World Sustainable Energy Day: Situation worrisome, State’s focus on off-target districts

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh is concentrating on off-target districts for United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) says a study published in the Lancet journal in February 2023.

The study added that India trails behind in achieving more than 50% of indicators under SDGs seven years before the 2030 deadline. Renewable energy is one of the SDF goals that the country is trying to achieve.

Renewable Energy Targets

MP’s renewable energy target must touch 25 per cent by next year, i.e. 2024. MP is the top fourth in the country when it comes to thermal power. However, the state is lagging in the installation of renewable power and has achieved less than half of its target set for next year, which it hopes to make up for with large-scale projects. The state has reached 44 per cent of the target of 12 GW by 2022, as cited in the CEEW study.

In all, 17 SGDs are providing a blueprint for the safety and prosperity of people and the planet, which 192 UN member states committed to achieving by 2030.

According to the study, India has fallen behind on 19 of 33 indicators. As per statistics cited, over 75% of Indian districts are off target for eight crucial indicators including poverty, anaemia, child marriage domestic violence, stunting and wasting of children, access to essential services, modern contraceptive use and tobacco consumption.

Health drags MP and country down in SDG

The biggest challenge for MP along with the country is meeting indicators related to health and social indicators of health. India will not be able to meet the targets for anaemia.

Shockingly, the fifth and latest round of the National Family Health Survey (2019-2021) revealed more Indians are anaemic than ever before, with at least 67% of children and 52.2% of women having anaemia.

India is faring well on 13 targets. These include bank accounts for women, birth registration, internet use, electricity access, full vaccination, birth registration, and lowering of child marriage among others.

World Sustainable Energy Day

World Sustainable Energy Day 2023 will be celebrated on February 27 across the world to create awareness among the people about the importance of the conservation of energy for future use.