CleaningUptheEnvironment

June16,2010

So, we are witnessing a calamity unfold in the Gulf. I just heard President Obama address the nation from the Oval
Office. He complained about BP, the previous 10 years and pushed capandtrade agenda. He made a point that oil
pollutestheenvironmentandwemustmoveawayfromitifwewantcleanair.Fairenough.

IalsojustcamebackfromashortvisittomyhometowninIndia.WhenIwenttherelasttimein2006,itwaswinter.
TheairwascoolerandIwroteaboutthekiteflyingfestival.Thistimearounditwashot.TheairoverNewDelhiwas
visibly brown with dust and smog. The sun could not get through in the middle of the day. That city is undergoing
transformationbecauseofcomingAsiangames.Alltheroadsaredugup,thereisconstructioneverywhereandIam
surethisactivityaddedtothedustandpollutioninthatcity.

However,thestorywastotallydifferentinmyhometownofAhmedabad,intheWesternStateofGujarat,India.

WhileIwasachildgrowingupinthatcity,Idistinctlyremembertheeveningswhenonecouldseesmokedescending
overthecity.Athicklayerofgreybrownsmokewouldburntheeyesandscratchthethroat.Thesmogandunhealthy
airwouldbeyeararoundphenomena.Thisbecauseofcoalburningtrainsbelchingsmoke;over100cottonmillsalso
belching smoke (Ahmedabad was called Manchester of India because of its textile industry); the threewheelers,
scootersandcars(therewerefewcarsthen)alsobelchingsmoke.Thatwasinthe60s.Thepopulationofthecitywas
around1million.

WhenIwentbackaround20yearsago,thesmokewaslesssincemostofthecottonmillshadshutdown.Laborunions
andstrikeshadtakencareofthem.Thetrainswereconvertedtodieselengines.Thesmokehasclearedabit.However
therewasacidrain.Therainwaterwassoacriditpeeledpaintoffthecars.

Thistimearound,itisacompletelydifferentstory.Thepopulationofthecityhasnowgrowntoover7million.(New
censusisbeingconductedasIwritethis).Thecityhasgrowntremendously,requiringfourringroadsaroundit.Thereis
anexplosionofcars,motorcyclesandallothertypesofvehicles.However,theskywasasblueaseverIhavenever
seensuchblueskiesoverAhmedabadinmylife.ItwasalmostasclearastheCaliforniaCoastline!!Howdidtheydoit?
Indiaisapoorcountryandithasevenrefusedtobepartofcapandtradescheme!

AhmedabadJune1,2010.Thethreewheelerdriveson
CNG.Theladyonthescootercoversherfacetoprotect
fromheat.Trafficlightsarepoweredbysolarcells.


I learned a few things first hand. The Government has had a big initiative to clean up the air and a number of eco
friendly solutions have been implemented. These solutions do not break the backs of the people, but help in the
progress.Someoftheseare:

1. Allthepublictransportationvehiclesbuses,governmentvehicles,etc.havebeenconvertedtoCNG(natural
gas)vehicles.Thereisnomoredieselsmoke.
2. Cleanpetrolanddieselinitiativesareimplementedunleadedgas,etc.
3. Smogcertificatesarerequiredforautomobiles.Fordieselvehicles,manufacturerscertificationisrequired.
4. ThethreewheelertaxisusedtoburnKeroseneandpetrol.TheyareallreplacedwithCNG.
5. Streetlightsandtrafficlightsarepoweredbysolarenergy.
6. The hydroelectric power generated by the Narmada Dam is reliable power. While I saw brownouts in Delhi,
power failures in Ahmedabad were few. The project also brought much needed water to the State. Even
parchedlandsarenowgreenbecauseofcanals.IndiaisexpandingitsNuclearPowerinfrastructure.
7. OneofthebestsolutionsIsawwastheBusRapidTransitSystem(BRTS).Thecityhasreceivedaninternational
awardforthissystemthisyear.Insteadofanexpensiveprojectlikemetrorailprojectrequiringtraintracksand
thetrains,thecitysetupexpressbuslanes,andestablishedbusserviceacrosstown.ThesebusesrunonCNG,
andareapublicprivatepartnershipproject.Feederbusroutesbringpeopletothemainbusroutes.Thebuses
getarightofwayatthecrosssections;moveinrapidmannerandtransportalargenumberofpeople.Thebus
stationsarejustlikemetrostations,butagainpoweredbysolarenergy.Thebusesarepurchasedbyinvestors
andleasedtothemunicipality.Feederbuseswillbeacquiredinsimilarmanner.
8. Thecityisfullofparksandlakesbecauseofwater.Theparksaremaintainedbycorporations,whogettoplace
their names on the parks. Thus the city does not need maintenance crews, avoids expenses and the
corporations do a better job any way. The city even gets revenue from the parks, which are in much better
shapesthantheywouldbeunderGovernmentcontrol.Eventhetrafficcirclesaremaintainedbycorporations.
9. Theroadswerewidenedandthesquattersandillegalshops/shackswereremoved,cleaninguptheblight.Many
ofthosepoorsquattersweregivenapartmentstoliveinagain,bytherealestatedevelopers.

Dedicatedbuslanesforexpressbuses.Thestations

aresolarpowered;busesrunonCNGandare

public/privatepartnershipprojects.

Ofcourse,noteverythingisrosy.Thereispoverty,lackofcleanlinessasweareaccustomedtointhiscountry;thereis
congestionandhoardsofpeopleeverywhere.However,theprogressoverthelast20yearsisastounding.

So,inshortwithpublicspartnership,thegovernmenthasfoundinnovativesolutionsforamultitudeofproblems.They
havefoundsolutionsformasstransitforacongestedcityof7million(ormore)people;foundinnovativesolutionsfor
energy;maintenanceofitsparksandbeautification;andincrediblecleanairandenvironment.Allwhilekeepingtaxes
reasonablylow.

InIndia,thehighestindividualFederalincometaxis30%(35%forcorporations).Peopleundercertainincomeleveldo
notpayanytax.Thereisa12%nationalVAT(lessornoneoncertainitems).TheVATcanvarybytheState.Thereare
hightaxesonpetrolanddiesel.ThereisnoStateorCityincometax,orothersalestaxes.

Innutshell,itcanbedone.Thesolutionsfortransportationandenergyarethere.ThedirtiestairIhaveseenhasbeen
cleanedup.Onedoesnotneedcapandtaxscheme,orspendtrillionsofdollarstoaccomplishthis.

GirishPatelM.D.
Bakersfield,CA.