NITI Aayog SDG India Index: Economic Survey 2021-22

NITI Aayog SDG India Index: Economic Survey 2021-22

India has progressed on the fulfilment of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) through improvement in score of NITI Aayog SDG India
Index & Dashboard to 66 in 2020-21 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19.

The Economic Survey for FY 2021-22, mentions the achievement
and reiterates India’s commitment towards achieving social, economic and
environmental goals under SDGs.

 

Key Points:

• India’s progress on Sustainable Development Goals
• The Survey makes the following observations w.r.t
  performance of States and UTs on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index, 2021:
• Number of Front Runners (scoring 65-99) has increased to 22
  states and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20
• Kerala and Chandigarh being the top state and UT
• 64 districts were Front Runners and 39 districts were
  Performers in North East India (North-Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22)

State of the Environment:

The Economic Survey highlights the importance of balancing
rapid economic growth with conservation, ecological security &
environmental sustainability and focuses on the following areas:

💠 LAND Forests:

• The Survey notes that India has increased its forest area
  significantly over the past decade and now ranks third globally in average
  annual net gain in forest area between 2010 to 2020.
• India’s forest cover has increased by more than 3% during
  2011 to 2021, mainly attributed to increase in very dense forest, growing by 20%
  during the period.

💠 PLASTIC Waste Management and Single Use Plastics:

• India would phase-out single use plastic by 2022.
• India has adopted a resolution on “Addressing Single Use
  Plastic Product Pollution” at United Nations Environment Assembly held in 2019.
• At domestic level, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment
  Rules, 2021 was notified, which aims at this phasing-out of single use plastic.
• The draft regulation on the Extended Producer Responsibility
  for plastic packaging has also been notified to strengthen the circular economy
  of plastic packaging waste, promote development of new alternatives to plastics
  and sustainable plastic packaging.

💠 WATER:

• The ground water resource management and the findings
  indicate that States/UTs need to manage its ground water resources carefully,
  including recharge, and to stem the over-exploitation.
• The Survey mentions the finding that over-exploitation of
  ground water resources is concentrated in north-west and parts of southern India.
• The Survey also observes that Reservoir live storage is at
  its peak during monsoon months and lowest in summer months and therefore
  requires careful planning and coordination of storage, release and utilization
  of reservoirs.
• Highlighting the number of sewage infrastructure projects
  created under Namami Gange Mission since its inception, the Survey brings to
  light the improvement in compliance status of Grossly Polluting Industries
  (GPIs) located in the Ganga main stem and its tributaries from 39 per cent in
  2017 to 81 per cent in 2020. 
• There has also been reduction in effluent
  discharge 349.13 million of liters per day (MLD) in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.

💠 AIR:

• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by the
  Govt. of India with a target to achieve 20-30 per cent reduction in particulate
  matter (PM) concentrations by 2024 across the country.
• The Survey mentions that the programme is being implemented
  across 132 cities.
• The Survey also states other steps are being taken to
  control and minimize air pollution from various sources in the country,
  covering Vehicular Emissions, Industrial Emission, Air Pollution due to dust
  and burning of waste and Monitoring of Ambient Air Quality.

India and Climate Change:

• India had announced its first Nationally Determined
  Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement in 2015 and in 2021 announced
  ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 to enable further reduction in
  emissions.
• The need to start the one-word movement ‘LIFE’ which means
  Lifestyle For Environment urging mindful and deliberate utilization instead of
  mindless and destructive consumption, has also been underlined by the Survey
  document.
• The Survey mentions that India has been exercising
  significant climate leadership at the international stage under the
  International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient
  Infrastructure (CDRI) and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT
  Group). The Ministry of Finance, RBI and SEBI have also taken several
  initiatives in the area of sustainable finance.

 

Summary of NITI Aayog 
SDG India Index: Economic Survey 2021-22

• India’s score on NITI Aayog SDG India Index & dashboard
  improves to 66 in 2020-21; number of front runners also increased to 22 states
  and union territories.
• India ranked third globally in increasing its forest area
  during 2010-20.
• India to phase-out single use plastic by 2022 and strengthen
  circular economy of plastic packaging waste.
• Improvement in compliance status of grossly polluting
  industries in ganga main stem and tributaries to 81 percent in 2020.
• National clean air programme being implemented in 132 cities
  to achieve 20-30 percent reduction of particulate matter concentrations by 2024.
• India committed to achieve emmission reduction targets by
  2030.
• India displaying climate leadership at global stage under ISA,
  CDRI and LEADIT.