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Giving Compass' Take:
• Mayank Aggarwal reports that voters in urban India are prioritizing environmental issues, particularly pollution.
• How can funders help voters to realize their environmental goals?
• Learn about the influence of pollution in India.
In urban areas, environmental issues featured prominently in the voters’ priority list, after employment and healthcare. It’s estimated that urban and semi-urban areas account for about 200 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.
Traffic congestion, drinking water, water and air pollution, better public transport and noise pollution were listed as some of the top 10 priorities of urban voters. These were followed by facilities for cyclists and pedestrians on roads (No. 11) and better garbage clearance (No. 17).
“Surprisingly, despite the scarcity of land in urban areas, encroachment of land, lakes etc. was not a priority for urban voters as it was ranked lowest at 1.26 per cent,” the survey said. In rural areas as well, this issue was ranked lowest in the list of issues that concern voters.
Drinking water came up as a significant priority for voters across the country, especially in the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The survey also noted that more than 163 million Indians do not have access to safe drinking water, according to a recent report of the comptroller and auditor general of India.
“All over India, 30.5 per cent voters consider drinking water as the third most important governance issue,” the survey said. “It is particularly higher for urban voters, voters from medium wealth group and for general category voters.”
The survey also noted that water is an essential resource for agriculture but has not been managed well in the Indian context, despite the country being an agricultural powerhouse.
Read the full article about urban Indian voters by Mayank Aggarwal at Eco-Business.