The world is facing many problems at modern era. Environment pollution is one of the most important problems in our world. India is not exception. It has also many problems. Environment pollution is one of them. Every problem has its factors so; environment pollution has also many factors by which increased environment pollution. We mentioned in details about factors responsible for environment pollution in this chapters. As we know that one of the mayor threats that our environment is facing to day is environment pollution. It is increasing with every passing year. It is causing grave and irreparable damage to the atmosphere. The mechanization of society, the urbanization, introduction of motorized vehicles and the explosion of the human population have caused and exponential growth in the increase of waste by products. The indiscriminate discriminate discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastes into waterways, the “Throw way” attitude towards thousands of bones of solid resulted in major environment disasters. First up all we should know about environmental pollution. “Environmental pollution means the presence in the environment of any environmental pollutant.”
1 ‘Environmental pollutant’ means any solid liquid or gaseous substances present in such concentration as may be, or tent to be injurious environment.
2 “Environmental Pollution” is a term that refers to all the ways by which people pollute their surroundings. People dirty the air with gases and smoke, poison the water with chemical and other substances, and damage the still with too many fertilizers and pesticides. It is one of the most serious problems the humanity is facing to day. The expression pollutes means “to get spoil or to make unclear or impure or unhealthy.” The word pollution is derived from the Latin word polluters, when means “defined or to make dirty or to pollute.” The expression ‘pollution’ denotes “the presence of wrong matter in wrong quantity and at wrong place.” It refers to a process, by which a resources, material or man made is rendered unfit for some beneficial use due to some physical, chemical or biological factors.
According to the Random House Dictionary of the English language
(1977), pollute means
a) to make fact or unclean, dirty;
b) to pollute the air with smoke;
c) to make impure or mostly unclear, defile, desecrate to soil.
3 Pollution means the direct or indirect discharge by man of substances or energy into aquatic environment resulting in hazard to human health, harm is living resources and aquatic ecosystem, damage to amenities or interference with other legitimate uses of water.4 In other words, pollution is a civil wrong, be its very native it is a tort committed against the community as a whole. A person, therefore, who is guilty of causing pollution, has to compensate for the damages for therestoration of environment and ecology.
5 . Thus we can define to pollution according to above mentioned definitions that pollution is the affection undesirable changes in our surroundings that have harmful effects on plants, animals and human beings. This occurs when only short-term economic gains are made at the cost of long terms ecological benefits for humanity. No phenomenon has led to greater ecological changes than has been made by mankind. During the last few decades we have contaminated our air, water and land or which life itself depends with a variety of waste products. Pollutant can be classified as primary or secondary it means there are two types of the pollutant.
Primary pollutant or secondary pollutant primary pollutant are substances that are directly emitted in the atmosphere from sources. The main primary pollutant known to cause harm in high enough construction one the following carbon compounds, Nitrogen Compound, Sulpher Compound, Halogen Compounds etc. Secondary pollutants are not directly emitted from sources but instead from in the atmosphere from primary pollutant, (also case ‘procurers’). The main secondary pollutants known to course are in high enough constriction are the following NO2 and HNO3 from NO, Ozone (O3) formed from photo-chemical reaction of nitrogen oxide. Sulphoric Acid droplets formed from SO2 and Nitric Acid droplets formed from NO2 Sulphate and Nitrates aerosols. 1. Factor responsible for Environmental pollution: Factors of pollution and environmental degradation are of two
kinds:(i) Natural Factor and
(ii) Man Made Factor.
(i) Natural Factor:
Factors which are responsible by nature is called Natural factor. As food, cyclone, earthquake, Drought, molten Lava of volcano, hurricane, twister, torrents, epidemic are the main natural factors which factors environmental pollution, since they are agents of nature and man has no control over them, they are known as natural factors. (ii) Man-made Factors: Pollution which made by human being is called man-made factors. Such as poverty growth, deforestation, agricultural development, industrial development, urbanization. Modern
Productive Technology (MPT).
"Environmental pollution" is a term that refers to all the ways by which people pollute their surroundings. People dirty the air with gases and smoke. Poison the water with chemicals and other substances, and damage the soil with too many fertilizers and pesticides. It is one of the most serious problems the humanity is facing today.
2. Factors of Environmental Problems: The "Environmental Crisis" caused due to environmental and ecological changes which is the result of developmental process of the "economic and technological man" of the present century. In fact, if the present century is marked by socio-economic, scientific andtechnological development on the one hand, it is plagued by serious problems of environmental problems on the other hand. The environmental crisis arising out of the environmental deterioration caused by several forms of pollution depletion of natural resources because of rapid rate of their exploitation an increasing dependence on energy consuming and ecologically damaging technologies, the loss of habitats due to industrial, urban and agricultural expansion, reduction and loss of ecological populations due to excessive use of toxic pesticides and herbicides and loss of several species of plants due to practice of mono culture and removal of habitats through forest clearance has now become of global concern. The life of common man is being: so rapidly adversely affected by environmental degradation caused by man himself that "there has been a marked growth of interest within the last decade in the quality of the environment, -the disruption of the earth's natural ecosystems and the depletion of resources." The most striking reason of the environmental degradation and hence global environmental crisis is the fact deteriorating relationship between man arid environment because of rapid rate of exploitation of natural resources, technological development and industrial expansion. The rate of environmental change and resultant environmental degradation caused by human activities has been so fast and widespread.The impact of man on environment through his economic activities are varied and highly complex as the transformation or modification of one natural condition and process leads to a series of change in the biotic and abiotic components of the environment. Theimpacts of man on environment fall into two categories viz. (i) direct or intentional impacts, and (ii) indirect or unintentional impacts. Direct or intentional impacts of human: activities are preplanned and premeditated because man is aware of the consequence. Both positive and negative, of any programme which is launched to change or modify the natural environment for economic development of the region concerned. The effects of anthropogenic changes in the environment are noticeable within short period and these effects are reversible because both before and after studies of possible effects may enable the man to set the negative defects right to certain extent if so desired and intended. On the other hand the indirect impacts of human activities on the environment are not premeditated and preplanned and these impacts arise from those human activities which are directed to accelerate the pace of economic growth, especially industrial development. The indirect impacts are experienced after long time when they become cumulative. This indirect effect of human economic activities may change the overall natural environmental system and the chain-effects sometimes degrade the environment to such an extent that this becomes suicidal for human being. Main Factors behind the environmental problem areas follows:(i) Poverty:
Poverty contributes equally to both – population growth and environmental pollution. “Poverty” has been defined as “the inability of an individual or household to attain a minimal standard of living.”6 The poor usually have low life expectancy, high infant mortality, and higher incidence of disablement and higher consumption of natural resourcesin the form of food, folder and fuel. Unhygienic and insanitary conditions are another by-product of poverty affecting human health. “Poverty reduces people’s capacity to use resources in a sustainable manner; it intensifies pressure on the environment.” Sadly, the impoverishment of the poor is accompanied by simultaneous and systemic erosion of the basic means of their sustenance, the environment, with its life-supporting natural resources – land, water and forest. It has now aptly been observed that we need no magnifying glasses to see how inextricably the poor and poverty are linked to environment.7 Planned and unbridled description of forests affected the poor,
non-medic groups and tribes in forests and who fulfill their fundamentalneeds from the forest and its products. Thus, if trees disappear, rains will be scarce, water resources will dry up, water table would go down – food,fodder, and fuel will be not available and lastly, destruction of vegetation means increased chances of drought and dry season. It may be slow but definite destruction of human environment, because poor rural areas totally depend upon forests and their products. In urban area, problems and slums, pavement dwelling, insanitary conditions, commotion, shortage of food, increased demand of coal, fire wood and kerosene, shelter and energy are intimately connected with poverty leading to environmental degradation and human health problem. Therefore, the need of the times is some strategy including legal strategy to contain the problem of poverty and to have sustainable development and healthy environment. In Olga Tellis V. Bombay Municipal Corpn.,8 the Supreme Court observed that before payment dwellers and slum dwellers are evicted they must be provided alternative sites with basic amenities like water, community latrines, paved streets and lighting as to guarantee wholesome environment under the expanded horizon of the right to life.
(ii) Deforestation Forests are invaluable property of nation because they provide raw materials to modern industries, timber for building purposes, habitats for numerous types of animals and
micro-organisms, good friable and nutrient-rich soils having highcontent of organic matter, offer protection to soils by binding the soils through the network of their roots and by protecting the soils from direct impact of falling raindrops, they encourage and increase infiltration of rainwater and thus allow maximum recharge of groundwater resources; minimize surface runoff and hence reduce the frequency, intensity and dimension of floods. They help in increasing the precipitation, they are natural sink of carbon dioxide because they use carbon dioxide to prepare their food during the process of photosynthesis, and they provide firewood millions of people all over the world and food and shelter to innumerable humans and animals. In fact, forests are "life line" of a nation because prosperity and welfare of the society directly depends on sound and healthy forest cover of a nation concerned. Forests are main component of the biotic components of the natural environmental system and the stability of the environment and ecological balance largely depend on the status of the forests of the region concerned. It is a matter of serious concern that the present recommend addressed economic man has forgotten the environmental and ecological significance of natural vegetations mainly forests and grasslands, who has
destroyed the forests so rapidly and alarmingly that the forests areas at
global, regional and local levels have so markedly decreased leading to
several serious environmental problems such as accelerated rate of erosion
through rain splash, sheet wash, rill and gully erosion, increase in the
frequency and dimension of floods, greater incidence of drought due to
decrease in precipitation etc. have plagued the modern human society.
From ecological point of view, at least one third of the total geographical
area of a country should be under rich forest cover but this general rule of
environmental significance has been flouted in many of the countries
Deforestation has immediate adverse effects on soils and land because of
exposure of ground surface to high intensity rainfall.
The major causes of deforestation at global and regional levels are
conversion of forest land into agricultural land, shifting cultivation,
transformation of forests into pastures, overgrazing, forest fires,
lumbering, multi-purpose river projects, etc.
Deforestation gives birth to several problems encompassing
environmental degradation through accelerated rate of oil erosion, increase
in the sediment load of the rivers, siltation of reservoirs and river beds,
increase in the frequency and dimension of floods and droughts, changes in
the pattern of distribution of precipitation, intensification of greenhouse
effects, increase in the destructive force of the atmospheric storms etc.,economic loss through damages of agricultural crops due to increased
incidence of floods and draughts decrease in agricultural production
-because of loss of fertile top soils, decrease in the supply of raw materials
to the industries and building materials etc. Thus deforestation causes a
chain of effects which adversely affect the natural environment.
(iii) Agricultural Development
Agricultural development means expansion of agricultural
land, increase in agricultural productivity and net agricultural
production. It is due to development of modern scientific
techniques, advanced technologies, increased production and use of
chemical fertilizers, expansion in irrigational facilities, development
of high-yielding varieties of seeds etc. This has solved the problem
of growing demand of food due to ever increasing world population
on the one hand; it has also created or is creating hazardous
environmental problems of serious concern on the other hand. Thus
the modern "economic" and "technological man" is at the cross road
of dangers in all directions.
The agricultural development degrades the environment in a
variety of ways e.g. (i) through the application of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides and insecticides, (ii) through the increase in
irrigational facilities and amount of irrigation, (iii) by making
changes in biological communities etc.
Conversion of forest land into agricultural farms on sloppy ground accelerates rate of soil erosion. Increased agricultural
production means increase in agricultural land at the cost of
destruction of forest and consequent soil erosion, substantial
increase in the productivity of land through the practice of intensive
cultivation, increased use of machines and modern scientific
techniques, application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides,
insecticides and herbicides, increase in the frequency and area of
watering of agricultural fields etc. All these processes and measures
of increased agricultural development cause several serious
environmental problems; it appears that the root-cause of all these
environmental problems arising out of agricultural development is
the increase of human population at alarming rate. So the foremost
step to be taken is to stop population growth because if population
continues to grow agricultural development has to be maintained.
(iv) Population growth
Growth of human population at alarming rate is the most
significant cause of the lowering of environmental quality and
ecological balance. For example, industrial expansion, urban growth
agricultural development, increase in means of transport and
communication etc. are the results of population growth because the
people must generate better facilities for their existence and better
life. The development of scientific techniques and advanced
technologies has to be done in order to save the humanity from
hunger and natural calamity and disaster. Thus it is obvious that
overpopulation is the root cause' of environmental degradation and
ecological imbalance. The Increase In population means more exploitation of natural resources which means inauguration of new
environmental problems.
(v) Industrial Development
Rapid industrial development has given economic prosperity
to human society has given new dimension to socio-economic
structure and' has provided material comfort to the people of
industrially developed countries but it has also created many fold
environmental problems. In fact, the glittering effects of
industrialization have affected the mind of the general public that
industrialization is now being considered as the parameter of
modernity and as a necessary element of socio-economic
development of a nation.
Rapid rate of industrialization resulted into rapid rate of
exploitation of natural resources and increased industrial output.
Both the components of industrial development e.g. exploitation of
natural resources and industrial production have created several
lethal environmental problems and have caused large-scale
environmental problems and ecological imbalance at global,
regional and local levels in a variety of ways. Exploitation of natural
resources in order to meet the industrial demand of raw materials has
resulted into (i) the reduction of forest covers due to reckless felling
of trees, (ii) excavation of land for mining purposes, (iii) reduction
IS arable land due to industrial expansion, (iv) lowering of
groundwater table due to excessive withdrawal of groundwater, (v)
collapsing of ground surface due to withdrawal of mineral oil and
groundwater etc.Besides desired production there are numerous undesired outputs
from the factories such as industrial wastes, polluted water, toxic gases,
chemical precipitates, aerosols, ashes and smokes etc. which pollute air,
water, land, soils etc. and thus degrade the environment. The industrialized
countries have increased the concentration of pollutants emitted from the
factories in the air, water and land due to such an extent that they have
degraded the environment to the critical limit and have brought the human
society on the brink of its destruction.
The adverse effects of industrialization may change the overall
character of natural system and the chain effects sometimes become
suicidal for human society. Majority of the impacts of industrialization are
related to pollution and environmental degradation. The release of toxic
elements into the environment through the application of chemical
fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides (output of chemical industries)
changes the food chains and food webs and physical and chemical
properties of soils. Similarly, the release of industrial wastes into stagnant
waters of ponds, tanks and lakes into rivers and seas contaminates water
and causes several diseases and deaths of organisms and thus disturbs
ecological balance of aquatic ecosystems.
Increasing industrial expansion is responsible for the release of
enormous quantities of pollutants (e.g. ions of chlorine, sulphate,
bicarbonate, nitrate, sodium, magnesium, phosphate etc.) through sewage
effluents into the rivers and the lakes and thus for contaminating the water.
Release of several gases, smokes, ashes and other aerosols from the
chimneys of the factories adversely affects the environment in a number of
ways. The burning of hydrocarbon fuels (coal and petroleum) has
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increased the concentration of C02 in the atmosphere and thus has changed
the natural gaseous composition of the atmosphere. The increase in the
concentration of C02 content of the atmosphere may change global
radiation and heat balance by increasing the level of sensible heat in the
atmosphere because C02 intensifies the greenhouse effect of the
atmosphere as C02 allows the solar radiation to pass through the
atmosphere and reach the earth's surface but stops the outgoing long wave
terrestrial radiation from escaping to the space release of
chlorofluorocarbon in the atmosphere causes depletion of ozone layer.
Depletion in ozone layer means less absorption of ultraviolet solar rays and
thus substantial increase in the temperature at eh earths’ surface. Thus
changes in the global radiation and heat balance caused due to increase in
the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and depletion of
ozone layer may cause changes in weather and climatic conditions at
global and regional levels, may cause severe damages to plant and animal
lives and thus may cause ecological imbalance, may cause dangerous
diseases like skin cancer etc.
Release of toxic gases through advertent arid inadvertent actions of
man causes environmental hazards which destroy all types of life forms in
the affected areas. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy (December, 3-4, 1984, India)
is an example of disastrous effects of modern industrialization. Acid rains,
urban smog, nuclear holocaust etc. are the other forms of environmental
hazards emanating from industrialization.
(vi) Urbanization
Exodus of population from rural areas to urban centers and
origin and expansion of new urban centers due to industrial
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