Environment Pollution W.R.T Problems in India

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ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PROJECT,
ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION W.R.T PROBLEMS IN INDIA
A Project Submitted to:-
ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

In partial fulfilment of the requirements of the award of degree of B.A. L.L.B
Submitted to: -
Dr. Puja Jaiswal (Asst. Professor of Law)
Submitted by: -
PRATIKSHA (2014)
PUNJABI UNIVERSITY PATIALA (PUNJAB)

Semester – 5th

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DECLARATION
It is certified that the project work presented in this report entitled “Environment
Pollution w.r.t Problems in India” embodies the results of original research work
carried out by me. All the ideas and references have been duly acknowledged .
Pratiksha
(2014)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In preparation of my assignment, I had to take help of and guidance of some

respected persons, who deserve my deepest gratitude. As the completion of this
assignment gave me much pleasure, I would like to show my gratitude towards
Dr Pooja Jaiswal for giving me guidance for assignment throughout numerous
consultations. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all those who have
directly and indirectly guided me in writing the assignment.
I would like to thank my family and peers, whose constant encouragement kept
me motivated to work towards the completion of this project. I would also like
to extend my gratitude towards Army Institute of Law, Mohali and Dr. Tejinder
Kaur, the Principle, Army Institute of Law, Mohali for giving me this golden
opportunity of making a project on such an interesting and engaging topic.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration ................................................................................................................................. 1
Acknowledgement ..................................................................................................................... 2
Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4
Understanding Environmental Pollution.................................................................................... 5
Environment ........................................................................................................................... 5
Environment Pollution ....................................................................................................... 6
Problems in India Leading to Environmental Pollution ............................................................ 7
Air Pollution........................................................................................................................... 8
Sources ............................................................................................................................... 8
Land Pollution ...................................................................................................................... 10
Causes .............................................................................................................................. 10
Water Pollution .................................................................................................................... 13
Sources ............................................................................................................................. 14
Noise Pollution ..................................................................................................................... 14
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 16

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INTRODUCTION
Right from the Stockholm Summit, environmental concerns have been increasingly
realised and worked upon by the global community at large. The international
community has observed the impacts of the different kinds of environmental pollution
that are being seen and felt with every passing year. The unprecedented growth around
the world has made environmental pollution seem like an inescapable phenomenon in
the contemporary times-the pollutants have found their way from the air and water to
our food. While environmental pollution is seen as a global concern, each country has
different contributors and faces varying issues in the handling of the same due to their
social, economic and political functioning and future needs.
When it comes to India, the problems related to environmental pollution are uniquely
complicated. It is a developing country with the world’s second largest population and
is at the stage of an accelerating growth. While India has been long committed to
protecting the environment, its priorities have been titled towards economic growth and
eradication of poverty and world hunger. The environmental concerns that a
developing country is bound to experience due to urbanisation and industrialisation are
aggravated in India due to its high population and consequent demand for resources.
After establishing a basic understanding of environmental pollution, in this project, I
aim to evaluate the various reasons that environmental pollution continues to be one of
India’s biggest battles despite having extensive legislations and policies since a long
time for tackling environmental woes

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UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
ENVIRONMENT
Our common human-centric understanding of ‘environment’ suggests that it is what
surrounds us human beings, including physical and biological elements. The term
environment has been derived from the term ‘environ’, which means ‘that which surrounds.
Thus, etymologically ‘environment' means “surrounding conditions, circumstances affecting
people’s life1. That sets a rather variable definition of environment that can change with an
individual’s setting.
As rightly pointed in the case of T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad v. Union of India2,

“environment is a difficult word to define”. The Supreme Court went on to observe that while
the normal meaning of environment as a concept relates to whatever object it is which is
surrounded, environment is a “polycentric and multifaceted problem affecting the human
existence”.
Legislations that lay down procedures and rules to tackle environmental pollution refer to the
environment from more of an ecological perception. In the case of Karnataka Industrial Areas
Development Board v. C. Kenchappa3, the Apex Court extended the view that some
understanding of what ‘the environment’ may encompass can be deduced from treaty
provisions. It was observed that agreements which define environmental effects, impacts or
damage typically include “harm to flora, fauna, soil, water, air, landscape, cultural heritage,
and any interaction between these factors”.
Under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, ‘Environment’ is defined to include “water,
air and land and the inter-relationship which exists among and between, water, air, land, and
human beings, other living creatures, plants, microorganisms and property”4.
1
P.H Collins, Dictionary of Ecology and the Environment (1990)
2
T.N. Godavaraman Thirumalpad v. Union of India. (2002) 10 SCC 606
3
Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board v. C. Kenchappa, (2006) 6 SCC 371
4
Environment Protection Act, 1986, Sec. 2(a)

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Environment Pollution
Pollution, by itself, refers to the introduction of contaminants to a substance that causes
adverse changes to it. This is about the same approach that the Environmental Protection Act
takes wherein it defines ‘environmental pollution’ as “the presence in the environment of any
environmental pollutant”5.
For complete understanding of the term, we look at the definition of ‘environmental

pollutant’—it has been defined as “any solid, liquid or gaseous substance present in such
concentration as may be, or tend to be, injurious to the environment”.6
After gaining the context of the term environmental pollution, we move to grasping the
factors that give rise to this very problem in India.
5
Environment Protection Act, 1986, Sec. 2(c)
6
Environment Protection Act, 1986, Sec. 2(b)

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PROBLEMS IN INDIA LEADING TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
India was one of the countries who were part of the first global summit on environmental
concerns—the Stockholm Summit—and consequently, passed many legislations
concerning environmental protection under Article 253 of the Indian Constitution, a few of
them being Air Pollution Act, the Water Act and Public Liability Insurance Act. Despite
extensive laws, national plans and policies on environment protection, India struggles with
the problem of environmental pollution.
While we will delve into specific contributors to the issue, the overarching factors
responsible for environmental pollution in India are ineffective implementation of the
regulations, its high population density and its narrow focus towards economic growth as a
developing country.
Due to a very high population pressure, India pushes ahead with vigorous industrial
development at an unprecedented rate. India has been going through a phase of accelerated
industrial activities for the past three decades. The associated growth in terms of
industrialization and urbanization has led to manifold increase in pollution issues, more
specifically air pollution issues7. Consequently, industrial clusters throughout the nation
produce enormous amounts of untreated toxic waste that often end up in the environment—
in the rivers, lakes, forests, and landfills8. Although India has sufficient environmental laws,
weak enforcement and the lack of funds and manpower are most often the stumbling blocks
for the pollution control boards9. In addition, India’s traditional agricultural practices such
as stubble burning contribute to the decimation of the environmental system.
The overarching contributors manifest in various ways and contribute to the different kinds
of environmental pollution. While there are various classifications of environmental
pollution such as thermal pollution, light pollution and radioactive pollution, we will be
looking at four major kinds of pollution to understand India specific problems that
contribute to pollution and the kind of legislative framework that exists to deal with them—
7
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST & CLIMATE CHANGE, GOI, NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (2018).
8
Id.
9
Id.

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AIR POLLUTION
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 defines “air pollution” as “the
presence in the atmosphere of any air pollutant”10. In the definition, “air pollutant” refers to
any solid, liquid or gaseous substance (including noise) present in the atmosphere in
such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living
creatures or plants or property or environment11.
Air Pollution has been one of India’s biggest concerns. The pollution in the Delhi-NCR
region of the country attracts international attention, particularly during the winter season
when the air is visibly polluted due to a combination of atmospheric and human factors,
including winter inversion and post-monsoon biomass (stubble) burning to get rid of crop
residue. In the World Health Organization (WHO) global ambient air quality database of
2018, 11 of the 12 cities with the highest levels of small particulate—PM2.5—were located
in India. Further, the AirVisual's 2018 World air quality report suggests that 22 of the 30
most polluted cities in the world are in India. As per WHO12, one death out of nine in 2012
was attributed to air pollution, of which around 3 million deaths were exclusively due to
outdoor air pollution.
Sources
Air pollution, among other factors, can be mainly attributed to transportation, industries,
agriculture, biomass burning, faulty waste treatment, domestic, construction and
demolition waste.
• Vehicular emissions: The transportation sector is one of the main contributor of air
pollutants in almost every city in India, but this phenomenon is worse in urban
cities13. This can be attributed to an increased number of vehicles in comparison to
the existing infrastructural facilities. India saw a sudden boost in the amount of
motorised transport, increasing from 0.3 million in 1951 to 159.5 million in 201214.
10
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, § 2(b).
11
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, § 2(a).
12
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION: A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF EXPOSURE AND
BURDEN OF DISEASE (2016).
13
Gurjar, B.R., J.A. Van Aardenne, J. Lelieveld, and M. Mohan, Emission estimates and trends (1990–2000)
for megacity Delhi and implications 38(33) Atmospheric Environment 5663 (2004).
14
Gurjar, B.R., K. Ravindra, and A.S. Nagpure, Air pollution trends over Indian megacities and their local-to-
global implications Atmospheric Environment 475–95 (2016).

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In the case of M.C. Mehta v. Union of India15, a public interest litigation was filed
against pollution in Delhi caused by increasing number of petrol and diesel driven
vehicles in the city. The Apex Court directed the Delhi Administration to furnish a
complete list of prosecutions launched against the heavy vehicles for causing
pollution by infringement of various requirements of law, to furnish particulars of
the vehicles, registration of which had been suspended and to indicate follow-up
action after their suspension
• Agriculture: Agricultural activities produce emissions, which have the potential to

pollute the environment. The key pollutants released from agricultural activities that
give rise to pollution in larger concentrations are ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide
(N2O). Traditional agricultural processes in India, such as 'slash and burn' are main
reasons for the smog observed in the winters resulting from the smoke generated
during the process. Burning of crop residue is another process that results in
emission of toxic pollutant. Delhi observes high levels of air pollution due to such
agricultural activities happening in its neighbouring cities16.
Additionally, the destructive logging practices, and deforestation of timber reserves

for fuel also contribute conjointly to the decimation of India’s environmental system.
• Power Plants: There has been an extreme strain on the energy consumption due to
consistent population growth rates, thereby affecting the environment and the air
quality of the megacities in India17.The thermal power plants manufacture around
74% of the total power generated in India.19 Although there have been policies and
schemes that encourage gradually shifting to renewable sources for power
generation, India is still largely dependent on coal. There is clearly an urgent need
to adopt alternative power sources including green and renewable resources for
meeting the energy requirements of the country in a sustainable way.
• Other Factors: The nuclear reactions involved in mining contribute to air pollution
as well. In the case of Goa Foundation v. Union of India18, directions were issued
15
M.C. Mehata v. Union of India, (1991) 2 SCC 137
16
Nagpure, A.S., B.R. Gurjar, V. Kumar, and P. Kumar, Estimation of exhaust and non-exhaust gaseous,
particulate matter and air toxic emissions from on-road vehicles in Delhi, Atmospheric Environment 118–24
(2016)
17
Gurjar, B.R., and A.S. Nagpure, 1(1), Indian megacities as localities of environmental vulnerability from air
quality perspective, Journal of Smart Cities (2016).
18
Goa Foundation v. Union of India, (2014) 6 SCC 590

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to the Goa State Pollution Control Board and other regulatory bodies to deal with
illegal mining and to restore the environment from the damage caused by mining.
Further, it was held that all mining within a distance of 1 km from national parks and
sanctuaries are prohibited.
Apart from mining, stagnant municipal solid waste can also contribute to air
pollution as it degrades to emit carbon oxides in the air.
LAND POLLUTION
Land Pollution can be largely defined as “any physical or chemical alteration to land which
causes its use to change and render it incapable of beneficial treatment without treatment”.
In India, no Act specifically deals with land pollution. However, the many rules under the
Environment Protection Act lay down the regulations to minimize land pollution, realizing
the serious ill-impacts of soil pollution.
Land/soil pollution ends up altering the properties of the soil negatively, depleting its
productivity. Industrial and municipal solid waste disposal not only negatively affects the
productivity of the soil but also the purity of the groundwater as it seeps through the soil.
High concentration of chemical substances in the soil can also affect the flora that grows on
the soil and in the case of edible vegetables grown on such soil, they enter human bodies,
causing harm to human health.
Causes
• Industries: Industries have been largely responsible for contributing to soil pollution
given that India is in its stage of industrialization. Despite regulations and deterrents in
the form of hefty fines under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, industries continue
to contribute to air and soil pollution as untreated industrial waste is disposed of without
neutralizing. Further, in Ashok Dey v. State of WB19, dumping garbage was termed a
nuisance.
Industries are largely responsible for handling hazardous substances such as medicines,
solvents, bleaches, aerosol cans, chemicals and batteries. Section 2(e) of the
Environment Protection Act, 1986 defines “hazardous substance” to mean “any
19
Ashok Dey v. State of West Bengal, 93 CWND 1052 D

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substance or preparation which, by reason of its chemical or physico-chemical
properties or handling, is liable to cause harm to human beings, other living creatures,
plants, micro-organism, property or the environment”. The Act necessitates handling of
such waste by people in accordance with the procedure laid down. The Act empowers
the Central Govt to lay down the rules and procedures for handling hazardous
substances. Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement)
Rules, 2008 provide for the procedure for the disposal of hazardous waste.
• Domestic waste: domestic waste in large quantities contribute to land pollution.

'Domestic hazardous waste' refers to "discarded paint drums, pesticide cans, CFL
bulbs, tube lights, expired medicines, broken mercury thermometers, used batteries,
used needles and syringes and contaminated gauge, etc., generated at the household
level". Apart from these, even other sorts of domestic waste such as food and vegetable
peelings, glasses, metal cans, papers and plastics are generated from domestic use and
add to the degradation of soil quality.
• Agriculture: Agricultural activities in India are increasingly involving higher use of

pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers. It is their accumulation that ultimately leads to
altering the properties of the soil.
• Biomedical and e-waste: ‘bio-medical waste’ is defined as “any waste, which is

generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals
or research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biological or
in health camps, including the categories mentioned in Schedule I appended to these
rules”.
Further, 'e-waste' is defined to mean “electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in

part discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer as well as rejects from
manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes”. The disposal of e-waste has
become a concern in the recent decades with the evolvement of technology.
Although Rules under the Environment Protection Act exist for the disposal of both
kinds of the abovementioned wastes, the industries and the general public hardly comply
with them till date. Most of this waste ends up on the street. Schedule I of Biomedical
Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 provides different methods of disposal for such wastes
including incineration, deep burial, local autoclaving, microwaving, mutilation,

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disinfection and chemical treatment among others. They are yet to be effectively
enforced.
In the case of Dr. B L Wadehra v UoI20,the petitioner sought direction to the municipal
corporation of Delhi to perform their statutory duty towards management of bio-medical
waste. The biomedical waste was disposed of on the roads and treatment was improper,
leading to adverse effects on the environment. The municipal corporation argued non-
availability of funds for lack of action on their part. The Court held that the authorities
entrusted with the work of pollution control have been wholly remiss in discharge of
their duties under the law and that they cannot absolve themselves of their duties on the
pretext of financial and other limitations such as inefficiency of staff.
• Faulty sanitation and waste management system: The excreta of human beings,
animals and birds along with faulty sanitation system and accumulation of sewage or
wastewater also leads to land pollution. This issue relates to faulty implementation of
the procedures laid down for waste disposal.
• Municipal solid waste management: In particular, municipal solid waste collection

and disposal is a major urban environmental problem facing India. While other
countries, developing and a few developed, are confronted with the issue of high
generation of municipal solid waste as well, the critical concern in India is in the way
this waste is disposed. Municipal solid waste management remains a challenge for India
due to the rising population and the resultant infrastructural needs. The waste that is
collected by municipalities in India is simply dumped on the outskirts of the urban
centers. In addition, this releases methane and carbon dioxide that increase the
greenhouse effects.
Wing Commander Utpal Barbara v. State of Assam21, the unregulated disposal of

polythene bags by the general public was sought to be controlled by the magistrate u/s
144 of CrPC. The Court held that if the state believes it to be necessary to impose a total
ban, they can make the rules under the power imparted to them. Consequently, the
Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999 was enacted to regulate the
disposal of plastic bags.
20
Dr. B L Wadehra v. UOI, (1996) 2 SCC 594
21
Wing Commander Utpa Barabara v. State of Assam, AIR 1999 Gau 78

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• Faulty land planning: Myopic land planning in the process of urbanisation or
piecemeal planning, as often happens in India, can result in lack of proper planning in
terms of waste proper management system, underground drainage system. Lack of
regard for maintaining a portion of green cover can make such haphazardly planned
urban areas more susceptible to environmental harm.
WATER POLLUTION
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 defines (water) ‘pollution’ to
mean:
such contamination of water or such alteration of the physical,

chemical or biological properties of water or such discharge of any
sewage or trade effluent or of any other liquid, gaseous or solid
substance into water (whether directly or indirectly) as may, or is
likely to, create a nuisance or render such water harmful or injurious
to public health or safety, or to domestic, commercial, industrial,
agricultural or other legitimate uses, or to the life and health of
animals or plants or of aquatic organisms.
Humans depend on water for a variety of day-to-day activities. The use of contaminated
water with concentrations of chemically hazardous substances can be lethal or cause life-
threatening illnesses such as cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, and other water-borne diseases.
Even if we take the lens of gauging the ill impacts away from humans, water pollution is
highly harmful for the aquatic flora and fauna. For instance, eutrophication is a condition in
an aquatic ecosystem where high nutrients concentrations stimulate algae bloom. This harms
the marine ecosystems by creating dead zones with low levels of dissolved oxygen. Further,
as toxins enter the bodies of aquatic animals, the food chain alters and can cause harmful
effects on humans as the toxins enter their bodies on consumption of seafood.
Water pollution becomes particularly a concern in light of India’s water-shortage crisis. The
2018 NITI Aayog report titled 'Composite water management index' states that India is
suffering from the worst water crisis in its history--2,00,000 people die every year due to
lack of proper access to safe water. The report also observes that India is placed at 120th of
the 122 countries in the water quality index with nearly 70% of its water being

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contaminated.
Sources
Apart from the common attributors previously mentioned, such as industrialisation,

urbanisation and agriculture, a few other factors responsible for water pollution are:
• Ocean-dumping: Approximately 80 percent of the pollution that enters the marine

environment also originates from land-based sources. One of the many ways in which
this is done is through ocean-dumping which is the process in which pollutants generated
on land are transported to the ocean for disposal.
• Untreated sewage water: Untreated sewage often finds its way to water bodies such as
ponds, lakes, and rivers, and this is especially a menace in urban areas. This sort of
pollution renders the water unfit for human consumption. Water pollution is caused
from raw sewage, the lack of adequate sanitation, and nonportable water throughout the
country.
• River-centric rituals: It is common to find carcasses of cattle and other animals

disposed of in the water. Hindu rituals involve cremating the dead bodies on the banks
of rivers and spreading the ashes in the rivers. The puja material is to be disposed of in
the river too, making it common to see the public throwing material in polythene bags
in the rivers of Ganga or Yamuna. It is also considered holy to take a bath in these two
holy rivers. These rituals centered around rivers do play a role in polluting the water.
NOISE POLLUTION
Unlike the previously mentioned kinds of pollution, noise pollution does not have a
separate Act dedicated to it. However, it was included in the definition of ‘air pollutant’
in the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and consequently, the
provisions of the Air Act are applicable to noise pollution as well. Further, the
Environment Protection Act, 1986 confers powers on the Government of India to lay
down rules to deal with various types of pollution including noise pollution22. The Noise
Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 passed under the 1986 Act lay down the
ambient air quality standards in respect of noise for different areas/zones. Additionally,
22
Anirudh Kumar v. MCD, (2015) 7 SCC 779

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noise standards for motor vehicles, air-conditioners, refrigerators, diesel generators and
certain types of construction equipment are found under the Environment (Protection)
Rules, 1986.
Noise Pollution becomes a concern in a developing country like India where

industrialization and urbanisation is rampant. The construction work and transportation
systems significantly contribute to the noise. It is important to curb noise pollution as
much as other kinds of pollution as it can have harmful effects on the environment,
humans and animals. Adverse effects of noise pollution on human health include hearing
loss or hearing impairment, rise in blood pressure, effects on cardio-vascular health and
increased stress levels.
In the case of Church of God (Full Gospel) in India v. K.K.R. Majestic Colony Welfare
Assn.23, the Apex Court held that just because urbanization and industrialisation have
led to noise levels exceeding prescribed levels in certain areas, that would not be a
ground for allowing individuals or groups to increase noise pollution by beating drums
and using voice amplifiers to broadcast their prayers or other activities.
The source of noise pollution can be mainly attributed to construction and transportation
systems (including the noise from vehicles, trains, aircrafts and engines) and then to
contributing factors such as household products such as vacuum cleaners and washing
machines. Advancements in technology can help reduce the latter. Poor urban planning
can become a factor responsible for noise pollution, since establishment of industrial
units in or near residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas
23
Anirudh Kumar v. MCD, (2015) 7 SCC 779

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CONCLUSION
We find that although India has an extensive legislative framework to deal with various
aspects of environmental pollution, it still faces dramatic dangers due to environmental
pollution due to lack of effective implementation. This lack of implementation can be
partly attributed to illiteracy and lack of resources to comply with environment
protection regulations.
A correlation has been drawn by many academicians and policy makers between the
education and income levels of the population in a country and environment
development. In a study of Indian households on environmental concerns, education and
income showed significant positive association with people's concerns for the
environment.38 As a large portion of the country’s population remain below the poverty
line and illiterate, the priorities are hardly ever towards environmental protection but
towards ending hunger and poverty and promoting education. However, even if that
happens properly, environmental development might find itself on the agenda of the
general public gradually.
The desperation to overcome poverty and industrialise and urbanise has also led to a
rather myopic approach towards land planning and sustainable development which
seems to have taken a back seat.
This other half of the blame can be put on the lack of will of the executive to implement
the existing environment protection law when they stand in the way of economic growth.
There is an apprehension with the government of India to enforce its own laws on air and
water pollution lest it stop developmental projects that help create jobs and improve the
economy39. Further, with the aim of boosting the GDP, there is also a reluctance to come
down too hard on SMEs that provide employment, regardless of the fact that SMEs are
likely to contribute to environmental pollution more. This is because small businesses
are more likely to lack sufficient resources or technology that causes less environmental
pollution. Stringent enforcement of environmental regulations might put these
companies out of business. Hence, in order to maintain employment opportunities,
various environment protection regulations lay down special exceptions for SMEs or
special economic zones, making the priorities of the Indian government clear. Instead

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17
of looking at economic growth and environmental development as two separate areas,
there is a need for an integrated approach to viewing development. Environmental law
cases have largely used the principle of polluters pay, aiming to increase the
accountability of the polluter wherein the polluter is required to compensate and help in
reinstating the state of the environment after the damage has been done to the
environment. Even the National Tribunal Act provisions approach punishment in a
similar sense. There is no denying that the deterrent theory of polluters pay, along with
punishment employed under strict and absolute liability principles, have achieved some
degree of success. However, it is important to harmonize the developmental activities
with the environmental development. Primarily meant as a guiding principle for the
administrative process to prevent adverse effects on the environment, the precautionary
approach warrants the formulation of expert environmental agencies at the initial decision
making as well as at the appellate and reviewing levels.40 This will surely be a step
towards sustainable development. This will also help in preventing the executive
authorities from seeing environmental growth as an obstacle to development.
A focus on holistically upgrading the transportation system can go a long way in

substantially reducing environmental pollution in a developing country like India.
Public transportation modes, such as metros, cycle lanes and well-connected and
accessible pedestrian facilities can help minimise the use of private vehicles, thereby
significantly reducing air pollution levels. An integrated and planned development of
such a transportation system will promote its use among the general public due for the
reason of convenience. Further, the use of renewable fuels and e-cars, e-bikes and hybrid
vehicle types must be encouraged by the government throughout the country.The general
public is almost hardly ever aware of the various ways in which different kinds of wastes
are to be properly disposed, causing failure at the stage of implementation. Community
programmes focused at understanding the harmful effects of environmental pollution
and procedure of proper waste disposal will substantially increase public participation
and make them equal stakeholders, in the truest sense, in tackling the issue.
Hence, an integrated approach to viewing development, use of sustainable development

and precautionary principles and an increased public participation can drastically bridge
the gap of ineffective implementation and lead to actual realisation of the objectives
of the elaborate environmental legislative framework as under Indian.

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ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

PUNJABI UNIVERSITY PATIALA (PUNJAB)

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

In preparation of my assignment, I had to take help of and guidance of some

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 3

Understanding Environmental Pollution.................................................................................... 5

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

As rightly pointed in the case of T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad v. Union of India2,

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

For complete understanding of the term, we look at the definition of ‘environmental

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

• Agriculture: Agricultural activities produce emissions, which have the potential to

Additionally, the destructive logging practices, and deforestation of timber reserves

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

• Domestic waste: domestic waste in large quantities contribute to land pollution.

• Agriculture: Agricultural activities in India are increasingly involving higher use of

• Biomedical and e-waste: ‘bio-medical waste’ is defined as “any waste, which is

Further, 'e-waste' is defined to mean “electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

• Municipal solid waste management: In particular, municipal solid waste collection

Wing Commander Utpal Barbara v. State of Assam21, the unregulated disposal of

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

such contamination of water or such alteration of the physical,

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

Apart from the common attributors previously mentioned, such as industrialisation,

• Ocean-dumping: Approximately 80 percent of the pollution that enters the marine

• River-centric rituals: It is common to find carcasses of cattle and other animals

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

Noise Pollution becomes a concern in a developing country like India where

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

A focus on holistically upgrading the transportation system can go a long way in

Hence, an integrated approach to viewing development, use of sustainable development

ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

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