Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, known for making forthright comments, on Friday said if there was any Nobel Prize for dirt and filth, India would get it. “Our cities are dirtiest cities of the world. If there is a Nobel Prize for dirt and filth, India will win it, no doubt,” he said at a function in New Delhi.
Ramesh lamented the poor facilities for disposing municipal waste in majority of the cities in the country. The ministers’ comments assume significance as a report on ‘Green Indian 2047’ says that waste management is not given priority in local bodies.
The report, prepared by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), says unclean air and water could be responsible for the death of eight lakh people every year in India.”Our limited analysis suggests that unclean air and water may be taking a toll in terms of over eight lakh deaths each year and morbidity costs amounting to 3.6 per cent of the GDP,” said the overview of the report. TERI chief RK Pachauri said the air quality is poor in most of the cities in the country.
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