Preamble 

Environment protection is not merely planting trees or protecting the tiger. It involves conscious decisions and choices on the part of every citizen about human activities and the economy prevalent today. Environmental protection can only be meaningfully achieved if all of us accept that man’s efforts and economy are parts of the larger economy of nature and ecosystems needs are more important than consumer sovereignty. We must first allocate resources for the maintenance of the quality nature’s services and then consider resource allocation for human needs.  

 This manifesto is an outcome of the deliberations held at Paryavaran Parishad held at Pune on 18 and 19^th April 09. It is prepared by nature lovers, environmentalists and environmental NGOs from all over Maharashtra.  Let us start with agriculture and water sources development which form the basis of all development projects.

Water Sources and Agriculture

We want to clearly state that all of us are completely against the river linking project and privatization of water as these will basically harm the environment and livelihoods of millions.  We would like to stress the importance of river ecology and the natural flow regime of all surface flows.  For this, all the natural cover types should be retained and enhanced from the source region to the sea.  Order of Priorities for water use:  nature’s services, drinking water, domestic needs, agriculture and livestock, industry and recycling.

For watershed development programs we would like to stress the importance of ecological interventions which strengthen present engineering measures and help sustainability of productivity in general. Besides development of agriculture, we wish to stress the importance of grassland development, energy plantations and maintenance of wilderness areas for medicinal plants and biodiversity (Gene bank for raw material development).  We wish to support all programs for the development of indigenous domesticated biodiversity, cultivars and domesticated animals.  For ground water recharge, it is necessary to develop guidelines in consultation with stakeholders and Gramasabha for the sustainable use of ground water.  Use of existing tube wells and addition to this number should be controlled by Gramasabha in consultation with the latest available scientific knowhow. 

We want to stress progressive development of all natural forms of agriculture and progressive elimination of all forms of broad spectrum chemical insecticides, pesticides, growth hormones, chemical fertilizers and heavy agro machinery. 

All measures for recycling of agricultural waste in situ will be supported and encouraged.  We will support development of self assessment of quality of all produce of organic agriculture.  All virtual export of water and soil needs to be banned.

We will strongly support maintenance of wilderness and difficult areas to support pest control, pollination and yield improvement of agriculture. 

Subsidy should be provided to natural agriculture which will encourage creation of new employment opportunities. 

The process of importing agricultural produce will be transparent, especially during bad years.  In urban areas all agricultural experiments to grow food should be encouraged. 

The present allocation of funds for development of large irrigation projects and watershed projects should move from current 80:20 to 50:50. 

For rehabilitating water logged and saline lands, only organic farming efforts will be supported.  Care will be taken to ensure that agricultural soil will not be disturbed by pollution from point sources such as pollution by sewage water. 

Present system of irrigation water pricing is unacceptable.  Water pricing must depend on location of field from the water source and the current practice of crop pattern.  

The policies to promote all genetically modified (GM) seeds and food will be opposed for reasons well known. GM crops must be labeled.

Development of crop pattern must be based on local needs and microclimatic cultivars.     This will be the overall responsibility of Gramasabha & other grass-roots organizations in consultation with appropriate agencies.

Agricultural universities must emphasize training and education in natural methods of agriculture. Internship for agro graduates to help Gramasabha (like rural internship for doctors).

We advocate that the cultivation of sugarcane and other cash crops need to be looked at afresh from a perspective of food security and environmental impact. Actively promote water use efficiency for all cash crops.  

We support conservation of existing Devrais (Sacred Groves) and creation of new Devrais as part of temple complexes in villages.