human population - shaheed bhagat singh college
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Global Environmental Issues and Policies Only use for studies Dr. Yashpal Singh Narwaria
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Unit: 7 Human Communities and the Environment
• Human population growth: Impacts on environment, human health, and welfare;
Carbon foot-print
• Resettlement and rehabilitation of developmental project affected persons and
communities; relevant case studies
• Environmental movements: Chipko movement, Appiko movement, Silent valley
movement, Bishnois of Rajasthan, Narmada Bachao Andolan, etc
• Environmental justice: National Green Tribunal and its importance
• Environmental philosophy: Environmental ethics; Role of various religions and
cultural practices in environmental conservation
• Environmental communication and public awareness: case studies (e.g., CNG
vehicles in Delhi, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, National Environment Awareness
Campaign (NEAC), National Green Corps (NGC) “Eco-club” programme, etc)
Human Population:
Concepts of animal population dynamics can be applied to human population growth. Humans
are not unique in their ability to alter their environment. For example, beaver dams alter the
stream environment where they are built. Humans, however, have the ability to alter their
environment to increase its carrying capacity, sometimes to the detriment of other species.
Earth’s human population and their use of resources are growing rapidly, to the extent that
some worry about the ability of Earth’s environment to sustain its human population. Long-
term exponential growth carries with it the potential risks of famine, disease, and large-scale
death, as well as social consequences of crowding such as increased crime.
Human technology and particularly our harnessing of the energy contained in fossil fuels have
caused unprecedented changes to Earth’s environment, altering ecosystems to the point where
some may be in danger of collapse. Changes on a global scale including depletion of the ozone
layer, desertification and topsoil loss, and global climate change are caused by human
activities.
Human population growth:
Population growth is the increase in the number of individuals in a population. Global human
population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The fundamental
cause of the acceleration of growth rate for humans in the past 200 years has been the reduced
death rate due to changes in public health and sanitation. Clean drinking water and proper
disposal sewage has drastically improved health in developed nations. Also, medical
innovations such as the use of antibiotics and vaccines have decreased the ability of infectious
disease to limit human population growth. In the past, diseases such as the bubonic plaque of
the fourteenth century killed between 30 and 60 percent of Europe’s population and reduced
the overall world population by as many as one hundred million people. Naturally, infectious
disease continues to have an impact on human population growth, especially in poorer nations.
For example, life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa, which was increasing from 1950 to 1990,
began to decline after 1985 largely as a result of HIV/AIDS mortality. The reduction in life
expectancy caused by HIV/AIDS was estimated to be 7 years for 2005.
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Impacts on environment, human health, and welfare:
Population is growing rapidly, far outpacing the ability of our planet to support it, given current
practices. Overpopulation is associated with negative environmental and economic outcomes
ranging from the impacts of over-farming, deforestation, and water pollution to eutrophication
and global warming.
Environment means our surroundings in which all the things, living or non living, which
includes atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), lithosphere (solid earth), biosphere (all living
organisms), and geosphere (rocks and regoliths). Numerous factors affect our environment
which includes anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, industrialization, deforestation,
overpopulation, and use of fossil fuels. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes,
cyclones, landslide and floods can also negatively affect the environment.
Air pollution, poor management of waste, growing water scarcity, falling groundwater tables,
water pollution, preservation and quality of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation
are some of the major environmental issues India faces today. Its effects are felt on the natural
environment also.
1. Generation of Waste:
Due to his destructive activities, man has dumped more and more waste in environment. As the
man-made waste is not transformed, it causes degradation and the capacity of environment to
absorb more waste is reduced. Further, waste leads to air and water pollution.
2. Threat to Biodiversity:
Due to his destructive activities, man has extracted more and more minerals from the earth.
Animals have been hunted and plants have disappeared. There has been loss of biodiversity.
These have led to ecological imbalance.
3. Strain on Forests:
Man has established new housing colonies. National highways and hydropower projects have
been built and forests have been wiped out. These destructive activities have increased and led
to ecological imbalance.
4. Climatic Change:
Climatic changes are irregular due to green house gases. The thin skin of air that surrounds the
planet is being affected by human activities as never before. Urban people are still being
exposed to unaccepted levels of toxic pollutants. Further, forests are still being degraded by
acid deposition generated by faraway industries, and greenhouse gases continue to accumulate
in the atmosphere.
5. Productivity:
Environmental degradation not only harms health but also reduces economic productivity.
Dirty water, inadequate sanitation, air pollution and land degradation cause serious diseases on
an enormous scale in developing countries like India.
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6. Urbanization:
Rapid growth of population has led to urbanization which has adversely affected environment.
Due to population pressure, natural resources in the cities are depleted at a fast rate due to
population pressure.
7. Land Degradation:
Intensive farming and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides have led to over-exploitation
of land and water resources. These have led to land degradation in the form of soil erosion,
water logging and salination.
8.Industrialisation:
Underdeveloped countries are following the policy of heavy industrialization which is causing
environmental degradation. The establishment of such industries as fertilizers, iron and steel,
chemicals and refineries have led to land, air and water pollution.
Welfare Programmers:
Women constitute 48 per cent of the total population of the country. They suffer many
disadvantages as compared to men in literary rates, labour participation rates and earnings. The
development of women has been receiving attention of the Government of India from the First
Plan. But it was treated as a subject of ‘welfare’ and clubbed together with the welfare of the
disadvantaged groups like destitute, disabled, aged, etc. In 1953, the Central Social Welfare
Board was set up which acts as an Apex Body at the Centre to promote voluntary action at
various levels, especially at the grassroots, to take up welfare-related activities for women and
children.
The Directive Principles of State Policy, enshrined in Part IV of the Indian Constitution reflects
that India is a welfare state. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, a branch of the
Government of India is an Women and Child Welfare and Coordination of activities of other
Ministries and Organization in connection with this subject. Offers support to develop and
stabilize Self Help Groups (SHGs) and to conduct awareness programmes among rural and
urban women.
Government of India launched so many welfare programmes for the holistic development of
the country. Some are Antyodaya Anna Yojna, National Gramin Awaas Mission (formerly
Indira Awas Yojna), Bharat Nirman, etc. all these programmes are launched to alleviate the
poverty and generate employment so that economy can grow rapidly in this competitive world.
Women Welfare Programmers in India:
1. The Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY)
2. The Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY)
3. The Indira Awas Yojana (IAY):
4. The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
5. Under the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP)
6. Rashtriya Mahilakosh (RMK)
7. Development of women and children in Rural Areas (DWCRA):
8. Child Development Services Scheme (CDS)
9. Welfare of Street Children
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Carbon Footprint:
“The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a results of the activities of a
particulate individual, organizational of community”.
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases—primarily carbon dioxide—released
into the atmosphere by a particular human activity. A carbon footprint can be a broad measure
or be applied to the actions of an individual, a family, an event, an organization, or even an
entire nation.
Causes of Carbon Footprint:
Today, the term “carbon footprint” is often used as shorthand for the amount of carbon (usually
in tonnes) being emitted by an activity or organization.The carbon footprint is also an
important component of the Ecological Footprint, since it is one competing demand for
biologically productive space. Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuel accumulate in the
atmosphere if there is not enough bio-capacity dedicated to absorb these emissions. Therefore,
when the carbon footprint is reported within the context of the total Ecological Footprint, the
tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are expressed as the amount of productive land area
required to sequester those carbon dioxide emissions. This tells us how much bio-capacity is
necessary to neutralize the emissions from burning fossil fuels.
Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbon dioxide and methane, can be
emitted through the burning of fossil fuels, land clearance and the production and consumption
of food, manufactured goods, materials, wood, roads, buildings, transportation and other
services.
Coal power plants, rice paddies and cattle are major sources of emissions, which continue to
rise steeply, although per-capita emissions remain well below the global average. India is also
very vulnerable to climate change, notably due to the melting of the Himalayan glaciers and
changes to the monsoon.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint from Driving:
All vehicles have an estimated miles-per-gallon rating. Electric cars emit no CO2 if they're
charged with clean electricity. Driving style Speeding and unnecessary acceleration reduce
mileage by up to 33%, waste gas and money, and increase your carbon footprint.
Instant Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint:
1. Stop Eating (or Eat Less)
2. Meat. The single most effective action you can take to combat
3. Climate Change is to stop eating meat.
4. Unplug Your Devices.
5. Drive Less.
6. Don't Buy “Fast Fashion”
7. Plant a Garden.
8. Eat Local (and Organic) .
9. Line-Dry Your Clothes
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Could Prevent Premature Deaths. Greenhouse gases such
as carbon dioxide trap heat, helping warm the globe. The surge in carbon dioxide levels due to
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human activity since the Industrial Revolution is now causing an overall warming of the planet
that is having impacts around the globe
Carbon credit
“A permit which allows a country or organization to produce a certain amount of carbon
emissions and which can be traded if the full allowance is not used.“
“Carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to
emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or the equivalent amount of a different greenhouse gas.”
A carbon credit is a tradable permit or certificate that provides the holder of the credit the right
to emit one ton of carbon dioxide or an equivalent of another greenhouse gas. The main goal
for the creation of carbon credits is the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases from industrial activities to reduce the effects of global warming. Carbon
credits are market mechanisms of the minimization of greenhouse gases emission.
Governments or some types of regulatory authorities set the caps on greenhouse gas emissions.
For some companies, the immediate reduction of the emission is not economically viable.
Therefore, they can purchase additional carbon credits to comply with the emission cap from
companies that can reduce the emissions immediately. Companies that achieve the carbon
offsets (reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases) are usually rewarded with additional
carbon credits. The sale of the credits’ surplus may be used to subsidize future projects for the
reduction of the emissions.
The introduction of carbon credit was ratified in the Kyoto Protocol. The Paris Agreement
validates the application of carbon credits to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases and sets
the provisions for the further facilitation of the carbon credits markets.
Types of Carbon Credits:
There are two types of the carbon credits:
Voluntary emissions reduction (VER):
A carbon offset that is exchanged in the over-the-counter or voluntary market for credits.
Certified emissions reduction (CER):
Emission units (or Carbon credits) created through a regulatory framework with the purpose of
offsetting a project’s emission.
The main difference between the two is that there is a third party certifying body that regulates
the CER as opposed to the VER.
Trading of Carbon Credits:
Carbon credits can be traded on both private and public markets. Current rules of trading allow
the international transfer of carbon credits.The prices of carbon credits are primarily driven by
the levels of supply and demand in the markets. Due to the differences in the supply and
demand in different countries, the prices of the carbon credits fluctuate. Although carbon
credits are beneficial to the society, it is not easy for an average investor to start using them as
investment vehicles. The certified emissions reductions (CERs) are the only product that can
be used as investments in carbon credits. However, CERs are sold by special carbon funds
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established by large financial institutions. The carbon funds set up the minimum investment
amounts of millions of dollars, which provide small investors with the opportunity to enter the
market.
Resettlement and Rehabilitation:
Development projects that displace people involuntarily generally give rise to severe
economic, social, and environmental problems: production systems are dismantled; productive
assets and income sources are lost; people are relocated to environments where their productive
skills may be less applicable and the competition for resources greater; community structures
and social networks are weakened; kin groups are dispersed; and cultural identity, traditional
authority, and the potential for mutual help are diminished.
Due to Development Projects:
1. Dams and reservoirs
2. Industrial plants
3. Irrigation, drainage
4. Land clearance and leveling;
5. Mineral development
6. Port and harbor development
7. Reclamation and new land development
8. Resettlement and all projects with potentially major impacts on people;
9. River basin development
10. Thermal and hydropower development
11. Manufacture, transportation, and use of pesticides or other hazardous and/or toxic
materials.
Due to Development Projects:
1. Earthquake
2. Foods and Droughts
3. Landslides
4. Volcanic
5. Eruptions
6. Avalanches.
7.
Due to conservation initiatives:
1. National park
2. Sanctuary
3. Forest reserves
4. Biospere reserve
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Environmental movements:
Environmental movement is a type of “social movement that involves an array of individuals,
groups and coalitions that perceive a common interest in environmental protection and act to
bring about changes in environmental policies and practices. (Tong, Yanki 2005).
The main environmental movements are Chipko Andolan, Save the Bhagirati and Stop Tehri
project committee in Uttar Pradesh, Save the Narmada Movement (Narmada Bachao Andolan)
in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, youth organizations and tribal people in the Gandhamardan
Hills whose survival is directly threatened.
Chipko movement:
The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan, was a forest conservation movement in India. It
began in 1970s in Uttarakhand, then a part of Uttar Pradesh went on to become a rallying point
for many future environmental movements all over the world.
In the 1970s, an organized resistance to the destruction of forests spread throughout India and
came to be known as the Chipko movement. The name of the movement comes from the word
'embrace', as the villagers hugged the trees, and prevented the contractors' from felling
them.Not many people know that over the last few centuries many communities in India have
helped save nature. One such is the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan. The original ’Chipko
movement’ was started around 260 years back in the early part of the 18th century in Rajasthan
by this community. A large group of them from 84 villages led by a lady called Amrita Devi
laid down their lives in an effort to protect the trees from being felled on the orders of
the Maharaja (King) of Jodhpur. After this incident, the maharaja gave a strong royal decree
preventing the cutting of trees in all Bishnoi villages.
In the 20th century, it began in the hills where the forests are the main source of livelihood,
since agricultural activities cannot be carried out easily. The Chipko movement of 1973 was
one of the most famous among these. The first Chipko action took place spontaneously in April
1973 in the village of Mandal in the upper Alakananda valley and over the next five years
spread to many districts of the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh. It was sparked off by the
government's decision to allot a plot of forest area in the Alaknanda valley to a sports goods
company. This angered the villagers because their similar demand to use wood for making
agricultural tools had been earlier denied. With encouragement from a local NGO (non-
governmental organization), DGSS (Dasoli Gram Swarajya Sangh), the women of the area,
under the leadership of an activist, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, went into the forest and formed a
circle around the trees preventing the men from cutting them down.
A few months later in 1974, the government announced the auction of 2,500 trees near Reni
village in Uttarakhand, overlooking the Alaknanda river. The villagers came together to protest
the actions of the government by hugging the trees. On March 24, 1974, the day the
lumbermen were to cut the trees in Reni, a local girl rushed to inform Gaura Devi, the head of
the village Mahila Mangal Dal, at Reni village. Gaura Devi led 27 of the village women to the
site and confronted the loggers. Confrontation happened and talking between the two groups
failed. The loggers started to shout and abuse the women, threatening them with guns. The
women, in a peaceful protest, resorted to hugging the trees to stop them from being felled. The
women kept an all-night vigil guarding the tress from the cutters until a few of them, unable to
do anything, left the village.
The success achieved by this protest led to similar protests in other parts of the country. From
their origins as a spontaneous protest against logging abuses in Uttar Pradesh in the Himalayas,
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supporters of the Chipko movement, mainly village women, have successfully banned the
felling of trees in a number of regions and influenced natural resource policy in India. Dhoom
Singh Negi, Bachni Devi and many other village women, were the first to save trees by
hugging them. They coined the slogan: 'What do the forests bear? Soil, water and pure air'. The
success of the Chipko movement in the hills saved thousands of trees from being felled.
Some other persons have also been involved in this movement and have given it proper
direction. Mr Sunderlal Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist and philosopher, whose appeal to Mrs
Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, resulted in the green-felling ban. Mr Bahuguna
coined the Chipko slogan: 'ecology is permanent economy'. Mr Chandi Prasad Bhatt, is another
leader of the Chipko movement. He encouraged the development of local industries based on
the conservation and sustainable use of forest wealth for local benefit. Mr Ghanasyam Raturi,
the Chipko poet, whose songs echo throughout the Himalayas of Uttar Pradesh, wrote a poem
describing the method of embracing the trees to save them from felling:
he Chipko protests in Uttar Pradesh achieved a major victory in 1980 with a 15-year ban on
green felling in the Himalayan forests of that state by the order of Mrs Indira Gandhi, the then
Prime Minister of India. Since then, the movement has spread to many states in the country. In
addition to the 15-year ban in Uttar Pradesh, the movement has stopped felling in the Western
Ghats and the Vindhyas and has generated pressure for a natural resource policy that is more
sensitive to people's needs and ecological requirements.
The Appiko Movement:
The Appiko Movement is trying to save the Western Ghats by spreading its roots all over
southern India. The movement's objectives can be classified into three major areas. First,
the Appiko Movement is struggling to save the remaining tropical forests in the Western Ghats.
The Appiko Movement, a movement similar to the Chipko Movement, was launched in
September 1983 by the representatives of a Yuvak Mandali to save the Western Ghats in
Southwest India. It was observed by the representatives of the Yuvak Mandali that in areas,
which were easily accessible, there was an excessive concentration of trees reserved for felling,
and there was also excessive damage to other trees during such course of felling.
In a one-hectare plot sampled, it was found that 11 trees had been marked for cutting, out of
which 8 were fallen. In the process of felling these eight trees, as many as five trees had been
damaged. This rapacious destruction of forest resources was undermining the ecological
survival of local communities, who finally stopped felling, through non-violent direct action, as
seen in the case of Chipko. The objective of the Appiko Movement is three-fold—to protect
the existing forest cover, to regenerate trees in denuded lands and, last but not least, to utilize
forest wealth with due consideration to conservation.
Silent Valley Movment:
Those were times when any movement, be it environment conservation, the extreme Left,
women’s empowerment etc., all were in their infancy and had the heat and fervour and
dynamism," said K. Ajitha, former Naxalite who shook the citadels of power in the 1970s and
now leads a women’s movement known as Anweshi. “But as the days passed, communalism
and corruption, which was then confined to the leadership, started getting down to the
grassroots level and that explains the lack of any coordinated effort to fight for a socio-politico-
economic cause, though movements are still active sparingly and only in pockets."
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While the Kerala State Electricity Board first proposed a dam across the Kunthipuzha river as
far back as 1958, the first trees began to be felled in 1973. Over the next few years, there were
sporadic protests over the plan
1970: the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposes a hydroelectric dam across the
Kunthipuzha River that runs through Silent Valley, that will submerge 8.3 sq km of untouched
moist evergreen forest.
Arguments it makes for the Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project (SVPH):
1. It will generate electricity for the state of Kerala with the installation of four units of 60
MW each. (The KSEB avers that the state’s electricity requirements will not be met
without this additional power).
2. Irrigate an additional 100 sq km in the Mallapuram and Palghat districts.
3. Provide employment to several thousand people during the construction phase and
boost the economy of the state.
1971 – 72: Steven Green, a scientist from the New York Zoological Society, conducts studies
on primates, especially the lion-tailed macaque in Silent Valley. Green expresses concerns
about the possible threats to the rare macaque from the project. Around the same time,
herpetologist Rom Whitaker explores Silent Valley to study the snakes of the region. He writes
a letter to the Bombay Natural History Society about the need to conserve the Valley. Reports
like these alert other naturalists.
February 1973: The Planning Commission approves the project at a cost of about Rs 25
crores. However, due to lack of sufficient funds, implementation is delayed.
Protests begin to mount against the project.
October 1976: National Committee on Environment Planning and Coordination (NCEPC) sets
up a task force, chaired by Zafar Futehally, to study the ecological problems that could be
precipitated by the project. Work on the project is suspended pending the task force’s impact
analysis. Task Force recommends that project be scrapped. However it provides a loophole that
stipulates that, if abandoning the project is not possible, a series of safeguards should be
implemented. Unsurprisingly, the Kerala government opts to proceed with the project by
promising to implement all safeguards. State argues that the area submerged by the dam is only
1022 hectares, of which 150 ha is grasslands. Also argues that only 10 percent of the
ecosystem will be damaged, while ecological safeguards will protect the rest.
However, several NGOs strongly oppose the project and urge the government to abandon it.
Conservationists argue that:
The entire lower valley will be submerged by the dam, destroying its biodiversity.
The 10 percent loss projected by the government will actually be far worse.
The workforce brought in for the construction of the project will reside in the area for
several years and the destruction they cause – illegal wood felling, cattle grazing,
poaching, encroaching – will destroy the Valley.
1977: Sathish Chandran Nair visits Silent Valley. With missionary zeal he starts a movement to
create awareness in academic circles through talks and slide shows. V.S. Vijayan of the Kerala
Forest Research Institute does a study on the impact of hydroelectric projects on the
environment, and writes to the authorities not to begin the project till his report is submitted.
He is admonished and his report is suppressed.
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The message of the conservationists is taken to villages and cities all over Kerala. S
Prabhakaran Nair tours the villages of north Malabar; Prof. John Jacob trains young nature
lovers. Soon Nature Clubs spring up all over the state.
Bishnois of Rajasthan
In the heart of the barren Thar Desert lives a religious sect of Bishnois, who with their
compassion and faith have created a sanctuary like destination where beasts, birds, and humans
live in awe-inspiring harmony. When it comes to preservation of flora and fauna, no devotion
matches that of the Bishnois’ community. Bishnois have shown it time and again how
dedicated they are in following the conservative teachings of their progenitor, which, by the
way, are quite simplistic and contemporarily ecologists
.There are only 29 tenets that govern the lifestyle of this religious sect. These twenty-nine
principles all boil down to the condemnation of the universal sins like lying, lust, anger, greed,
and intoxication, with one noteworthy amendment of compassion towards all living beings,
including animals, and even green trees. Their compassion is outstanding, considering that
despite living in the rural areas of a state that is predominated by barren desert, they do not
consume meat. In fact, they try to build shelters for male cattle to save them from being
slaughtered by other people. Furthermore, when it comes to compassion, Bishnois know no
limit and encompass even trees and shrubs with their kindred spirit. Despite the lack of fuel
resources, they do not cut green trees, even modestly, and survive only on the dried broken
branches of dead trees and dried cow dung cakes.
Such are the benevolent teachings of the serene people of Bishnoi sect that has created a
harmonious habitat in the middle of the Thar Desert. Many people seeing these easy-going
people in their natural habitude may consider them too placid for real action. Some may even
attribute their compassion to indolence. However, nothing could be farther than the truth than
such speculations are. Bishnois are equally passionate than their counterparts from other
religious faiths. There are several incidences where many Bishnois have sacrificed their lives
simply to save that of animals and even trees. In fact, the first ever recorded environmental
revolution the Chipko movement of 1973, was inspired by a similar but less fortunate act of
Bishnois conducted back in the early 18th century. The act was initiated by an illustrious
Bishnoi woman Amrita Devi, when the royal officials ordered by the then Maharaja of
Jodhpur, went to her native village Khejarli, to cut down the green Khejarli trees for the
collection of timber. She, along with other 84 villagers hugged the trees to their bosom to
protect them from being hacked.
Unfortunately, the officials thought it was a bluff and in their haste cut many villagers who
were embracing the trees, and once the bloodshed started it continued till the King himself
came to stop the act. In that fated movement, 363 Bishnois had died to protect their sacred trees
and faith. However, it was that very movement that had brought Bishnois in the consideration
of administration which then passed a royal decree that restricted hunting and wood-cutting
activities in the areas populated with Bishnoi community.
However, as it happens no rule can prevent illicit minds. There have been many acts of
illegitimate hunting and tree felling since then, and in order to prevent such acts from
happening Bishnois still, have to be vigilant. As a matter of fact, some Bishnois had even
earned untimely demise in such unlawful activities.
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Narmada Bachao Andolan:
Narmada Bachao Andolan is an Indian social movement spearheaded by native tribals,
farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against a number of large dam projects
across river Narmada, which flows through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra.
The Narmada projects are the epitome of unsustainable development. Two of the largest
proposed dams, Sardar Sarovar and Narmada Sagar, have been under construction since 1961.
According to Narmada Bachao Andolan, the dams force the displacement of about a million
people and affect many more, largely poor peasants and tribals. They also cause immense
ecological damage through the inundation of forests, including prime habitats of rare species.
Resettlement and compensation have been totally inadequate and there is not the remotest
prospect that the displaced people, the ‘oustees’, will be adequately resettled, nor that the
ecological damage can be compensated for. There are also real doubts, borne out by the
experience of large dams elsewhere in India, that the dams will yield their projected benefits of
hydropower, irrigation and drinking water. The project is set fair to become another human and
ecological ‘development tragedy’.
The Save the Narmada Movement (Narmada Bachao Andolan, NBA) is the people’s
movement that has mobilized itself against this development since the mid- and late-1980s. It
has succeeded in generating a debate across the sub-continent which has encapsulated the
conflict between two opposing styles of development: one massively destructive of people and
the environment in the quest for large-scale industrialization; the other consisting of replicable
small-scale decentralized, democratic and ecologically sustainable options and activities
harmoniously integrated with both local communities and nature.
In place of the dams, NBA calls for an energy and water strategy, based on improving dry
farming technology, watershed development, small dams, lift schemes for irrigation and
drinking water, and improved efficiency and utilisation of existing dams. Narmada Bachao
Andolan was initiated by Medha Patkar along with other colleagues. Medha Patkar is a
graduate in social work, who moved to live among the tribals of the Narmada Valley in the
mid-1980s and alerted them to the fate that awaited them with the dams. Having founded NBA,
she remains one of its main catalysts, strategists and mobilisers. During the Narmada struggle,
Patkar has faced repression and has been arrested several times, She also undertook many
Satyagrahas (pledge for truth) and long fasts. In a confrontation between NBA supporters and
pro-dam forces in 1991, her 21-day fast brought her close to death.
Baba Amte, (1914-2008), was one of India’s most respected social and moral leaders. Most of
his life he devoted to the care and rehabilitation of leprosy patients. His community of a few
thousand patients at Anandwan has done much to dispel prejudice against the victims of
leprosy. In 1990 he left Anandwan with the words: “I am leaving to live along the Narmada.
Narmada will linger on the lips of the nation as a symbol of all struggles against social
injustice.”
The decade-long struggle in the Narmada valley has resulted in suspension of the work on the
Sardar Sarovar dam project through the movement as well as the Supreme Court’s
intervention. NBA questioned and compelled the World Bank that supported the dam with a
US$ 450 million loan to review the Sardar Sarovar project. NBA has also exposed fraud in the
environment compliance reports and massive corruption in the rehabilitation leading to a
judicial inquiry. Even if the wall is complete (122 m high in 2009), the further erection of 17 m
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high radial gates was not permitted, due to non-compliance on rehabilitation and environmental
measures. There are more than 200,000 people in the submergence area of this single dam with
the best of agriculture and horticulture and all community life going on with temples, mosques,
trees, schools, dispensaries, Government buildings etc.
NBA has also spread to other large dams in the valley, such as Indira Sagar, Maheshwar and
Omkareshwar. For two of these dams, the High Court of Jabalpur stopped the filling of the
reservoir until land based rehabilitation is done. The issues of land for the displaced, the
rehabilitation policy at a national level and development planning without displacement have
become national issues with NBA interventions, influencing policy making and mass
movements. NBA has been effective in its multiple strategy at the executive, legislative and
judicial level, campaigning against the destruction and displacement caused by large dams and
for the rights of the affected people – farmers, laborers, fishermen and others.
National Green Tribunal (NGT):
Government of India has formed National Green Tribunal (NGT) during the year 2010. NGT is
a 'quasi-judicial' body exclusively deals with the environment related civil litigations. Before
NGT has evolved, there were two previous efforts to establish green courts in India. These
were National Environment Tribunal Act, of 1995 (NETA) and National Environment
Appellate Authority Act, of 1997 (NEAA). However, the most effective environment court in
the form of NGT has come into reality in 2010. After its establishment, NGT has settled many
environmental issues and has got over whelm response from different corners. This study
conducted an empirical analysis of NGT judgments since its inception in October 18, 2010 to
December 2013. It analyzes the Impact of NGT, the locations of conflicts. Special emphasis is
given to the Coastal Zone management-related conflicts settled in NGT. Although there many
limitations in NGT act and its procedures, it can be viewed as a positive step towards the
environmental justice in India.
The stated objective of the Central Government was to provide a specialized forum for
effective and speedy disposal of cases pertaining to environment protection, conservation of
forests and for seeking compensation for damages caused to people or property due to violation
of environmental laws or conditions specified while granting permissions.
Structure of National Green Tribunal (NGT):
Following the enactment of the said law, the Principal Bench of the NGT has been established
in the National Capital – New Delhi, with regional benches in Pune (Western Zone Bench),
Bhopal (Central Zone Bench), Chennai (Southern Bench) and Kolkata (Eastern Bench). Each
Bench has a specified geographical jurisdiction covering several States in a region. There is
also a mechanism for circuit benches. For example, the Southern Zone bench, which is based
in Chennai, can decide to have sittings in other places like Bangalore or Hyderabad.
The Chairperson of the NGT is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Head Quartered in Delhi.
Other Judicial members are retired Judges of High Courts. Each bench of the NGT will
comprise of at least one Judicial Member and one Expert Member. Expert members should
have a professional qualification and a minimum of 15 years experience in the field of
environment/forest conservation and related subjects.
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Powers of the National Green Tribunal (NGT):
The NGT has the power to hear all civil cases relating to environmental issues and questions
that are linked to the implementation of laws listed in Schedule I of the NGT Act. These
include the following:
1. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974;
2. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977;
3. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980;
4. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;
5. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986;
6. The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991;
7. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
This means that any violations pertaining only to these laws, or any order / decision taken by
the Government under these laws can be challenged before the NGT. Importantly, the NGT has
not been vested with powers to hear any matter relating to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,
the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and various laws enacted by States relating to forests, tree
preservation etc. Therefore, specific and substantial issues related to these laws cannot be
raised before the NGT. You will have to approach the State High Court or the Supreme Court
through a Writ Petition (PIL) or file an Original Suit before an appropriate Civil Judge of the
talk where the project that you intend to challenge is located.
Who can approach the NGT :
According to the NGT Act, an aggrieved person can file a case before the Tribunal, and could
be an individual, a company, a firm, an association of persons (like an NGO), even if not
registered or incorporated, a trustee, a local authority (like a municipal corporation), or a
government body (like the State Pollution Control Board). The person need not be directly
affected by the project or development in question, but could be any person who is interested in
protecting and preserving the environment. There is a time period within which the case has to
be brought before the Tribunal, which varies according to the type of case..
Environmental ethics:
Environmental ethics refers to the issues, principals and guidelines relating to human
interactions with their environment. Environmental ethics is a branch of ethics that studies the
relation of human beings and the environment and how ethics play a role in
this. Environmental ethics believe that humans are a part of society as well as other living
creatures, which includes plants and animals.
Function of environment:
1. A life supporting medium for the organisms
2. It provides food, air, water & other natural resources
3. Moderates the climate conditions
4. Disintegrates the waste discharges by the society
5. Healthy economy depends on health environment
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Environmental problems:
1. Deforestation
2. Population growth & urbanization
3. Pollution due to effluent and smoke
4. Water scarcity
5. Land degradation
Solutions to environmental problems:
1. Reducing the energy sources & waste production
2. Recycle and reuse of waste products
3. Soil degradation must be minimized
4. Sustainable development by conservation and resources
5. Over-exploitation of natural resources must be reduced
6. Protection of Bio-diversity
7. Reducing the population & increase the economic growth
Role of various religions and cultural practices in environmental conservation:
Almost all religions address the issue of the creation of the universe, or universes, in different
forms and with varying degrees of clarity or detail. However, all religions agree that the
creation is an act of God and should be treated as such.
Religion plays out its role in environmental conservation and protection by its beliefs and
teachings; it guides the relationship between man and nature, it offers moral framework. The
major religions; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism have adopted similar
approaches or traditions that are geared towards environmental conservation. These are:
dominion: humans at the top of Creation and using natural resources as needed. Stewardship:
humans having a delegate dominion over Creation and being responsible and accountable for
their use of natural resources, empathy: nature is affected by human misbehavior and God and
worship: nature gives glory to God and nature is sacred. These approaches correlate and they
all complement each other.
Spiritual leaders at all levels are critical to the success of the global solidarity for an ethical,
moral and spiritual commitment to protect the environment and God’s creation. These leaders
can become observers, make public commitments, share the story of their commitments and
the challenges and joys of keeping them, and invite others to join them. In addition, they can
display their sustainable behaviors, serving as role models for their followers and the public.
The following is a reflection on how religions have addressed religious commitments towards
the environment.
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Hinduism:
Hinduism is a religion deeply rooted in nature. The sacred text (Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad
Gita, Epics) has many references of divinity related to nature, such as rivers, mountains, trees,
animals, and the earth. To protect them, Hinduism encourages environmental protection and
there are organizations who promote sustainable development and support the protection of the
environment through awareness campaigns and actions (GreenFaith, 2010).
Hinduism Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal. Brahman, the
spirit, beginningless and subordinate to Me, lies beyond the cause and effect of this material
world.” (Bhagavad Gita 13.13)
“According to the different modes of material nature - the mode of goodness, the mode of
passion and the mode of darkness - there are different living creatures, who are known as
demigods, human beings and hellish living entities. O King, even a particular mode of nature,
being mixed with the other two, is divided into three, and thus each kind of living creature is
influenced by the other modes and acquires its habits also.” (Bhagavata Purana 2.10.41)
“There is an inseparable bond between man and nature. For man, there cannot be an existence
removed from nature.” (Amma, 2011).
Baha’i Faith:
The Baha’i faith is based upon the world citizenship and it proclaims the unity of humankind.
In this order of idea, it defends the environment so that the whole humanity (including future
generation) can live happily in harmony with nature (ARC, n.d.).
Baha’i Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“Nature is God's Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world.” (Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh, p. 142)
“By nature is meant those inherent properties and necessary relations derived from the realities
of things. And these realities of things, though in the utmost diversity, are yet intimately
connected one with the other.” (Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Bahá'í Revelation, p. 223)
Buddhism:
The notion of karma alone, being an important part of Buddha's lessons, conveys the values of
conservation and responsibility for the future. It is said that the morality of our actions in the
present will shape our character for the future, an idea close of sustainable development.
Buddhist Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“As a bee – without harming the blossom, its color, its fragrance – takes its nectar and flies
away: so should the sage go through a village.”(Dhammapada IV, Pupphavagga: Blossoms, 49)
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“Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills
himself with good.” (Dhammapada IX, Papavagga: Evil, 122)
“Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also
saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we now know is the case only if we care for it.”
(Dalai Lama, 1990a)
Christianity:
There are approximately hundred verses in the bible that talk about protection of the
environment. Christians therefore have environmental responsibility and encourage behavioral
change for the good of the future (OpenBible.info., n.d).
Christian Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be
made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.”
(Verse 35:33)
“When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left
over. Let nothing be wasted.” (John 6:12)
“The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole
human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things
can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of
having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common
home.” (Pope Francis, 2015)
Confucianism:
For more than 2500 years, Confucianism influenced culture, society, economy and politics of
China mainly, but also Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Some sociologists called Confucianism as a
civil religion or diffused religion (Center for Global Education, 2018). Also, Confucianism was
part of the Chinese social fabric and way of life. To Confucians, everyday life was the arena of
religion. In the Analects of Confucius there is a very little about relation of and nature, but
some principles followed in Confucianism humanism are related in nature protection and
ecology.
Confucian Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“… sustainable harmonious relationship between the human species and nature is not merely
an abstract ideal, but a concrete guide for practical living.” (International Confucian Ecological
Alliance, 2015).
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Islam:
Hundreds of Qur’an verses support the protection of the environment. Many some Islamic
organizations promote the relation between Islam and sustainability. Islam also approaches
environment from a stewardship perspective. The earth is God’s creation, and as humans, we
have been entrusted to preserve it as we found. The responsibility of humanity is to protect and
ensure the unity (Tawheed) of the God’s creation. Moreover, Islam prohibits the excessive
consumption of resources the planet provides to the humanity (Qur’an 7:31, 6:141, 17:26-27,
40:34). In fact, Qur’an mentions wasteful consumption (Isrāf) as the thirty-second greatest sin.
In 2015, the Islamic Climate Change Symposium adopted the Islamic Declaration on Global
Climate Change.
Muslim Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“Devote thyself single-mindedly to the Faith, and thus follow the nature designed by Allah,
the nature according to which He has fashioned mankind. There is no altering the creation of
Allah.” (Qur’an 30:30)
“Do not strut arrogantly on the earth. You will never split the earth apart nor will you ever rival
the mountains’ stature” (Qur’an 17: 37).
Jainism:
Originated from India, the main teaching from Jainism is Ahimsa, the non-violence, in all parts
of life. Verbally, physically and mentally, Jainism doctrines focus on a peaceful and
disciplined life. Kindness to animals, vegetarianism and self-restraint with the avoidance of
waste are parts of Jains life. In addition, in 1990, The Jain Declaration on Nature was written to
mark the entry of the Jain faith into the WWF Network on Conservation and Religion (The
Jain Declaration on Nature, 1990).
Jainism Connections and Reflection on Environment:
"Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living
being." (Mahavira)
“As a highly evolved form of life, human beings have a great moral responsibility in their
mutual dealings and in their relationship with the rest of the universe. It is this conception of
life and its eternal coherence, in which human beings have an inescapable ethical
responsibility, that made the Jain tradition a cradle for the creed of environmental protection
and harmony.” (The Jain Declaration on Nature, 1990).
Judaism:
In tradition, the land and environment are properties of God, and it is the duty of humankind to
take care of it. The book of genesis, as an example, proposes that the garden in Eden was
initially the chosen territory chosen by God for human to live.
Jewish Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of
all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed--to you it shall be for
food.” (Gen 1:29)
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“The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24)
“[…] the Earth is Mine, you are My tenants” (Leviticus 25:23)
Shinto:
Shinto is a religion based on Kamis, spirits corresponding to natural entities: wind, rocks,
water, etc. It makes the faithful very close to nature to preserve the relation of each person with
the spirits. These relations encourage preservation of the environment (Japan Experience,
2017). Related to the kami, it is expected that Shinto followers are in harmonic existence and
in peaceful coexistence with both nature and other human beings (PATHEOS, n.d. [a]). In
tradition, Shinto is already deeply committed with environment because forests are sacred.
Shinto Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“I will give over to my child the rice-ears of the sacred garden, of which I partake in the Plain
of High Heaven.” (Nihongi II.23)
“The plan is for Religious Forests to be managed in ways which are religiously compatible,
environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable.” (Jinja Honcho,
2009)
Sikhism:
Sikhism is a native Indian religion appeared in the late 15th century founded by the first guru,
Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The sacred text is written by the foundational scripture Guru Granth Sahib
where there are several teachings on environment. The Sikh holy site is managed by Shiromani
Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (S.G.P.C.), and this organization makes decisions for the
global Sikh community, especially on environment.
Sikh Connections and Reflection on Environment:
“You, Yourself created the Universe, and You are pleased…You, Yourself the bumblebee,
flower, fruit and the tree.” (Guru Granth Sahib, Maru Sohele,page 1020)
“You, Yourself the water, desert, ocean and the pond. You, Yourself are the big fish, tortoise
and the Cause of causes.” (Guru Granth Sahib, Maru Sohele, page 1020)
Environmental communication and public awareness:
Mass media is a medium often used for information dissemination to the public. It is also seen
as a tool in shaping public perception towards issues or organization. Public awareness of
the environment is the ability to understand the surrounding world, including understandings to
all the changes occurring in the environment, understanding of cause- and-effect relationships
between the quality of the environment and human behavior, and a sense of responsibility of
preserving them.
Environmental education has an effective role in creating healthy awareness and preparing
suitable environment for the development and maintenance of human minds. Environmental
education prepares the individual to become able to balance between his vital needs and the
natural environment that provides spiritual, aesthetical and ethical sources for many
communities. Environmental education includes both formal and informal education and
training that increase human capacity and capability to participate in environmental
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management and in solving environmental crisis and challenges. This could be achieved by
increasing awareness and effectively changing the individual outlook on the environment. We
need awareness in our behavior; we need ethical values for protecting and conserving the
environment and improving the quality of human life.
Public Participation:
Public participation is citizens influencing political decision-making by taking action. This
action could be in the form of demonstrations, protest meetings, letters to the editor of
publications and to politicians, or by circulating information through leaflets, newsletters and
the media. It could also be participating in consultative meetings with local governments and
taking part in working groups developing legislation. Finally, it could be in the form of citizens
demonstrating practical examples of alternative behaviour and practises - recycling, low impact
agricultural techniques, and so on. In an environmental context, these actions are designed to
influence public policy on such issues as water and air pollution, the protection of endangered
species and the adverse effects of the exploitation of natural resources. These actions can
encourage politicians to take public opinion into account, politicizing environmental problems
and eventually leading to the passing of laws and measures that minimize the negative impacts
of development on the environment. It can also pressure industries and businesses to adopt
more environmentally friendly practices, such as minimizing vehicle exhaust and industrial
pollutants
Objectives of public awareness:
1.Create awareness among people of rural and city about ecological imbalances, local
environment, technological development and various development plants.
2.To organize meetings, group discussion on development, tree plantation programmes
exhibitions.
3.To learn to live simple and eco-friendlily manner.
Methods to create environmental awareness:
1.In schools and colleges
2.Through mass – media
3.Non – government organizations
4.Audio - Visual media
5.Voluntary organizations
6.Traditional techniques
7.Cinema
8.Newspapers
9.Arranging competitions
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles in Delhi:
In 1998, three years after the lawyer had filed his case and as a direct result of it, the Supreme
Court published a Directive that specified the date of April 2001 as deadline to replace or
convert all busses, three-wheelers and taxis to CNG. In addition, the Directive specified that an
infrastructure of 70 CNG refueling stations had to be made available, and asked for financial
incentives for the conversion of vehicle fleets.
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In January 1998, the National Capital Region of Delhi set up a Commission to study, write and
publish a report on the air pollution problem in Delhi. CSE was a member of this Commission.
What was first The Directive or setting up the Commission.
In 1999, the Supreme Court ordered the government to impose the EUR II standard for
gasoline engines by the year 2000 for all new car sales. The Court order attacked the diesel car
promotion, and ordered sulphur levels below 30 ppm, as well as particle filters for diesel
engines. This re-opened the discussion on CNG. Cleaner diesel had now become available, and
the automotive industry and the Delhi government put forward scientific arguments against
CNG. In fact, the government and the car industry were fighting the bad image of diesel fuel.
Also at stake was the issue of equal rights between Public Transport and private cars.
Diesel had always been the fuel favored by the government. It was first subsidized, than less
taxed than gasoline. In 2000, despite the 1998 order of the Supreme Court order, the
government still allowed 6’000 new diesel busses to take up service. And by April 2001 – the
original deadline - little progress had been achieved to fulfill the 1998 Supreme Court
Directive.
The vehicle industry was against CNG, fundamentally because global mass production is
jeopardized by any local legislation. It continued lobbying in favor of abolishing the Supreme
Court order. Finally, in April 2002, the Supreme Court published a directive which imposed a
penalty on the government for wasting the court’s time, and in addition, a daily penalty of
1’000 Rupee per day (approximately 20 US$) for each diesel bus still in circulation.
One of the initiatives was to move public transport to Compressed Natural Gas, which has been
implemented in Delhi since April 2001. Delhi boasted Compressed Natural Gas in nearly 2200
buses, 25,000 three wheelers, 6000 taxis and 10,000 cars. However, more than half of
the vehicles are yet to be changed to Compressed Natural Gas.
To its credit, once the government set about preparing a comprehensive action plan by passing
the desired legislation and setting up the infrastructure necessary for such a transition, it earned
the recognition of drafting one amongst the top 12 best policies in the world, as per a study
conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and E3G.
Limitations:
According to the Centre for Science and Environment, the ministry of petroleum and natural
gas (MPNG) did not organize an appropriate supply of CNG to the Delhi area, because they
did not believe that the Supreme Court’s order would be implemented. Consequently, in the
late spring and in the summer 2001 there was a shortage of CNG forcing many of the taxis and
three-wheelers to stop circulating. This influenced public opinion negatively against CNG.
While it was recognized that the introduction of ultra-low sulfur diesel (<50 P) and diesel
Particulate filters could make it possible for conventional diesels to achieve very low PM
levels; such fuels are not scheduled to be introduced in Delhi until 2010. Another problem
arose by a whisper campaign of unidentified sources that CNG would cause cancer. According
to a survey carried out by CSE, more than half of the people asked in several parts of Delhi had
heard that CNG caused cancer although the majority of the whole participants preferred CNG
and did not believe the alleged negative environmental aspect of CNG.
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Impact :
The shift to CNG initiated by the Indian Supreme Court was very difficult and took much
longer to implement than it should have due to very limited support by other government
authorities in Delhi. But at the end of the day, all diesel buses were eliminated and air quality
has improved. But Daily ambient air quality data from June 1999 to September 2003 from the
busiest crossing in Delhi do not indicate an all-round improvement in ambient quality due to
point sources of pollution which is contributing to SO2 and mobile sources are contributing to
NOx concentrations. The NOx has risen after the conversion whereas SPM and PM10 have
shown only marginal fall; CO has shown a significant decline.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:
To eliminate or reduce open defecation. Open defecation is one of the main causes of deaths of
thousands of children each year. Not only latrine construction, the Swachh Bharat Mission will
also make an initiative of establishing an accountable mechanism of monitoring latrine use.
“A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth
anniversary in 2019,” said Shri Narendra Modi as he launched the Swachh Bharat Mission at
Rajpath in New Delhi. On 2nd October 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission was launched
throughout length and breadth of the country as a national movement. The campaign aims to
achieve the vision of a ‘Clean India’ by 2nd October 2019.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is the most significant cleanliness campaign by the Government
of India. Shri Narendra Modi led a cleanliness pledge at India Gate, which about thirty lakh
government employees across the country joined. He also flagged off a walkathon at Rajpath
and surprised people by joining in not just for a token few steps, but marching with the
participants for a long way. While leading the mass movement for cleanliness, the Prime
Minister exhorted people to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean and hygienic India.
Shri Narendra Modi himself initiated the cleanliness drive at Mandir Marg Police Station.
Picking up the broom to clean the dirt, making Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a mass movement
across the nation, the Prime Minister said people should neither litter, nor let others litter. He
gave the mantra of ‘Na gandagi karenge, Na karne denge.’ Shri Narendra Modi also invited
nine people to join the cleanliness drive and requested each of them to draw nine more into the
initiative.
By inviting people to participate in the drive, the Swachhta Abhiyan has turned into a National
Movement. A sense of responsibility has been evoked among the people through the Clean
India Movement. With citizens now becoming active participants in cleanliness activities
across the nation, the dream of a ‘Clean India’ once seen by Mahatma Gandhi has begun to get
a shape. The Prime Minister has helped spread the message of Swachh Bharat by urging people
through his words & action. He carried out a cleanliness drive in Varanasi as well. He wielded
a spade near River Ganga at Assi Ghat in Varanasi under the Clean India Mission. He was
joined by a large group of local people who cooperated in the Swachhta Abhiyan.
Understanding the significance of sanitation, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has
simultaneously addressed the health problems that roughly half of the Indians families have to
deal with due to lack of proper toilets in their homes.
People from different sections of the society have come forward and joined this mass
movement of cleanliness. From government officials to jawans, bollywood actors to the
sportspersons, industrialists to spiritual leaders, all have lined up for the noble work. Millions
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of people across the country have been day after day joining the cleanliness initiatives of the
government departments, NGOs and local community centres to make India clean. Organising
frequent cleanliness campaigns to spreading awareness about hygiene through plays and music
is also being widely carried out across the nation.
National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC):
The National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC) was launched in mid 1986 by the
then Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India. NEAC is an important campaign of
the Ministry of Forestry and Environment and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), Government of
India with an objective to create awareness on conservation of environment with emphasis on
biodiversity conservation. This campaign was initially organized in 1986, with the objective of
creating environmental awareness at the national level and, since then, it has become an annual
activity. In this campaign, nominal financial assistance is provided to NGOs, schools, colleges,
universities, research institutes, women and youth organizations, army units, government
departments etc. from all over the country for conducting awareness raising and action oriented
activities.
Every year the Ministry provides an indicative list of awareness activities based on the annual
theme that may be organized under NEAC include workshops, training courses, camps, yatras,
rallies, public meetings, exhibitions, competitions, demonstration projects, preparation and use
of audio-visual materials besides CD-ROM and other multi-media tools. Folk media and street
theatre can also be used as the medium of campaign.
National Green Corps (NGC) “Eco-club” programme:
National Green Core (NGC) popularly known as “a programme of Ecoclubs” is a nationwide
initiative of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India (now Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate Change). This programme started in the year 2001-02, and
today has a network of more than 1,20,000 schools that aims at building cadres of young
students working towards environmental conservation for more secure and sustainable world.
All the Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and all other schools under CBSE and
ICSE and State Boards have formed eco-club of 50-60 students.
Objectives:
1. To impart knowledge to school children, through hands-on experience, about their
immediate environment, interactions within it and the problems therein.
2. To develop requisite skills of observation, experimentation, survey, recording, analysis
and reasoning for conserving the environment through various activities.
3. To inculcate the proper attitude towards the environment and its conservation through
community interactions.
4. To sensitize children to issues related to environment and development through field
visits and demonstrations.
5. To promote logical and independent thinking among children so that they are able to
make the right choices in a spirit of scientific inquiry.
6. To motivate and stimulate young minds by involving them in action projects related to
environmental conservation.
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Methodology:
1. The scheme is being operated through Eco-clubs of 50-60 students having interest in
environment related issues, formed in member schools.
2. Eco clubs are supervised by a Teacher In-charge, who is selected from among the
teachers of the member school on the basis of his/her interest in environment related
issues.
3. There is District Implementation and Monitoring Committee to supervise, organize
training for In-charge teachers, and monitor periodically the implementation of scheme
at the District level.
4. There is a State Steering Committee for guidance, direction and to oversee the
implementation of the scheme.
5. The State Nodal Agency coordinates the implementation of the scheme in the State and
organizes related activities like training to Master Trainers.
6. The National Steering Committee will give overall direction to the programme and
ensure linkages at all levels.
Activities for Eco -Clubs:
1. Organize seminars, debates, lectures and popular talks on environmental issues in the
school.
2. Field visits to environmentally important sites including polluted and degraded sites,
wildlife parks etc.
3. Organize rallies, marches, human chains, and street theater at public places with a view
to spread environmental awareness.
4. Action based activities like tree plantation, cleanliness drives both within and out side
the school campus.
5. Grow kitchen gardens, maintain vermi-composting pits, construct water-harvesting
structures in school, practice paper re-cycling etc.
6. Prepare inventories of polluting sources and forward it to enforcement agencies.
7. Organize awareness programmers against defecation in public places, pasting posters in
public places and to propagate personal hygiene habits like washing hands before meals
etc.
8. Maintenance of public places like parks, gardens both within and outside the school
campus.
9. Mobilize action against environmentally unsound practices like garbage disposal in
unauthorized places, unsafe disposal of hospital waste etc.