Unit 5

Environment Protection
 Syllabus
• Environmental Protection; Environmental
Protection Act 1986, Initiatives by Non
Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), Human
Human Population and the Environment:
Population growth, Environmental Education,
Women Education.
 Environment Protection Act, 1986
Overview: The Environment (Protection) Act (EPA) was enacted in 1986 with the
objective of providing the protection and improvement of the environment.
• It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities charged with the
mandate of preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and to tackle
specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the
country.
• The Act is one of the most comprehensive legislations with a pretext to
protection and improvement of the environment.

Background: The roots of the enactment of the EPA lies in the United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment held at Stockholm in June,
1972 (Stockholm Conference), in which India participated, to take appropriate
steps for the improvement of the human environment.
• The Act implements the decisions made at the Stockholm Conference.
Background: The roots of the enactment of the EPA lies in the United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment held at Stockholm in June,
1972 (Stockholm Conference), in which India participated, to take
appropriate steps for the improvement of the human environment.
• The Act implements the decisions made at the Stockholm Conference.

Constitutional Provisions: The EPA Act was enacted under Article 253 of the
Indian Constitution which provides for the enactment of legislation for
giving effect to international agreements.

– Article 48A of the Constitution specifies that the State shall endeavour
to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests
and wildlife of the country.
– Article 51A further provides that every citizen shall protect the
environment.

Coverage: The Act is applicable to the whole of India including the state
of Jammu & Kashmir.
 Salient Features of EPA, 1986
Powers of the Central Government: The Central Government shall have the power to take all such
measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of protecting and improving the
quality of the environment in coordination with the State Governments.

The Central government is also empowered to:

• Plan and Execute a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control and abatement
of environmental pollution.
• Lay down standards for the quality of environment in its various aspects.
• Lay down standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various
sources.
• The restriction of areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of
industries, operations or processes shall/ shall not be carried out subject to certain
safeguards.
– The Central Government may appoint officers under this Act for various purposes and
entrust them with the corresponding powers and functions.
– The central government as per the Act has the power to direct:

• The closure, prohibition or regulation of any industry, operation or process.

• The stoppage or regulation of the supply of electricity or water or any other service.
• Restriction on Pollutant Discharge: No individual or organisation shall discharge/emit or permit to
discharge/emit any environmental pollutant in excess of the prescribed standards.
• Compliance with Procedural Safeguards: No individual shall handle or shall be caused to handle
any hazardous substance except in accordance with the procedure and without complying with
the safeguards, as prescribed.
• Powers of Entry and Inspection: Any person empowered by the Central Government shall have a
right to enter (with the assistance deemed necessary) at any place:

– For the inspection of compliance of any orders, notifications and directions given under the
Act.
– For the purpose of examining (and if required seizing) any equipment, industrial plant, record,
register, document or any other material object may furnish evidence of the commission of
an offence punishable under this Act.
• Establishment of Environmental Laboratories: The Central Government, as per the Act, is entitled
to:

– Establish environmental laboratories.

– Recognise any laboratory or institute as environmental laboratories to carry out the functions
entrusted to such a laboratory.

• The Central Government is also entitled to make rules specifying the functions of
environmental laboratories.
• Appointment of Government Analyst: A Government Analyst is appointed by the
Central Government for the analysing the samples of air, water, soil or other
substance sent to a recognised environmental laboratory.
• Penalties for Offences: Non-compliance or Contravention to any of the provisions
of the Act is considered as an offence.

– Any offences under the EPA are punishable with the imprisonment of upto five years or
a fine upto one lakh rupees or both.
• Offences by Companies: If an offence under this Act is committed by a company,
every person directly in charge of the company, at the time of the commitment of
offence, is deemed to be guilty unless proven otherwise.
• Offences by Government Departments: If an offence under this Act has been
committed by any Department of Government, the Head of the Department (HoD)
shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence unless proven otherwise.

– Any officer, other than HoD, if proven guilty, shall also be liable to be proceeded against
and punished accordingly.
• Cognizance of offences: No Court shall take cognizance of any offence under this
Act except on a complaint made by:

– The Central Government or any authority on behalf of the former.

– A person who has approached the Courts after a 60-day notice has been furnished to
the Central Government or the authority on its behalf.
 Drawbacks of the Act
• Complete Centralisation of the Act: A potential drawback of the Act could be its
centralization. While such wide powers are provided to the Centre and no powers to the
state governments, the former is liable to its arbitrariness and misuse.
• No Public Participation: The Act also says nothing about public participation as regards
environmental protection.

– There is a need to involve the citizens in environmental protection to check arbitrariness and raise
awareness and empathy towards the environment.
• Incomplete Coverage of Pollutants: The Act does not address modern concept of pollution
such as noise, overburdened transport system and radiation waves which are also an
important cause for the deteriorating environment.

Important Notifications Issued Under EPA

• The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (1991), which regulates activities along coastal
stretches.

– In December 2018, the Union cabinet approved the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification,
2018.
• The Environmental Impact Assessment of Development Projects Notification.
 Initiatives By Non-Governmental Organization
(NGO)
WWF India was the first NGO in India to promote nature conservation on a nationwide basis. WWF works
to conserve endangered species, protect endangered spaces, and address global threats to the planet such as
climate change.
Missions provided by different NGOs ranges from:
• Environmental education and awareness among people.
• Environmental (air, water, soil, noise) pollution control.
• Protection of forest wealth.
• Afforestation and social forestry.
• Floristic and formal education.
• Wild life conservation.
• Recycling and waste utilisation.
• Rural development and eco development.
• Population stabilisation and family planning.
• Development of non-polluting renewable energy sources.
• Emphasising the use of non-conventional, pollution free sources of energy (solar, wind, tidal, biogas, gobar gas,
ocean energy etc.) instead of thermal, hydel and nuclear energy.
• Conservation of biological diversity.
• Healthy crop land and grass land.
• Encouraging the use of biofertilizers.
• Developing new dimensions to national security
• Sustainable development.
 Institutions Involved in Environmental
Activities
Environmental Training Institute (ETI)
ETI impart training to staff of the Pollution Control Board, Industrial representatives,
Executives of Municipalities and Corporations, Line agencies and non-governmental
organizations. They consider the following aspects:
Improve awareness at all levels.
Introduce the holistic approach to environment & sustainable development
Introduce the basic theories, concepts and methodologies of integrated environmental
planning and management aiming a sustainable development
Promote public awareness and motivation to preserve and protect the environment
through NGOs
Create Cross - media awareness in industry, urban sector and the public on
Environmental Hazards and adverse impact on quality of life
Pollution Control at source by cleaner technology and improved processes of materials
and products. This includes conservation of non-renewable resources, resource
recovery, refuse recycling and disposal of minimum waste to the environment
Improve environment management capacity in the sector of industry and urban development.
Tata Research Institute
In 1997, TERI undertook a major study called the GREEN India 2047 (Growth
with Resource Enhancement of Environment and Nature 2047). The object of this
exercise was to determine and quantify the extent of damage to India’s natural
resource base that accompanied economic growth in the 1947–97 period
The publication entitled DISHA for sustainable development presented ‘business-as-
usual’ and ‘alternative’ policy scenarios for the period 1997–2047 and developed
quantitative projections for the state of our natural resources and the environment
The National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW)
The NIHFW, an autonomous organization, under the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, Government of India, acts as an ‘apex technical institute’ as well as a ‘think
tank’ for the promotion of health and family welfare programmes in the country.
The Institute addresses a wide range of issues on health and family welfare from a
variety of perspectives through the departments of Communication, Community
Health Administration, Education and Training, Epidemiology, Management Sciences,
Medical Care and Hospital Administration, Population Genetics and Human
Development, Planning and Evaluation, Reproductive Bio-Medicine, Statistics and
Demography and Social Sciences.

CAF: Charities Aid Foundation

CAF India’s vision is to create a sustainable voluntary sector with resources contributed
by relationships built on trust between NGOs and donors. CAF India has a registered
public charitable trust.
 Women’s Education
• India continues to have one of the lowest female literacy rates in Asia. In 1991,
fewer than 40% of India's 330 million women aged 7 and above were
educated, implying that over 200 million women remain illiterate today. This
low level of literacy has a severe influence not only on the lives of women but
also on the lives of their families and the economic growth of their country.
Numerous studies reveal that illiterate women have a high fertility and death
rate, poor nutritional conditions, limited economic ability, and minimal
autonomy within the home. A woman's lack of knowledge has a bad influence
on her children's health and well-being.
• In India, female literacy rates are lower than male literacy rates. In comparison
to boys, fewer girls attend school, and more drop out. Women's rights are
critical to the nation's progress
• According to the Indian Constitution's 86th Amendment, free and compulsory
education for children aged 6 to 14 is a basic right of the Indian people.
Despite the fact that the Indian government has made certain steps, such as
the "Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan" (the major goal of this initiative is to provide
elementary education, particularly to female children from impoverished rural
regions), despite these efforts, there remain still barriers to women's
education.
 Women’s Education History
• Women had equality in all aspects of life throughout the Vedic Period. Women's
had access to education throughout the Vedic period, but this right was gradually
eroded. Women had equal status and privileges in the early Vedic period. However,
from 500 B.C., women's status began to deteriorate. Women played an important
role in ancient India. Women's education was common in ancient India throughout
the Vedic period. Historically, Indian women were thought to be superior to males.
Women's rights were accorded prominence in ancient India, and they maintained
an important place in Indian society at the time.
• There are several legends in Indian mythology about highly educated and
developed ladies. The history of ancient Indian education may be traced back to
the third century B.C., when instruction was delivered orally and many female
academics participated. When Buddhism arrived in India, world-renowned
educational institutes such as Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Takshila were founded.
According to research, a lot of women were enrolled in these temples of learning.
• They were encouraged to read certain literature and practice them in order to
comprehend all branches of information. Despite having passed through a rigorous
period, the atmosphere around women's education has significantly deteriorated.
The shame of being restricted to their different homes robbed women's education
of its value in India. Women began to strengthen the joys of life throughout the age
of Buddhism.
Importance of Women’s Education
• Educating an Indian lady provides a critical chance for India's social
and economic growth. An educated Indian woman will have a good
influence on Indian society by contributing to the country's and
society's economies.
• "Education for all" is one of the key goals undertaken by the Indian
government, yet we still have Asia's lowest female literacy rate.
• The following are some of the reasons why women's education is
critical-
• Fundamental Rights: Education is a fundamental entitlement for
everyone, and when we say everyone, we must include women.
• It promotes equality in society
• It empowers them, makes them independent, and aids in the
development of self-confidence
 Women’s Education
• In India, the government has introduced several assistance initiatives to encourage women's education.
• The following are some welfare programs:
• Beti Padhao and Beti Bachao- On January 22, 2015, the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao social movements, known for
women's empowerment, were started. The program's goal is to eliminate female foeticide and provide women with an
adequate education.
• Hostels for Working Women- Working women's Hostels were founded to provide a working environment that
incorporates accommodation amenities in order for women to have greater employment options.
• Training and Employment Assistance Program (STEP)- These programs give enough knowledge and empower women
to be self-employed or become entrepreneurs in a variety of fields. This program is accessible to women over the age
of 16.
• Mahila-E-Haat (Mahila-E-Haat)- The Ministry of Women's and Child Development introduced the Mahila program in
2016. It provides a forum for female entrepreneurs and small-business owners to showcase or sell their products and
services.
• SABLA- The Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Employment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG), often known as SABLA, was launched
by the Government of India on April 1, 2011. It intends to provide meals and nutritional components.
• Swadhar Greh- The Union Ministry of Women's and Child Development developed the Swadhar Greh initiative in
2002. The program provides unassisted women with housing, food, medical attention, and clothes. Women who have
been abandoned by their families and women who have survived a calamity are therefore provided with basic
necessities.
• Scheme for a One-Stop-Shop- The Ministry of Women's and Child Development developed the One-stop Centre
initiative on April 1, 2015, using the "Nirbhaya" budget. The system provides psychological services, legal
requirements, police assistance, housing, and food to victims of violence in both public and private settings.
• Puraskar to Nari Shakti- The Ministry of Women's and Child Development has launched the Nari Shakti Puraskar
program to recognize and empower women by honoring them for their outstanding contributions to society.