The ministry has identified the following strategy to meet the objectives of the Tenth Plan:
(a) To promote ‘sustainable development’ by emphasizing the intrinsic linkage between environment management and socio- economic development of the people, through increased access to natural capital which is an essential component of reducing poverty. The emphasis will be on creating an enabling 7 environment in terms of policies, institutions which support the over-arching objective of poverty reduction.
(b) To mainstream environment issues in the developmental strategy, a multipronged approach will be followed which will include the incorporation of environment in the curriculum, sharpening the mechanism for the environmental auditing of the development activities, creating heightened awareness, broad basing community involvement and to forging a coordinated effort with corporate and public sector in environmental management.
(c) To input environmental concerns in the developmental scenarios by treating environment as a cross-sectoral issue.
(d) To take concrete steps for increasing forest/tree cover from the existing level of 19.37 per cent to 25 per cent by 2007 and 33 per cent by 2012. While striving for this goal the thrust will be given to:
(1) increasing productivity.
(2) efficient management of resources. and,
(3) focus on the local needs and location specific strategies in terms of species selection and management of resources.
(e) Cleaning of major polluted rivers by 2007 and other notified stretches by 2012. In order to have efficient, smooth and time bound attainment of the goal, a holistic and integrated approach of addressing not only the intercepting sewers and sewage treatment plants which currently constituted the core of the Plan, but also other components as internal sewage, solid waste management and toilets with the participation of states, public and local bodies. The focus will on be treating the town as a unit by way of convergence of various schemes.
(f) Major changes in the institutional framework with a view to make it responsive and accountable to perceived needs of people.
(g) Involvement of youth in environmental education, through a National Green Corps scheme to be implemented in all educational institutions covering class 8th to 12th class.