Make India's post Covid recovery green

Sugandha Srivastav and Brian O'Callaghan describe why India's post-Covid recovery should be green in an article for The Times of India.

India has been pursuing a model of growth which brings tradeoffs: coal energy production coal comes at the cost of harmful air pollution. Similarly, slow modernisation in agriculture has seen the continuance of stubble-burning, which further contributes further poor air quality. 

Just as clean air is a fundamental right, so is access to clean water and sanitation. Last year, Chennai experienced Day Zero of the water crisis, when there was almost no water left in the city. 

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The Indian government has earmarked Rs 22.5 trillion in fiscal stimulus to rescue and revive an economy battered by the pandemic. If funds are well spent, the Indian economy can pivot in a direction that not only reboots growth but which delivers a cleaner and safer environment while reducing inequalities.