Concern mounts over impact of climate change, rising pollution on children

NEW DELHI: Citing climate change and rising pollution as one of the most pressing challenges today not just for adults but more so for children, former Supreme Court judge Justice (retd.) Madan B Lokur pointed that one of the reasons for increased migration from rural areas to cities is a result of changes triggered by environmental factors.

Speaking at a programme to mark 30 years of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Justice Lokur also shared his worry over availability of adequate and diverse data to study changes and trends pertaining to the development concerns related to children. He said that lack of data proves to be an impediment in the way of the policy making process.

On India’s role, Lokur highlighted the need to focus on the problem of child labour and drew attention towards the neglected lot of tribal and street children. “When we ask in the context of UNCRC that why is it that we cannot follow international standards, the fact is that even in the country the standards set out in the Juvenile Justice Act are not being followed,” Justice Lokur asserted. He sought greater focus on health, malnutrition and education.

The programme on UNCRC and India’s journey so far since it ratified the Convention in 1992 was organised by HAQ: Centre for Child Rights along with other prominent civil society organisations.

At the same programme a public hearing where 13 children between 12 to 17 years deposed before the jury. A stirring deposition was made by a 12 year old class 7 student from Pulwama in Kashmir . She said she has not been to school for over 100 days now and was promoted to class seven after the school decided to allow them to give their exams from home. Sharing that children like her live in fear due to the uncertainties around them, she sought from the jury that the government must ease restrictions and restore normalcy. Another girl from a slum in Delhi shared the impact of air pollution and sought a law to tackle the problem. Besides this children spoke on right to education, drug abuse and child labour among other things.

The jury included Justice Lokur, Justice Amar Saran, former judge, Allahabad High Court; Dr. Syeda Hameed, former member of the Planning Commission of India; Faroogh Foyouzat, deputy country representative of UNICEF- India and Namita Bhandare, journalist and columnist on gender and social issues.

In a statement, the jury said, “several new challenges have emerged. These include climate change, air and other kinds of pollution, increasing migration, impact of conditions of conflict, the question of identity and citizenship (such as statelessness, implementation of NRC, lack of documents for internal migrant population and concerns of refugee children). The prevailing situation of the children in Kashmir was duly noted with concern where the children’s access to education and psycho-social health has been impacted.”

The jury believes that there is an urgent need for the Government and civil society to undertake awareness raising campaigns to address the issues which have lain dormant for several decades and nipped childhoods.