Whose Development is Modern Development?

 

Development is defined as activities that improve the quality of life.  This essay tries to examine how the displacement of the ‘ecosystem people’ has become a by-product of modern development. It is alarming to know that numerous people have become victims of a project considered to be for greater human-good-like development. When nations compete to be ‘developed’, who’s quality of life improves? And are victims of modern development, just sacrificing a little for their future well-being? Through this essay, we will try to find answers to these questions. 

Gadgil and Guha, classify ‘ecosystem people’ as “people who depend on the natural environments of their locality to meet most of their material needs”. In most cases, developmental activities have been synonymous with environmental degradation. When developmental projects acquire natural environments, and the native people who relied on their local environment for their day-to-day activities are now left with no means of livelihood, forcefully displacing them from their natural environment. 

The Sardar Sarovar Project over the Narmada river in Maharashtra is an instance where these rural communities, who have made a life for themselves on the Narmada basin were forced to evacuate their homes, supposedly for the nation’s economic development. Over 40,000 families of which the majority belong to Adivasi communities were completely displaced, to provide benefits to the farmers of Gujarat. The displaced citizens of the Sardar Sarovar Project are just one community among millions of citizens who are displaced every year because of development activities.  

Since independence, development projects of the Five-Year Plans have displaced about five lakh persons each year primarily as a direct consequence of administrative land acquisition. This number does not include displacement by changes in land-use, acquisition for urban growth, and loss of livelihood caused by environmental degradation or pollution.  Hydroelectric and irrigation projects are the largest sources of displacement. Other major sources are mines and nuclear power plants, industrial complexes as well as military installations, weapons testing grounds, railways and roads, and the expansion of reserved forest areas.

Who are these people who are displaced? Are they just one amongst you and me? And are these cruel acts of displacement and policies that force the displaced to “let die”, just part of the “Development”? We try to understand this by analyzing the situation in the “Bull’s eye” region in the US. It is a weapon testing ground and military establishment of the US military. The region is home to a large Native American population and also encompasses five great deserts. The state, industrialists, and promoters of development, have considered these areas economically unproductive. Consequently, the area has become an extremely militarized zone, where nuclear weapons have regularly been tested, with no regard to the lives of the minority ecosystem people. This is a form of nuclear violence. These indigenous people are subjected to transuranic elements, which have been shown to cause deadly diseases and health complications in future generations. Of the many forms of brutality, this sort of nuclear colonialism is extreme but mostly goes unnoticed, because victims of this form of violence, are not affluent omnivores like many of us. They are ‘ecosystem people’ who live simple lives and aren’t likely to become beneficiaries of modern developmental projects that are said to improve ‘the quality of life’. 

Modern developmental ideas seem to follow the theory that one's loss is another’s gain. However, be it the Villagers displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Project, or the Native American’s near ‘Bull’s Eye’, their losses seem to be exponentially larger than anything gained. The Soliga Community of Biligiri ranganatha Temple(BRT) hills of Karnataka, are victims of in-situ displacement, who lost their livelihoods for the apparent gains of the environment and wildlife. This forest community was displaced from their homes, which they have protected and conserved for decades because the state believed they were a threat to the wildlife and biodiversity of the BRT hills. The Soligas, who not just lived but made their livelihoods in the BRT hills, were denied entry into the BRT Tiger reserve which the state instituted for the protection of wildlife, leaving them with no means of survival. 

A key feature we see in all these cases of displacement is that the displaced have no say in these decisions concerning their lives. They are simple people leading minimalistic lives of ecosystem people, reaping no benefits of their sacrifices. Like Guha and Gadgil point out, these people are most often forced to become ecological refugees in urban settlements.  Their sacrifices are forgotten instantly, their lives and livelihoods don’t seem to matter in this world where modern development is actually development only for the omnivore, and retrogression for everybody else. 

POWER IN THE NATURAL WORLD

Some thoughts that came to me, after watching the documentary 'A Plastic Ocean': 

Power is an inseparable element of every natural conflict. “A Plastic Ocean” reminds us, yet again, of the power structures in the natural world. Just like the omnivores that Guha and Gadgil describe in ‘Ecology and Equity’, who exploit resources excessively but rarely face the deadly consequences of their actions; ‘A Plastic Ocean’ takes us into a world were all humankind are merciless omnivores, while the animal kingdom bears the brunt for our actions. 

We consume tonnes of plastic as packaging in our daily lives for the sake of ease and conveniently dispose of these, into the open; clearing up our kitchen, our houses, and our neighborhood. Though we like to believe, these plastics are no longer our problem, once they are out of our sight, this is far from the truth. Traces of these plastics will exist on the phase of earth, even longer than our time on the planet, and most of it eventually ends up in our oceans, which are home to mute sea creatures. 

Plastics never completely decompose on their own. However, they break down into extremely small pieces that cannot be viewed easily nor removed from the environment. These are called microplastics. Though micro in size, they are creating macro problems in the environment. According to a 2018 UN report, there are more than 51 trillion microplastic particles in the sea, more than 500 times the number of stars in the Milky Way. Unlike macro-sized plastic waste, microplastics are insidious as they are invisible to us. They are said to be washed out of cosmetic products with microbeads such as face washes and scrubs. Research into microplastics and their effects are still very much in its infancy. These microplastics are readily ingested by small aquatic organisms like shellfish such as oysters and clams, which recent studies have shown to damage the gills of these species. 

A Plastic Ocean touches upon the problems faced by oceanic life due to the rise of plastic in our seas. One of the most affected species of marine life are whales. Beaked whales and sperm whales are amongst the most affected, both species known to consume squid. Due to the close resemblance of plastic bags to squids, these animals are seen to consume large amounts of plastic. Plankton, known to be the primary food source for many aquatic species, is now getting tough competition from plastic. Recent estimates suggest that Plankton is now at a 2:1 ratio with plastic and if current trends of plastic growth and disposal continue, this will result in plastic outweighing the number of fish in the ocean by 2050. 

Over the past decade, numerous whales have washed up on shores across the world, starved and dehydrated, with their stomachs strangled with plastic waste. Scientists have found plastic bags, gloves, snack bags, and even large tangles of nylon ropes and nets used by fisherfolk in the intestines of whales, resulting in them strangling to death, unable to eat anything. But whales aren’t the only victims of the plastic crisis. It is their large size that makes the issue visible; smaller creatures also ingest plastics in the form of microplastic in large quantities. However, the smaller the species, the lesser we know about the effects that have played out on them. This is reflective of the power dynamics in nature.

Though the ocean is the world’s largest landfill, animals on land are not safe from the menace of plastic waste created by omnivores. These are concerning times were animals fiddling with plastic bags and containers has resulted in viral videos. Food containers were generally made for knives or spoons to be dipped into them, or to have their contents poured out and certainly not for serving up to hungry animals. An animal with its head stuck in a plastic food container may suffer from overheating, suffocation, dehydration, starvation, and eventually even death from these elements. Amongst animals that live in close proximity to plastic waste and human settlements, consumption of plastic packaging while eating left-over packaged food is also a rising issue. This has resulted in the death of many wild animals in the last decade. However, with the closer proximity to human settlements, the plastic consumption by animals has been taken note of, by forest officials, across the globe. To prevent such hazards in most protected forests, visitors are not allowed to carry plastic bags or bottles into the forest. In the pyramid of power, in the natural world, terrestrial animals and wildlife are still bearing the brunt of our actiopns, but are comparatively well off to marine life. 

Towards the end, A Plastic Ocean shows us the impacts of plastic waste on human life in different parts of the world. Islands like Tuvalu in Polynesia, are reminders for us omnivores, of what is going to happen to our lands soon, if we don’t act fast. Borrow Pit area in Tuvalu, occupied by just 30 people, is drowning in plastic waste. Since 2010, among the 30 inhabitants of the island, 5 have contracted cancer, signifying the level of toxicity in the area. The natives are not the primary creators of this waste, most of it is oceanic waste, which rushes up against the island. These people are bearing the brunt of our actions. Tuvalu is not alone, many other third world countries are today becoming landfills. International news agencies have also reported shipping of plastic waste from richer countries to the poorer, further reflecting the power dynamics of waste. 

Halfway through the documentary, I wasn’t alone in feeling relieved that I was an omnivore, living my best life in the Global North, free from the effects of plastic waste and toxic chemicals. However, like me, none of us are completely free of the impacts of plastics. Some of these after-effects will be borne by every citizen on the phase of this planet. Like, air pollution affected the rich and the poor of Delhi on varied scales, the same applies here. Nobody can escape scath free from this mess, we’ve created for ourselves. BPA or Bisphenol A is a popular chemical found in plastic food containers, baby toys, and hygiene products. When BPA products are made, not all of the BPA gets sealed into the product, allowing parts of it to break free and mix with the container’s contents. BPA is said to mimic the structure and function of the hormone estrogen, due to its estrogen-like shape. BPA can bind to estrogen receptors and influence bodily processes, such as growth, cell repair, fetal development, and reproduction. Studies have found high levels of BPA amongst people consuming packaged food items, resulting in further health complications. 

Though all may seem grim in ‘A Plastic Ocean’, the documentary also offers some hope of sustainable plastic management strategies. Pyrogenesis seemed to provide the most practical solution. Pyrogenesis is a company that uses a plasma torch for the destruction of combustible waste including plastic. The only residue produced is ash, while the heat produced by the machine can be captured and reused by the community, being a completely sustainable solution to the plastic crisis. However, the private company is still struggling to take this technology globally and has a long way forward to solving the problem. If they do become successful in doing so, this could improve lives worldwide. 

Watching ‘A Plastic Ocean’, is truly an experience that will shape your values and habits. It drives in consciousness, of using plastic use and management, and serves its purpose well. It reminds us once again of our omnivorous lifestyle, without concern for those below us in this power hierarchy of nature. As the creators of this problem, we need to hold ourselves responsible for these effects. As the most powerful community of consumers, only we can work together and solve this crisis before it impacts our lives and livelihoods, the way it has taken over islands like Tuvalu. “Plastic packaging destroyed our paradise,” said an elderly woman from Tuvalu, it won’t be long before Our beautiful planet meets the fate of Tuvalu if we don’t act soon.