It seems that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is overzealous in registering Case against environmental lawyer Ritvik Dutta and his organizationLegal Initiative for Violation of Forest and Environment Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Provision. The gist of the allegations is to use foreign funds to encourage litigation that would stall existing and future coal based plants in India. While the sourcing and use of foreign funds is certainly something to keep an eye on, any criminalization of the act of opposing coal plants, when done through legal means, is an absurd stance for a government to adopt. As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and various key agreements, India has committed to gradually reducing its dependence on fossil fuel sources and to ‘net zero’ or almost all electricity sources from non-fossil fuel sources by 2070. Has taken the lead. India has also consistently supported the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that speak of the urgency of ensuring global warming does not exceed 1.5°C of pre-industrial times, thereby reducing global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions by 2010. There has been a decrease of about 45% since. level by 2030. However, under the principles of ‘common and differentiated responsibility’, India has retained its right to rely on coal plants in the interim as it is still a developing economy. The real cost of renewable sources (solar, wind and nuclear) is much higher than that of fossil-fuel energy. The industrialized West continues to rely on natural gas while slowing its fossil fuel consumption and reducing its commitments to transfer technology and finance to developing countries to accelerate clean energy adoption. Thus, coal is a necessary evil, but an evil nonetheless, and looking at it any other way falsifies the scientific evidence.
India has 28.5 GW of coal power capacity planned and 32 GW of plants under construction. Many have been delayed in commissioning due to inadequate environment clearance, land acquisition, and redevelopment and rehabilitation issues. However, these follow the decisions of the National Green Tribunal or mainly due to lack of adherence to the norms laid down under the provisions of environment protection and relevant legislation. Funding for new coal plants is becoming increasingly difficult as multilateral funding agencies are refusing to fund such plants. Many coal plants run inefficiently and rely on lenient environmental restrictions because they are critical to India’s electricity needs. Using legal measures to limit industrial exploitation of nature and ensure fair compensation is the core of a civilized democracy; And attempts to undermine such a fundamental compact bode ill for India.