ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

DR. S.K. BALASHANMUGAM

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
TNNLS
 UNIT – I

● ENVIRONMENT – MEANING
● ENVIRONMENT – STATUTORY DEFINITION
● CLASSIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENT
● FACTORS OR COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
● ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
○ POLLUTION, POLLUTANTS, ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION – DEFINITIONS
○ CLASSIFICATION OF POLLUTION

● CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF POLLUTION

 CONSEQUENCES/CAUSES OF POLLUTION

● Emission of carbon di-oxide in air – Air Pollution

● Industrialization
● Use of Fertilizers and Chemicals
● Urbanisation – Smart Cities
● Population explosion
● Deforestation – Overgrazing of grassland by cattle.
● Environmental Degradation
● Release of chlorofluorocarbon
Air Pollution
EPI Score - January 24’ 2018- status
EPI Score – India
Industrialization
 River Ganga and its Pollution

● It is considered as the holiest river in India with a massive spiritual,

religious and ritual significance which covers a total distance of 4,00,000
square miles(29 Cities)
● About 40% of Indian Population survive on River Ganga by using its water.
● Ganges tolerates domestic waste such as defecation, untreated industrial
waste, and pollution during religious events.
● Harmful pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture run-offs pollute the water.
● Every day 1.7 billion litres of such waste water run into the river.
● Nearly 89 million litres of sewage is disposed off in the river daily.
● As per studies carried out by Uttarkhand Environment Conservation
and Pollution Control Board, Ganges near Haridwar contains coliform
bacteria at 5500 level which is 100 times more than the permissible limit.
(Directly throwing human feces, urine and sewage into the river is the major
reason for this crisis).
● Even a study conducted by the Environmental Biology Laboratory,
Department of Zoology, Patna University identified mercury
contamination in the Ganga River Water.
 Ganga Action Plan

● Primary Objective - To abate pollution, to improve water quality by interception,

diversion and treatment of domestic sewage and present toxic and industrial
chemical wastes from identified grossly polluting units entering into the river.
● Other Objectives
○ Control of non-point pollution from agricultural run off, human defecation, cattle
wallowing and throwing of unburnt and half burnt bodies into the river.
○ Research and Development to conserve the biotic, diversity of the river to
augment its productivity.
○ New technology of sewage treatment like Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket
(UASB) and sewage treatment through afforestation has been successfully
developed.
○ Rehabilitation of soft-shelled turtles for pollution abatement of river have been
demonstrated and found useful.
○ Resource recovery options like production of methane for energy generation and
use of aquaculture for revenue generation have been demonstrated.
○ To act as trend setter for taking up similar action plans in other grossly polluted
stretches in other rivers.

●
 Recent Developments

● The Ganga Action Plan which was part of the Ministry of

Environment and Forests (MoEF) has now been shifted under
Water Resources Ministry.
● Out of identified 115 small rivers to check ecological flow, only
seven small rivers have been resorted and work has to be done
on the remaining 108 rivers to revive the ecological flow.
● Till February 2014, 939 crores had been spent on the working
of the plan.
● Supreme Court of India - Ordered for closure and relocation of
industrial plants along the ganges.
● Save Ganga Movement - Gandhian Non-violent movement
with saints and social science activist as its supporters,
National Women's Organisation(NWO) and many other
organisations take interest in this cause.
 NGT – Directions to MoEF

NGT (24th Jan 2018) – Do not allow new thermal plants if

they violate norms
Reduction of Industrial Pollution
Waste Water Treatment Plants
Use of Fertilizers and Chemicals
Urbanisation
 Urbanisation …

● Urbanization in India began to accelerate after independence, due to

the country's adoption of a mixed economy.
● At a time when the idea of a ‘smart city’ dominates policy discourse,
India is faced with a very real urbanisation challenge.
● Mumbai accommodates 12.5 million people, and is the largest
metropolis by population in India, followed by Delhi with 11 million
inhabitants. Witnessing the fastest rate of and urbanisation in the
world, as per 2011 census, Delhi's population rise by 4.1%, Mumbai's by
3.1% and Kolkata's by 2% as per 2011 census compared to 2001 census.
● India is projected to add 404 million people to its urban population
between 2014 and 2050.
● The annual growth in urban population in India between 2010 and
2015 was 1.1% – the highest among the major economies, according to
the UN World Urbanisation Prospects report 2014.

●
 Causes of Urbanisation

• Industrialization,
• Social factors,
• Employment opportunities,
• Modernization,
• Rural urban transformation,
• Spread of education
 Effects of Urbanisation

○ Positive Effects
• Migration of rural people to urban areas,
• Employment opportunities in urban centres,
• Transport and communication facilities,
• Educational facilities,
• Increase in the standard of living
○ Adverse Effects
• Problem of over population,
• Disintegration of Joint family,
• Cost of living,
• Increase in Crime rates,
• Impersonal relations,
• Problem of Pollution,
• Stress
Population Explosion
 Population Explosion - Statistics

● India is projected to be the world's most populous

country by 2024, surpassing the population of China. It is
expected to become the first political entity in history to
be home to more than 1.5 billion people by 2030, and its
population is set to reach 1.7 billion by 2050.
● The population of India represents 17.99 percent of the
world´s total population which arguably means that one
person in every 6 people on the planet is a resident of
India. This page provides - India Population - actual
values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics,
economic calendar and news. India Population - actual
data, historical chart and calendar of releases - was last
updated on January of 2018.
 Indian Population - Index

Source: Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2013 conducted by the Registrar General of India
 Causes for Population Explosion

● Increases in birth rate

● Decreases of infant mortality rate
● High level of illiteracy
● Growth of life expectancy
● Effect of Population Explosion
• Unemployment
• Large Population
• Poverty
• Small health condition
• Illiteracy
• Pollution and Global Warming
● How to manage the “environment”?
● How to protect and preserve the environment for
the future generations?

● Environment is a study that includes ecology, physiology,

genetics, chemistry, geology, physics, engineering,
geography, economics, political science, sociology,
psychology and etc.
● Therefore, the environment is the application of this
knowledge to manage the environment.
● It is very much essential to know how to behave with
various components of natural environment.
● Interrelationship between Environment, Ecology and
Ecosystem
● Environment – It refers to biotic and abiotic
components
● Ecology – It is the study of relationships and
interactions of living organisms with other living
organisms and its surrounding environment.
● Ecosystem - It’s an functional unit. It consists of
environment and ecology
 Ecological Perspective

● It is the scientific analysis and study of interactions

among organisms and their environment.
● Ecology provides information about the benefits of
ecosystems and how we can use Earth's resources in
ways that leave the environment healthy for future
generations.
● What is the role of ecology in our lives?
• The many specialties within ecology, such as marine, vegetation,
and statistical ecology, provide us with information to better
understand the world around us.
• This information also can help us improve our environment,
manage our natural resources, and protect human health.
Environmental Constitutional Statutes –
ethics Provisions legislations,
rules and
guidelines
 Environmental Ethics

● It consists of rules of moral correctness or moral

behaviour towards the components of environment.
● Environmental Ethics in Olden Times –
○ Motto of social life – “to live harmony with nature”
○ Early literature preaches worshipful attitude towards nature in
order to keep a benevolent attitude towards them.
○ Moreover, Hindu Religion enshrined respect for nature,
environmental harmony and conservation
○ Mythological literature revealed certain guiding principles to
be observed in day-to-day life.
● Guiding Principles
○ Respect nature
○ Life in living is dependent on various components of nature
○ To keep harmony with nature
○ Protect natural environment
○ Utilise natural resources to satisfy basic amenities of the people
○ Destruction of nature means destruction of mankind
○ All must have compassion for animal objects
○ Air, water, land, sky, trees, animals are creation of God and he dwells in all of
them. Therefore, to worship them is to worship him.
○ Hinsa(violence) was considered as a sin. Ahimsa parmo dharmah(non-violence)
is considered as dharma of the highest order. So, one should be non-violent
towards animals, trees and other micro organisms
○ Violent form of anger manifested by God and Goddesses – Drought, fury of
floods and storms, heavy rains, cloudbursts, lightning, earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions and heavy tide
○ Principle of sanctity of life is clearly ingrained in the hindu religion.
● Upanishad says universe consists of five basic elements
such as Earth or land, Water, Light or luster, Air and
Ether.
○ The nature has maintained a status of balance between and among
these constituent elements and living creatures.
● Many verses of Rig and Atharvaveda have been devoted
to the praise of lord.
● Rig Veda
○ Hymns are devoted to natural forces and they have been identified
with deities. In hymns, we found prayers for certain natural
elements such as air, water, earth, sun, rain, etc.
○ Acknowledged “Vayu” as one of the deities and mentioned that “Let
wind blow in the form of medicine and bring me the welfare and
happiness” and that it has a medicinal value.
● Atharvaveda
○ Certain references shows that it talks about the relationship
between plants and the earth.
• “Earth is a keeper of creation, container of forests, trees and herbs.
And that plants are life forms. It is also maintained that “One treee
is equal to ten sons”.
● Therefore, our existence is possible only when we
live in harmony with the various elements of the
environment.
● Economic activities threaten our survival on the
earth.
● Since, environmental pollution has become a major
threat to the human survival and development,
“Environmental Law” is emerged as one of the most
important tool for promoting development without
destruction.
 Environmental Law

● It refers to set of enforceable rules and principles

regulating the activities of persons, natural or legal,
which possesses direct impact on environment.
● To precise, environmental law is an
“ Instrument to protect and improve the environment and
control or prevent any act or omission polluting or likely to
pollute the environment.”
● Environmental Law is thus perceived as one of the
most important and modern tools of environmental
management.