“It is paradoxical that the man who needs the healthy environment most is destroying its sanctity and purity for present monetary gains and endanger its own coming generation.“
Never before in history, environmental pollution has drawn such attention of policymakers, academicians, and the court, at last in India. A lot of research has done during the last few years to find out a suitable linkage between economic activities and the environment and a need for new technologies has felt in order to save the environment from the ever-increasing pollution.
Because of the rapid industrial growth the most precious heritage of mankind, the natural environment is in danger of becoming polluted. Earlier most of the economic activities, development policies, were centered towards the motive of benefits or gain, but for the last few years, it has been sincerely realized that investment in environmental conservation and pollution control measures enhance and improve productivity. It is necessary to save mankind from the revenge of the nature if pollution continues like in the past.
Environmental pollution causes Global Warming—a threat to the whole civilization. In 1992, the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted. It recognized that industrialized countries were most responsible for increased Green House Gases, concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere and should be the first to act against climate change.
In 1997, United Nation’s conference on global warming was held in the ancient Japanese Capital of Kyoto for ten days, the climate change meet lay deadlocked, as none was ready to take initiative to check the further damage to planet earth. The USA and 37 other industrial nations agreed to a binding reduction in their Green House Gas emission by 2012, setting out a target of five percent below 1990 levels. The next meeting held in Buenos Aires, where it was agreed on Nov. 14, 1998, to set a timetable for discussing by 2000 the many issues that still need to be settled.
Actually, the USA and Europe want that other developing countries like, India, China, should act as per the accord signed at Kyoto, but India and China have their own reasons as in these countries industrialization has just begun, while developed countries who are actually responsible for the global warming must act fast to have some remedial measures.
The present concern for the preservation and conservation of the environment arises from the hazardous impact on the environment due to human actions. Human demands are increasing day by day, with the growth of population and modernization, and to meet such increased demands the resources are limited. Reckless and regular exploitation of natural resources is causing a serious impact on the purity of the environment. The spread of many diseases like dengue, viral fevers, like endemic, soil erosion, floods, droughts, earthquakes, urban congestion, and the threat of extinction of many species of plants, birds, and animals are the visible impact of environmental pollution.
It is paradoxical that the man who needs the environment most is destroying its sanctity and purity for present monetary gains and endangers its own coming generation. Indiscriminate and unplanned industrialization has affected the environment to a great extent. It pollutes the air by releasing gases, smoke, fumes, and dust. It pollutes the water by discharging wastes in rivers, wetlands. It also causes ruinous effects on the forests. The indiscriminate mining in forests has ruined many surrounding forests in Alwar, Makrana, Kishangarh, Raj -Samandh, areas of Raj Nathan, Dehradun in U.P., and several other places which have disturbed the natural eco-balance seriously. Environmental pollution has become a serious health hazard.
India has been quick to realize the hazards of environmental pollution. The Govt. of India for the first time asserted its concern in the fourth five-year plan (1969-74). A department of the environment was established at the center in 1980, to act as a nodal agency for conservation and its proteCtion. The successive plans also emphasized the necessity and importance of environmental protection. In 1982, an international conference on environmental education was held in New Delhi and emphasized the need for a massive program of environmental education, research and monitoring. The conference specifically emphasized that environmental education must start from primary classes. World Charter on Nature, adopted by the U.N.General assembly on 28th Oct 1982, declared that nature shall be respected and its essentials shall not be impaired. Conservation of nature should be a part of all economic plannings. National Environment Advisory Committee was constituted in 1983 to identify and highlight the environmental issues and measures for the implementation of environmental policy, and to organize a public debate on national issues of environmental importance. In 1992, the Central Government has made the Environmental Audit compulsory. Industries are now required to submit an Environmental Audit Report from the fiscal year 1993.
In our country, the Supreme Court has played a very crucial role in preserving the pollution in the cities and reserving the forests. The various decision has forced the government to stop mining in forest areas. The Supreme Court has forced the government to adopt strict vehicular emission norms in the principal metropolitan cities. The Apex Court has also insisted on the use of preferred technologies and fuels such as CNG for buses and autos, in order to reduce the pollution levels. It is good news that the government has given a green signal for the development of Hydrogen fuelled vehicles that have zero pollution capabilities. A High Power Committee has been established in June 2003, to draw up a blueprint for developing Hydrogen as an alternative fuel in India. The focus of present-day policies is to use emission-free technologies to be useful in preserving and conserving the precious natural environment.
Though the government is quite serious to protect the environment yet it is the duty of every industrialist, every citizen to understand well the necessity of preserving the nature and purity of the environment not only for ourselves but also for the coming generation. It is the environment from where we get the first basic requirements oxygen and water for our existence; and we are bent upon to pollute them, isn’t it like hitting our own head! We should make our minds and pledge to gift a pollution-free environment for our precious coming generation.