NEW DELHI, SEPT 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India was demonstrating to the world that rapid economic development and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand, asserting that the country’s growth model is both “speedy as well as sustainable.”
Inaugurating the International Conference on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics” at Vigyan Bhawan, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s traditional relationship with nature and said the country was drawing upon its civilisational wisdom while developing modern solutions to contemporary climate challenges.
Modi said the global debate on carbon emissions must also take into account historical responsibility and per-capita emissions. He noted that India’s per-capita carbon emissions remain less than half the global average, while asserting that developed countries have historically contributed substantially more emissions per person.
Highlighting India’s environmental progress over the past 12 years, the Prime Minister said renewable energy had emerged as a major pillar of the country’s environmental strategy.
He pointed out that India had achieved the commitments made under the Paris Agreement’s COP-21 framework ahead of schedule, describing the achievement as significant among G20 nations.
The Prime Minister highlighted the expansion of solar power, saying India’s solar capacity had risen from around 2 GW 12 years ago to more than 160 GW today.
He said the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana had resulted in solarisation of more than 50 lakh homes, with financial assistance of up to ₹80,000 per household. Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, around 30 lakh farmers have received solar pumps, he added.
Modi also highlighted the completion of the One Nation-One Grid initiative, saying it had helped prevent around 200 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
He pointed to expansion in wind and hydropower capacity, increased focus on nuclear energy and other clean-energy technologies, saying the country’s non-fossil energy capacity had expanded significantly.
The Prime Minister also highlighted developments in green transportation, including the launch of India’s first hydrogen train, which he described as a milestone for clean mobility.
He said electric vehicle adoption had increased sharply, with annual EV sales reaching around 25 lakh last year, compared with fewer than 3,000 before 2014.
Modi also highlighted the expansion of India’s metro network from around 250 km in five cities in 2014 to more than 1,000 km across over 20 cities.
He said near-total railway electrification, the Dedicated Freight Corridor and expansion of inland waterways were helping reduce fuel consumption and emissions in the transport sector.
The Prime Minister highlighted large-scale water conservation initiatives, including the construction of more than 70,000 Amrit Sarovars and around 1.5 crore rainwater harvesting structures under the Catch the Rain campaign.
He said modern irrigation practices under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and “Per Drop, More Crop” were helping conserve water while benefiting more than two crore farmers.
Modi also underlined the promotion of millets, or Shree Anna, describing them as water-efficient crops that can simultaneously support agricultural incomes and water conservation. He said India’s millet exports had reached around 1.5 lakh tonnes.
Under the National Mission on Natural Farming, around 24,000 natural farming clusters covering 12.5 lakh hectares have been established, he said, while noting the development of about 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties.
The Prime Minister said India’s very dense forest cover had increased by more than 22 per cent over the past 12 years, while the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign had encouraged citizens across the country to participate in tree plantation.
On plastic pollution, Modi reiterated the country’s action against single-use plastics and stressed the importance of a circular economy based on reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
He cited the Gobardhan Yojana as an example of converting rural organic waste into useful resources, stressing that waste should be treated as a resource rather than merely a problem.
The Prime Minister said India’s environmental achievements should not be viewed only as domestic milestones, but also as contributions towards the future of humanity.
He expressed confidence that deliberations at the international conference would generate innovative solutions to emerging environmental and climate challenges and reaffirmed India’s commitment to building a responsible and sustainable future.
