments before approving the SEZ proposals, the central
government also needs to take a view on the important issues
related to land acquisition, ownership and use. Thus the SEZ,
policy which is posing big threat to the farmers and agricultural
society, is completely anti people and anti environment scheme. It
also fails on the test of social and political justice.
39
Engman, Michael; Osamu, Onodera and Enrico Pinali “Export Processing Zones: Past and
Future Role in Trade and Development”, OECD Trade Policy Working Paper, No 53, (2007).