ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY SRABANA DUTTA, A STUDENT OF AMITY UNIVERSITY, KOLKATA

Environment means and includes entire surrounding which is air, water, land and all its organisms. The deterioration in the quality of environment is known as environmental degradation. This happens when the natural resources of the earth are coming to an end and some are becoming extinct too. It is also characterized by pollution in air, water, soil and rapid growth of population.

The environmental degradation has become an urgent issue that the world must address and rectify . It is one of the largest threats to the world now. So it is our duty to protect the environment and improve its quality. Humans have been consistent in shaking the ecological balance. For years we have cut down trees, hunted animals, used explosives, crackers; all these have resulted in breaking the ecosystem chain. Deforestation has left animals homeless, and has affected the food chain.

CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION-

1. Overpopulation- The growing number of people is becoming harmful as the level of pollution is increasing with the emission of harmful gases. Overpopulation also leads to an increase of consumption level.
2. Deforestation- As we all know that trees produce oxygen and consumes carbon dioxide. Oxygen is very crucial for the lives in the planet whereas the carbon dioxide is harmful. Humans have cut down trees for their own purposes leading to greenhouse effect. If deforestation is not replaced by afforestation then there will be an increase in the harmfful emission of greenhouse gases.
3. Landfills- From the leakage in landfills, harmful substances which were contained in the landfills come out and when disposed they create soil pollution. This can create serious environmental problems.
4. Consumption behavior- In modern times, consumption of material goods is done in a huge number. These material goods are manufactured in industries emitting harmful gases into the environment. There are precious resources which are being extracted from the earth leading to the depletion of natural resources.
5. Waste Production- Waste are either disposed to landfills or burnt or they are disposed into lakes, rivers, forests. All these lead to soil degradation and water pollution.
6. Lack of education- People are still unaware of the adverse effects of pollution. The lack of awareness, education result in callousness. People use plastic, burn crackers, use loudspeakers, old vehicles; all these are harmful for our environment.
7. Illegal dumping- Often wastes are dumped in forests, lakes, rivers which are illegal as they affect the fishes of the water-body and degrade the water.
8. Agricultural pollution- farmers use pesticides and fertilizers in large amount which affect the quality of the soil in the long run. This creates agricultural pollution.
9. Mining- Mining requires huge lands for which deforestation takes place. Other than deforestation it also makes the animals homeless and leads in an imbalance of ecosystem.
10. Plastic pollution- Plastics are mostly burnt to get disposed of; this emits a lot of harmful gases into the atmosphere. If they are disposed in the lakes, rivers they degrade the water and soil quality and also results in the death of many fishes.
11. Resource depletion- as the world is suffering from overpopulation, it is also resulting in the pressure of consumption of natural resources of the earth. This depletion of natural resources is harmful for our environment.

CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT-

Protection of the environment came with the 42^nd Amendment, 1976. Here Article 48A and 51A(g) which were added came under Directive Principles Of State Policy (DPSP) and Fundamental Rights. Article 48A states that “The State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.” Article 51A(g) states that “To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.”

In the case Sachidanand Pandey v State of West Bengal- The court stated that the court is bound to keep Article 48A and 51A(g) in mind while hearing any case related to environment.

The principles according to public trust are-

1. Polluter Pays Principle
2. The Precautionary Principle
3. Sustainable development and inter-generational equity

In the case of Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v Union Of India the Supreme Court directed the Central Government to constitute separate authorities under Section 3(3)of Environment Act. It was also directed by the apex court to the authorities to assess the loss to to the environment and also to recover the losses from the polluters.

Calcutta Tanneries Case- The Supreme Court directed polluters to pay a “pollution fine” with the proceeds being credited  to an “environment protection fund” for the restoration of the local environment.

In the case of M.C Mehta v Kamal Nath Span Motels was directed to pay compensation for restitution of environment and ecology. The Supreme Court said that the polluter has to pay damages to those who have suffered loss. The offender can also be held liable to pay exemplary damages. Span Motels was asked to pay Rs 10 lakhs only.

HEALTH ISSUES-

The pollutants when enter through our respiratory system or skin can give rise to respiratory problems, allergic reactions. It also causes various acute and chronic diseases e.g. skin and eye disease,cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lung dysfunctions.

STEPS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT-

1. Afforestation- It can help to produce oxygen which is the most essential thing for most of the living organisms to thrive.
2. Ban on usage of plastic- Plastic takes millions of years to decompose in the soil. The usage of plastic is also harmful for our health due to the presence of harmful chemicals. It is extremely important for us to shift from plastic to its eco-friendly substitutes.
3. Ban on bursting of crackers- Bursting of crackers is mostly done for any celebration. It is not an essential product. To protect our environment we have to compromise on our happiness and have to put a ban on bursting of crackers.
4. Less usage of vehicles- More and more public transport should be taken so that there are less usage of private cars. Per family should only be allowed to use one car. Eco-friendly vehicles such as cycles, rickshaws should be encouraged.
5. Animal cruelty- Animals should be stopped from killing as they are an important part of the ecosystem. Killing of animals can result in the imbalance of ecosystem.
6. Proper disposal of waste- The waste should be dumped in the trash bins. We have to stop littering our streets and have to prevent ourselves from throwing the waste into rivers, lakes.

CONCLUSION

Humans have brought the earth to such an extent where breathing fresh air has become troublesome. Clear sky, fresh air, crystal clear water have almost become extinct. This is due to the torture on the environment that have been done since thousand of years. Human beings have brought the polluted the nature in various ways. It is inhumanly killed animals to take use their body parts for various purposes. Trees have been cut for making buildings, roads, furniture and for other various reasons. These have reduced the number of trees upto a great extent leaving the animals homeless.

Human beings have to adapt the way of leading a sustainable life. It is our duty to contribute towards sustainable development and make earth a happy place to live in for the next generations. It is still not too late for taking the measures and protect the earth from complete destruction.