ECOLOGY AND

ENVIRONMENT
Compiled by IOD member ABHISHEK RANJAN ...!
What is Blue Carbon?
Blue carbon is the carbon stored by coastal and marine ecosystems.
It is also an international effort to protect coastal wetlands by assigning them carbon
credits:blue carbon is to mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes what carbon credits is to
trees.
Integrated Pest management (IPM) ?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to
pest management that relies on a combination of common!sense practices. IPM programs use
current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the
environment. "his information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to
manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible ha#ard to
people, property, and the environment.
NRAA (National Rain fed Area Authority) Sheme?
$et up in %&&' with an ob(ective of overall holistic and integrated development of rainfed
regions of the country..
!he "i#esto$ Insurane Sheme?
)entrally sponsored scheme..first introduced in %&&*!&' and %&&'!&+ of the tenth five year
plan...twin ob(ective of providing protection to the farmers and cattle rearers against any
eventual loss of their live stoc, and to demonstrate the benefit of insurance of livestoc,...the
indigenous crossbred milch cattle and buffaloes are being insured at ma-imum of their
current mar,et price...
WHAT IS CARBON FOOTPRINT?
)arbon footprint is a measure of!"he amount of ).% emitted thru the combustion of fossil
fuels/ in case of an org, business or enterprise as a part of der everyday operation/ in the case
of an individual or household as a part of their daily lives/ or in case of a product or
commodity in reaching the mar,et. the total amount of 010 emission caused directly or
indirectly by an individual, organi#ation, events or products is called 2)arbon 3ootprint2 of
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that entity. as far as carbon footprint is concerned India...contributes 4.+ percent f the total
global output...wit 5$ contributing 67.+ pc.
What is biomass???
"otal mass of living matter in given unit area.
how many tiger reserves are there in India 8
IN%IA &irst Interstate Bios'here Reser#e?
shivali, hills c# it will involve several states li,e Pun(ab, 1aryana, 1imachal Pradesh, 9ammu
and :ashmir, and 5ttara,hand,;
(IM C)RB*!! NA!I)NA" PAR+, %*SCRIB*,
<<9im )orbett =ational Par, India had the proud distinction of being chosen as the venue for
the inauguration of Pro(ect "iger in India/ earlier part of 5ttar Pradesh now comes under
5ttaranchal, the newly found state. 9im )orbett =ational Par, India is home to a variety of
flora and fauna, )orbett par, is famous for its wild population of "igers, >eopards and
?lephants. )orbett "iger @eserve has...a great variety of fauna on account of habitat diversity.
In the 9im )orbett =ational Par, are found 66& tree species, *& mammalsA species, *B& bird
species and %* reptile species
<<9im )orbett =ational Par, India has always been famous for their resident tigers. Initially
9im )orbett =ational Par, reserve was named as A1ailey =ational Par,A in 67C'. 9im )orbett
=ational Par, was renamed in 67*4!** as A@amganga =ational Par,A and again in 67**!*' as
A9im )orbett =ational Par,A after 9im )orbett who hunted down tigers that had turned man!
eaters, between 67&+ to 67C7. 9im )orbett =ational Par, India is the 6st and oldest =ational
Par, of India. 9im )orbett =ational Par, India was one of the nine "iger @eserves created at
the launch of the Pro(ect "iger in 67+C.
<<9im )orbett =ational Par, India is a haven for "igers as well as its prey, which include four
,inds of Deer, Eild Boar and some lesser!,nown animals. >eopards are mostly found in the
hilly areas of the )orbett par,. $ome nocturnal cats found here are the >eopard )at, 9ungle
)at and 3ishing )at. $loth Bear is found in the lower regions of the par, while the 1imalayan
Blac, Bear is seen in the higher hills only. "he Dole or Eild Dog, though they can be seen in
the southern areas of the par, along with the 9ac,al. $ome of the smaller residents of the par,
are 1imalayan Palm )ivet, Indian 0ray Mongoose, )ommon .tter, Blac,naped 1are and
Porcupine. ?lephants are among one of the main attractions of 9im )orbett Par,. Flong the
@amganga @iver shores, one can spot the long!snouted, fish!eating 0harial )rocodile and the
AMuggerA )rocodile. Flso seen on the roc,y hillsides is the 0horal or 0oat Fntelopes. "he
>angur and @hesus Mon,eys are well distributed through out the (im corbett national par,
and warning the whole 9ungle with alarm calls when they see either a "iger or >eopard from
tree!top perches.
NA!I)NA" -*RI!A.* ANIMA"???
?lephant. 0ovt of India lauch pro(ect ?>?P1F=" in 677% for conserve elephant in india.
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W-A! IS M/"!IP/RP)S* RI0*R PR)(*C!???
Multi ! purpose means Dam construct on river its water use for Irrigation, 1ydro ! ?lectricity
pro(ect , fish farming, additional facilities may be added for such leisure activities as fishing
and sailing.
the newly created reservoir may have other uses and the water may then be utilised more
efficiently by the local populace, water way and water use as domestic use and potable water
it means multi! purpose river pro(ect li,e $ardar $arovar Dam on =armada river.
W-A! IS BI)!)P*???
area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage
of plants and animals.
Ehat is the most widely used traditional water conservation system 8
It is the rooftop rainwater harvesting system which was widely used in india.. its also being
used in ra(ashthan, tamilnadu etc..
W-A! AR* /NC"ASS*% &)R*S!S?
Fn area recorded as forest but not included in reserved or protected forest. unclassed forests
are managed by the local people and communities as in most of the parts of north!eastern
states ..
W-) C"AIM*% %AMS AS !-* 1!*MP"*S )& M)%*RN IN%IA2
AN% W-3?
pt nehru.. purposes of a dam include providing water for irrigation or town or city water
supply, improving navigation, creating a reservoir of water to supply industrial uses,
generating hydroelectric power, creating recreation areas or ha...bitat for fish and wildlife,
flood control and containing effluent from industrial sites such as mines or factories. 3ew
dams serve all of these purposes but some multi!purpose dams serve more than one.
W-A! IS B**( BAC-A) AN%)"AN AN% I! !))+ P"AC* A!?
late 67B&s as a group of activists from the 1enwal @iver Galley in "ehri district (5ttara,hand,
India, led by Gi(ay 9ardhari. this andolan was basically for the protection desi seed varieties..
()IN! &)R*S! MANA.M*N!?
this programme vary from state to state and are ,nown by different names in different Indian
languages, usually a village committee ,nown as the 3orest Protection )ommittee (3P) and
the 3orest Department enter into a 93M agreement. Gillagers agree to assist in the
safeguarding of forest resources through protection from fire, gra#ing, and illegal harvesting
in e-change for which they receive non!timber forest products and a share of the revenue
from the sale of timber products.
*4P"AIN *N%*MIC SP*CI*S?
is the ecological state of being uniHue to a defined geographic location, such as an island,
nation or other defined #one, or habitat type/ organisms that are indigenous to a place are not
endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere... some of the e-amples are andaman teal,
nicobar pigeons.. mithun in arunachal pradesh..
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W-A! IS S/S!AINAB"* %*0*")PM*N!?
$ustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs along with protection
of the environment. "1I$ ).=)?P" was developed burndtland commission in 67B+.
W)R"%S &AS!*S! "AN% MAMMA"? *4!INC! %*C"AR*% IN 3*AR?
Its Fsiatic cheetah , e-tinct declared in year 67*%.
W-A! IS A.*N%A 56??
Blue print of 5.=.. related to sustainable development and was formulated during earth
summit in 677%.
W-A! AR* +*3S!)N* SP*CI*S?
"he species which play a significant role in maintainence of the structure of ecological
community.
W-A! AR* *C)S3S!*M S*R0IC*S??
these are
1) protection of water resources as natural vegetation cover helps in maintaing hydrological
cycles, regulatin n stabilisn run offsm acts as buffer agnst flood, drought,etc.
2) soil formation and protection as biodiversity hlps in maintaing soil structure n increases
moisture reating capacity as well as nutrient level of soil.
3)Nutrient storage n cycling : as nutrient recycln is an essential event in maintainence f
ecosystem so biological diversity is inevitble fr thz as b it micro organism in soil wch helps in
decomposition or nitrate or nitryfyng bacteria al help in replinishn soil nutrients...
)!ollution, "rea#down and absorption: as diverse components of ecosystem wit spcl
mention of decomposers, brea#dwn n assimilate wastes to mainatain balanc in ecosystm ....
$) climate stability: as vegetation influenc both micro n macro climate by be it maintain
rainfall or trees absorbn co2 hence restorin a stable co2%o2 balance.
W-3 )7)N* -)"*S AR* PR*%)MINAN!"3 )0*R
AN!AR!ICA88
a) antartic stratosphere is much colder so enabls formtn f polar
tratosphericcloud below 2&#m
b) ozone absorbs lyt causin increase in temperature wid incrs in altitude bt if ozone depltd air
is cooler addin to fav conditions fr formation f !'( n stabilisation of vorte)...vorte) is the ring
of rapidly circulating air that confides ozone depletion.
ASIAN BROWN CLOUD???
*n a report publishd by united nations envirmnt programme it ws about
a 3 #m thic# layer f pollutants ovr south asia. *ts a coc#tail f ash, aerosol n blac# soot fm
diesel, dirty coal n biomass burning wit impact f oil refrnries along gulf coastline bng
acceleratin factor.
"ng strongly criticised by indian govt nw the changd name f thz bln#et f pollution is
+tmospheric "rown (lou,.
PHYTOFILTRATION IS SOLUTION TO ARSENIC POISONING???
-se of pteris vittata, a fern plant, can easly hlp purify water poisond with arsenic,
*t reduces the concentration below safet limits the procedure is called phytofiltration wch
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unly# arsenic remvl othr strategies doesnt produce any arsenic rich chemcl sludge wch z
hard to dispose.
Farming is the argest s!"r#e !$ man ma%e greenh!"se gases
&en a%%e% t! emissi!ns $rm agri#"t"re %ire#t'...
the recnt measures to correct this menace # by!
a successful progm in ethiopia tht hs gvn cash n food to poor households in e-change fr labour on
pro(ects to improve soil Huality n water supply infrastructure
% australias )arbon 3arming Initiative! the worlds first largest national legislation fr reducn co%
emissions fm farmin n forestry allown farmers n imvestors to generate n trade carbon credits fm
farmin n forestry pro(cts...
C reducin wastage f food
S%& "f 'ft& !("sph) )s)%s (& (&*(a a) pa)t "f w")+*
&tw)# f !("sph) )s)%s !as* "& UNESCO Ma& a&*
,("sph)-MA,. p)"/)a$ +(st.
Na$ th$000
&(+/()(1 &a&*a *%(1 s2&*)!a&s 1 /2+f "f $a&&a) 1 pach$a)h( 1 &"#)# 1
s($+(pa+....
P)"3ct pa&th)0
Its a '% 4a) p)"3ct +a2&ch* !4 /"%t f )a3astha& t" sa% pa&th)s f$ /tt(&
p"ach* !4 !2(+*&/ wa++s as w++ as h( $!&#$&ts a)&* wat) !"*(s...
Its s(t2at* (& pa+( *(st)(ct5s #2$!ha+/a)h sa&ct2a)4...
W!" # $le!% de&elopme%" me$!%i'm?
Wat%) (&*2st)(s w(++ ! st2p (& a& a)a..+* ! aft) ha%&/ a c+a)a&c
f)$ &%(" *pt *at th4 w(++ p2)s2 s2sat(&a!+ *%+"p$&t...& *at *) w+* !
$(&($a+ *a$a/ t" t &%("....
6"w t)a&sp()at("& f$ t)s & c)"ps c& h+p +ss&(&/ p)"/)ss("&
f /+"!a+ wa)$(&/0
?nhancd surface evaporation in form f transpirtn causes an increase in low level clouds in
atmsphere bng low these clouds scatter more solar radiation bc, to space n hnce cools the
planet as whole lessngn global warmng. nimbus means rain bearin cloud....
=imbus f two typs cumulonimbus n nimbostratal clouds...
"hese r formd at low atmosphere due to warm weather conditions surroundin surface
evaporation, hence at low hgts the vapours condense n gv rise to rain bearin droplets in form f
grayish clouds n also cn hv snow droplets if temp f coolin # below free#n temp near surface...
.reen re#olution II ob8eti#es?
Pulses n oilseeds incresed production in eastrn region mainly wit hlp f hi yieldn seeds,
additinal C&& crores bn gvn to promote '&&&& Apulse villagesA in rain fed areas fr incr#n crop
prodctvty n strengthng mar,et lin,ages so that by %&6+ self reliance in productn f pulses n
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oilseeds cn b achievd..Promotin pulse villages espcly rain fed areF n eHual no. .f villg clustr
fr oilseeds thn to strengthns mr,et lin,s with high investmnts is newer approach...
Wildli(e Pro"e$"io% A$" o( )*+,
<"he Eildlife Protection Fct of 67+% refers... to a sweeping pac,age of legislation enacted in
67+% by the 0overnment of India
< Before 67+%, India only had five designated national par,s
< It e-tends to the whole of India, e-cept the $tate of 9ammu and :ashmir which has its own
wildife act.
Definitions under the Fct ($ection %
< 2animal2 includes amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles, and their young, and also
includes, in the cases of birds and reptiles, their eggs.
< 2animal article2 means an article made from any captive or wild animal, other than vermin,
and includes an article or ob(ect in which the whole or any part of such animal has been used
and an article made therefrom.
< 2hunting2 includes
(a capturing, ,illing, poisoning, snaring, or trapping any wild animal, and every attempt to
do so
(b driving any wild animal for any of the purposes specified in sub clause
(c in(uring, destroying or ta,ing any body part of any such animal, or in the case of wild
birds or reptiles, disturbing or damaging the eggs or nests of such birds or reptiles.
< 2ta-idermy2 means the curing, preparation or preservation of trophies.
< 2trophy2 means the whole or any part of any captive or wild animal (other than vermin
which has been ,ept or preserved by any means, whether artificial or natural. "his includes:
(a rugs, s,ins, and specimens of such animals mounted in whole or in part through a process
of ta-idermy
(b antler, horn, rhinoceros horn, feather, nail, tooth, mus,, eggs, and nests.
< 2uncured trophy2 means the whole or any part of any captive animal (other than vermin
which has not undergone a process of ta-idermy. "his includes a freshly ,illed wild animal,
ambergris, mus, and other animal products.
< 2vermin2 means any wild animal specified in $chedule G.
< 2wildlife2 includes any animal, bees, butterflies, crustacean, fish and moths/ and aHuatic or
land vegetation which forms part of any habitat.
<<<1unting ($ection 7
"his section describes what constitutes hunting and the intent to hunt.
<<<.wnership ($ection 4& I 4%
@egarding ownership issues and trade licences.
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<<<Penalties ($ection *6
Penalties are prescribed in section *6. ?nforcement can be performed by agencies such as the
3orest Department, the Police, the )ustoms and the )entral Bureau of Investigation ()BI.
)hargesheets can be filed directly by the 3orest Department. .ther enforcement agencies,
often due to the lac, of technical e-pertise, hand over cases to the 3orest Department.
9at are bio:'estiides?
bio pesticide# r the eco friendly anti pest chemicals derived mainly frm genetic enggrn as in
case by bacillus thuringenesis wch inhibits growth f pests by trnsferrn its bt gene to the
genome of cotton n others so pests r inhibt fm goin on sch plants....
it helps in curbin menance f inorgnc n environmently ha#ardous vhemicls ly, ddt n al by
promotin sustainable development...
F =."?:
"he 5nion )abinet of India cleared the =uclear @egulatory Futhority of India Bill."he
Bill envisages an Futonomous Ftomic ?nergy @egulatory Board. F high!level panel have
finalised the rules of implementation of nuclear liability law. "he bill would pave way for
setting up an authority that would subsume the Ftomic ?nergy @egulatory Board (F?@B.
"he F?@B was set up in 67BC and reports to the Ftom...ic ?nergy )ommission. "he bill
see,s to give the proposed =uclear @egulatory Futhority of India full power to stop
construction wor, and order a shut down of an operating nuclear plant. "he bill would give
more powers to the countryAs nuclear regulator by ma,ing it a statutory body. It is also
proposed that the =@FI order cannot be challenged in a court of law. "he authority is li,ely
to include persons of eminence from engineering, environment, social, nuclear and finance
areas. Indian 0overnment decided to set up =@FI in the bac,drop of the 3u,ushima nuclear
accident.....
NOTE ,-
"ibetan plateauAs glaciers melting rapidly
< 0laciers in the Jinghai!"ibet plateau, the source of many rivers that sustain )hina and the
Indian subcontinent, are melting Kfaster than ever,; according to a five!year study by )hinese
researchers.
< "he researchers had focused their study on glaciers and wetlands near the headwaters of the
Langt#e, Lellow and >ancang rivers.
< "he melting of the glaciers could lead to a water shortage and even a dry!up of rivers in the
long run, and conseHuent ecological disasters li,e wetland retreat and desertification...
What is the *o:Mar$?
?co!Mar, is an eco!labelling scheme which was constituted... by the 0overnment of India in
6776 for easy identification of environment!friendly products.
.b(ectives of the $cheme:
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"he specific ob(ectives of the scheme are as follow:
6. "o provide an incentive for manufacturers and importers to reduce adverse environmental
impact of products.
%. "o reward genuine initiatives by companies to reduce adverse environmental impact of
their products.
C. "o assist consumers to become environmentally responsible in their daily lives by
providing information to ta,e account of environmental factors in their purchase decisions.
4. "o encourage citi#ens to purchase products which have less harmful environmental impacts
*. 5ltimately to improve the Huality of the environment and to encourage the sustainable
management of resources.
?comar, label is shown in the figure
$cope of ?co!Mar,:
"he ?co!Mar, scheme initially covered about 6' product categories covering a wide range of
products. i.e. the )riteria for evaluating products under these categories were initially
analy#ed and identified. Ft a later point, a 6+th category was included.
"he product criteria were developed using a cradle!to!grave approach ,eeping in mind full
life!cycle considerations of the environmental impact of the product i.e. all stages from raw
materials to manufacturing, usage and disposal were analy#ed and evaluated to determine the
criteria.
5niHue feature of the ?co!Mar, vis!a!vis other ?co!>abels
?co!Mar, is uniHue when compared to other eco!labels in one aspect/ it also necessitated
meeting the Huality reHuirements of BI$ (Bureau of Indian $tandards
"hree )ommittees set!up for the ?co!Mar, $cheme
6. F $teering )ommittee in the Ministry of ?nvironments and 3orests
%. F "echnical )ommittee in the )entral Pollution )ontrol Board ()P)B
C. Bureau of Indian $tandards (BI$ for assessment and certification purposes
NOTE 7:
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$chemes for Increasing per )apita 3orest )over in the )ountry
<"he per capita f...orest cover of India is &.&' hectare while the global per capita forest cover
is &.' hectare.
<"o increase the per capita forest coverage in the country, the Ministry of ?nvironment I
3orests is implementing a )entrally $ponsored $cheme of =ational Ffforestation Programme
(=FP for regeneration of degraded forests and ad(oining areas in the country.
<"he scheme is implemented through a decentrali#ed mechanism of $tate 3orest Department
Fgency ($3DF at $tate level, 3orest Department Fgency (3DF at 3orest Division level and
9oint 3orest Management )ommittees (93M)s at village level.
<"he choice of species to be planted under =FP $cheme is decided by 93M)s, based on local
preferences, suitability of land and agro climatic conditions.
<$even models of Ffforestation have been recogni#ed under the =ational Ffforestation
Programme (=FP and tea, could be one of the species.
Besides =FP, the following steps have been ta,en to promote afforestation M tree planting in
the country which will help to increase the per capita forest coverage in the country:
N 6"wo new ?co!"as, 3orce (?"3 Battalions have been operationalised by the Ministry for
eco restoration of degraded areas in Fssam, in addition to supporting the e-isting four ?"3
battalions in the country. Fn amount of @s. C6.76 )rores has been released during the %&6&!
66.
N %OIIIth 3inance )ommission has recommended @s. *&&& crore for five years starting from
%&6&!66 for activities including conservation and development of forests.
N CFdditional )entral assistance of @s. B6.'' )rores has been released to the $tates during
%&&7!6& for @estoration and @egeneration of 3orest )over.
N 4"ree planting is also an approved activity under Mahatma 0andhi =ational @ural
?mployment 0uarantee Fct.
N)!* ;<

"he International Fgency for @esearch on )ancer is an intergovernmental
agency forming part of the Eorld 1ealth .rganisation of the 5nited =ations.
Its main offices are in >yon, 3rance.
"he IF@) categori#es agents, mi-tures and e-posures into five categories.
0roup 6: carcinogenic to humans.
... 0roup %F: probably carcinogenic to humans.
0roup %B: possibly carcinogenic to humans.
0roup C: not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans.
0roup 4: probably not carcinogenic to humans. .nly one substance caprolactam has both
been assessed for carcinogenicity by the IF@) and placed in this category,
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S&arna S"()* $!!% resistant ri#e +ariet',,
In "amil =adu every year, out of the 6* la,h hectares (ha of rice cultivated during samba
season an area of C to * la,h hectares gets affected by flood during the =orth ?ast monsoon.
In particular, the flood!prone tail!end areas of delta districts and some of the coastal districts
li,e "hiruvarur and =agapattinam are often affected due to flood, and as a result very low
rice production and productivity is recorded.
Water stagnation
?ven though many high yielding improved rice varieties are available for cultivation, they
suffer due to floods and continuous water stagnation.
If the stagnation of flood water remains for more than a wee,, the present day varieties are
unable to tolerate and thereby yield levels are drastically affected.
Natural 'henomena
Fs this natural phenomenon is beyond human control, to overcome this problem, "=F5,
)oimbatore has introduced $warna $ub6, a rice variety that can resist floods and therefore
will be a boon to these areas.
"he new variety can tolerate 64!6+ days of water stagnation during floods. It is ideal for
growing under $@I conditions.
Submergene tolerane
"he $warna $ub 6 variety is similar to $warna rice variety grown in eastern parts of the
country in all characteristic features e-cept submergence tolerance.
W-A! IS *C)!)N*???
?cotone refers to the transitional #one bMw two different ecological unit which is gradual
changing landscape.
?.g. Desert changes into grassland or broadleaf forest changes into temperate forest.
Erite few words about )allophycus serratus, an effective agent in bio!
remediation88
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Its a seaweed wch is an agent of bio remediation hvn bromophycolides compounds...
"hese weeds adept in fighting of microbial infectns espclly wardin off malaria causin
mosHuitoes since malaris highly resistant to most f modern drugs...
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A N)!* )N *N0I)RNM*N!A" "AWS IN IN%IA<
?nvironmental protection has always been a part and parcel of Indian culture as evidenced by the
stipulated responsibilities of the state as well as )iti#ens for the nature and living being the
constitution of India under Frticle 4BF and *6F(g.
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Artile ;=A < "he state shall endeavor to protect and improve the natural environment and safeguard
the forests and wildlife of the country.
Artile >6A(g)< 3undamental duty of every citi#en to protect and improve the natural environment
including forests,la,es,rivers and wildlife and have to compassion for living creatures.
In the )onstitution of India it is clearly stated that it is the duty of the state to Aprotect and improve the
environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the countryA. It imposes a duty on every
citi#enA to protect and improve the natural environment including forests,la,es,rivers and wildlifeA.
@eference to the environment has also been made in the Directive Principles of $tate policy as well as
the 3undamental @ights. "he Department of ?nvironment was established in India in 67B& to ensure a
healthy environment for the country. "his later became the Ministry of ?nvironment and 3orest in
67B*.
"he )onstitutional provision are bac,ed by a number of laws ! acts,rules,and notifications. "he
?PF(?nvironmental Protection Fct, 67B' came into force soon after the Bhopal 0as "ragedy and is
considered an umbrella legislation as it fills many gaps in the e-isting laws. "hereafter a large number
of laws came into e-istence as the problems began arising, for e-ample, 1andling and Management of
1a#ardous Easte @ules in 67B7. 3ollowing is a list of the environmental legislation that have come
into effect :
P 0eneral
P 3orest and Eildlife
P Eater
P Fir
0eneral :
*n#ironment (Protetion) At? 6@=A (*PA)
"his Fct is an umbrella legislation designed to provide a framewor, for the co!ordination of central
and state authorities established under the Eater (Prevention and )ontrol Fct, 67+4 and Fir
(Prevention and )ontrol Fct, 67B6. 5nder this Fct, the central government is empowered to ta,e
measures necessary to protect and improve the Huality of the environment by setting standards for
emissions and discharges/ regulating the location of industries/ management of ha#ardous wastes, and
protection of public health and welfare.
3rom time to time the central government issues notifications under the ?PF for the protection of
ecologically!sensitive areas or issues guidelines for matters under the ?PF.
$ome notifications issued under this Fct are:
P Doon Galley =otification (67B7, which prohibits the setting up of an industry in which the daily
consumption of coalMfuel is more than %4 M" (million tonnes per day in the Doon Galley.
P )oastal @egulation Qone =otification (6776, which regulates activities along coastal stretches. Fs
per this notification, dumping ash or any other waste in the )@Q is prohibited. "he thermal power
plants (only foreshore facilities for transport of raw materials, facilities for inta,e of cooling water and
outfall for discharge of treated waste waterMcooling water reHuire clearance from the Mo?3.
P Dhanu "alu,a =otification (6776, under which the district of Dhanu "alu,a has been declared an
ecologically fragile region and setting up power plants in its vicinity is prohibited.
P @evdanda )ree, =otification (67B7, which prohibits setting up industries in the belt around the
@evdanda )ree, as per the rules laid down in the notification.
P "he ?nvironmental Impact Fssessment of Development Pro(ects =otification, (6774 and as amended
in 677+. Fs per this notification:
P Fll pro(ects listed under $chedule I reHuire environmental clearance from the Mo?3.
P Pro(ects under the delicenced category of the =ew Industrial Policy also reHuire clearance from the
Mo?3.
P Fll developmental pro(ects whether or not under the $chedule I, if located in fragile regions must
obtain Mo?3 clearance.
P Industrial pro(ects with investments above @s *&& million must obtain Mo?3 clearance and are
further reHuired to obtain a >.I (>etter .f Intent from the Ministry of Industry, and an =.) (=o
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.b(ection )ertificate from the $P)B and the $tate 3orest Department if the location involves
forestland. .nce the =.) is obtained, the >.I is converted into an industrial licence by the state
authority.
P "he notification also stipulated procedural reHuirements for the establishment and operation of new
power plants. Fs per this notification, two!stage clearance for site!specific pro(ects such as pithead
thermal power plants and valley pro(ects is reHuired. $ite clearance is given in the first stage and final
environmental clearance in the second. F public hearing has been made mandatory for pro(ects
covered by this notification. "his is an important step in providing transparency and a greater role to
local communities.
P Fsh )ontent =otification (677+, reHuired the use of beneficiated coal with ash content not
e-ceeding C4R with effect from 9une %&&6, (the date later was e-tended to 9une %&&%. "his applies to
all thermal plants located beyond one thousand ,ilometres from the pithead and any thermal plant
located in an urban area or, sensitive area irrespective of the distance from the pithead e-cept any
pithead power plant.
P "a( "rape#ium =otification (677B, provided that no power plant could be set up within the
geographical limit of the "a( "rape#ium assigned by the "a( "rape#ium Qone Pollution (Prevention
and )ontrol Futhority.
P Disposal of 3ly Fsh =otification (6777 the main ob(ective of which is to conserve the topsoil,
protect the environment and prevent the dumping and disposal of fly ash discharged from lignite!
based power plants. "he salient feature of this notification is that no person within a radius of *& ,m
from a coal!or lignite!based power plant shall manufacture clay bric,s or tiles without mi-ing at least
%*R of ash with soil on a weight!to!weight basis. 3or the thermal power plants the utilisation of the
flyash would be as follows:
P ?very coal!or lignite!based power plant shall ma,e available ash for at least ten years from the date
of publication of the above notification without any payment or any other consideration, for the
purpose of manufacturing ash!based products such as cement, concrete bloc,s, bric,s, panels or any
other material or for construction of roads, emban,ments, dams, dy,es or for any other construction
activity.
&orest and Wildlife:
"he Eildlife (Protection Fct, 67+%, Fmendment 6776
"he EPF (Eildlife Protection Fct, 67+%, provides for protection to listed species of flora and fauna
and establishes a networ, of ecologically!important protected areas. "he EPF empowers the central
and state governments to declare any area a wildlife sanctuary, national par, or closed area. "here is a
blan,et ban on carrying out any industrial activity inside these protected areas. It provides for
authorities to administer and implement the Fct/ regulate the hunting of wild animals/ protect
specified plants, sanctuaries, national par,s and closed areas/ restrict trade or commerce in wild
animals or animal articles/ and miscellaneous matters. "he Fct prohibits hunting of animals e-cept
with permission of authori#ed officer when an animal has become dangerous to human life or
property or so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery (EE3!India, 6777. "he near!total
prohibition on hunting was made more effective by the Fmendment Fct of 6776.
!he &orest (Conser#ation) At? 6@=B
"his Fct was adopted to protect and conserve forests. "he Fct restricts the powers of the state in
respect of de!reservation of forests and use of forestland for non!forest purposes (the term non!forest
purpose includes clearing any forestland for cultivation of cash crops, plantation crops, horticulture or
any purpose other than re!afforestation.
Water <
Eater Huality standards especially those for drin,ing water are set by the Indian )ouncil of Medical
@esearch. "hese bear close resemblance to E1. standards. "he discharge of industrial effluents is
regulated by the Indian $tandard )odes and recently, water Huality standards for coastal water marine
outfalls have also been specified. In addition to the general standards, certain specific standards have
been developed for effluent discharges from industries such as, iron and steel, aluminium, pulp and
paper, oil refineries, petrochemicals and thermal power plants. >egislation to control water pollution
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are listed below.
Water (Pre#ention and Control of Pollution) At? 6@C;
"his Fct represented IndiaAs first attempts to comprehensively deal with environmental issues. "he
Fct prohibits the discharge of pollutants into water bodies beyond a given standard, and lays down
penalties for non!compliance. "he Fct was amended in 67BB to conform closely to the provisions of
the ?PF, 67B'. It set up the )P)B ()entral Pollution )ontrol Board which lays down standards for
the prevention and control of water pollution. Ft the $tate level, the $P)Bs ($tate Pollution )ontrol
Board function under the direction of the )P)B and the state government.
Water (Pre#ention and Control of Pollution) Cess At? 6@CC
"his Fct provides for a levy and collection of a cess on water consumed by industries and local
authorities. It aims at augmenting the resources of the central and state boards for prevention and
control of water pollution. 3ollowing this Fct, "he Eater (Prevention and )ontrol of Pollution )ess
@ules were formulated in 67+B for defining standards and indications for the ,ind of and location of
meters that every consumer of water is reHuired to install.
Air <
"o counter the problems associated with air pollution, ambient air Huality standards were established,
under the 67B6 Fct. "he Fct provides means for the control and abatement of air pollution. "he Fct
see,s to combat air pollution by prohibiting the use of polluting fuels and substances, as well as by
regulating appliances that give rise to air pollution. 5nder the Fct establishing or operating of any
industrial plant in the pollution control area reHuires consent from state boards. "he boards are also
e-pected to test the air in air pollution control areas, inspect pollution control eHuipment, and
manufacturing processes.
National Ambient Air Duality Standards (NAADS) for ma(or pollutants were notified by the )P)B
in Fpril 6774. "hese are deemed to be levels of air Huality necessary with an adeHuate margin of
safety, to protect public health, vegetation and property ()P)B 677* cited in 0upta, 6777. "he
=FFJ$ prescribe specific standards for industrial, residential, rural and other sensitive areas.
Industry!specific emission standards have also been developed for iron and steel plants, cement
plants, fertili#er plants, oil refineries and the aluminium industry. "he ambient Huality standards
prescribed in India are similar to those prevailing in many developed and developing countries.
"o empower the central and state pollution boards to meet grave emergencies, the Fir (Prevention and
)ontrol of Pollution Fmendment Fct, 67B+, was enacted. "he boards were authori#ed to ta,e
immediate measures to tac,le such emergencies and recover the e-penses incurred from the offenders.
"he power to cancel consent for non!fulfilment of the conditions prescribed has also been emphasi#ed
in the Fir Fct Fmendment.
!he Air (Pre#ention and Control of Pollution) Rules formulated in 6@=5? defined the procedures
for conducting meetings of the boards, the powers of the presiding officers, decision!ma,ing, the
Huorum/ manner in which the records of the meeting were to be set etc. "hey also prescribed the
manner and the purpose of see,ing assistance from specialists and the fee to be paid to them.
)omplementing the above Fcts is the Ftomic ?nergy Fct of 67B%, which was introduced to deal with
radioactive waste. In 67BB, the Motor Gehicles Fct, was enacted to regulate vehicular traffic, besides
ensuring proper pac,aging, labelling and transportation of the ha#ardous wastes. Garious aspects of
vehicular pollution have also been notified under the ?PF of 67B'. Mass emission standards were
notified in 677&, which were made more stringent in 677'. In %&&& these standards were revised yet
again and for the first time separate obligations for vehicle owners, manufacturers and enforcing
agencies were stipulated. In addition, fairly stringent ?uro I and II emission norms were notified by
the $upreme )ourt on Fpril %7, 6777 for the city of Delhi. "he notification made it mandatory for car
manufacturers to conform to the ?uro I and ?uro II norms by May 6777 and Fpril %&&&, respectively,
for new non!commercial vehicle sold in Delhi.
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.FO//OWIN0 IS THE /IST OF
I1PORTANT 23ESTIONS WHOSE
ANSWERS ARE TO BE ANSWERED B4
THE IAS ASPIRANTS OF IAS O3R DREA1
FA1I/4 B4 THE1SE/5ES N CAN
ASSE1B/E IT IN THE ABO5E NOTES.6
1) .hat is /0,,12 3w wl india benefit from it.
-. O(/e#ti+es !$ R!tter%am #!n+enti!n?
0. E#!!gi#a signi$i#an# $ mangr!+es?
1. What are POPs? Name nine ne& POPs a%%e% as
amen%ment t! st!#2h!m #!n+enti!n,
3. CITES? It4 $eat"res?
4) /ole of mothr of pearl clouds in ozone depletion22
5) .hat are the environmental impacts of open cast mining
li#e recently in goa2
6) .hat is nagoya protcol tht india hd signd2
7) 3ow mobile towers r detrimental to birds )istence2
1&) .hat is green tribunal2 .here it *s2
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11) .hat is e%waste disposal drive launchd recntly2
12) .hich pro8ct on publc land fr first tym in india has got
registered by u.n. for carbon credits2
)0. First ga#e!!g' st"%' #entre in in%ia & ( at?
)1. What 4 green in%ia missi!n?
1$) 9reen :anufacturing (ommittee22
14) ;00, certification2
15) <ryctes rhinoceros or the rhinoceros beetle, possible
threats fm this n hw it bn controlld by *(:/22
16) 0cological effects of migration of different species2
17) /idley turtles...wats problems these endangered
nocturnal species r facin2 !ossible remedies....
2&) .hats ,0!+2
-). Wats #a"sin +"t"res e5tin#ti!n?
--. Bi!%i+ersit' in 6ants &s (eie+% t! (e %e6en%nt !n
6rimar' 6r!%"#ti+it' a##r%n t! (i!g' te5t (!!2s (t
h& th4 the!r' %e("n2e%?
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