Environment Management Concept
Definition
Its an attempt to control human impact on and interaction with the environment in order to preserve natural resources
Environmental management focuses on the improvement of human welfare for present and future generations
Administrative functions that develop implement and monitor the environmental policy of an organization
Sustainable Development
is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present but also for generations to come
The development initiatives be initiated in such a way that the future generations can enjoy the benefits of Nature without any compromise
Using the resources to the extent to which it is sustained
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Significance in India
WHY factor
India is the worlds sixth largest and second fastest growing producer of greenhouse gases
Delhi Mumbai and Chennai are three of the worlds ten most polluted cities
Two-thirds of city dwellers lack sewerage one-third lack potable water
India urban population grows equivalent of another New York City every year This equals to a projected urban population of over 500 million in 20 years
Trends in Environmental Management
Impact Assessment and Planning (IAP)
Assessing environmental and social impacts prior to setting up operations and obtaining environmental approval from the authorities is almost mandatory in most project categories IAP assessments may be required not only for newly constructed facilities but also for new operations that will be housed in an existing building
Environmental Liability and Clean-up
Foreign investment has resulted in heightened scrutiny of current and historic environmental liabilities associated with property transactions in India
Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance
The increasing desire of Indian companies to meet world class standards has caused established companies in India to take on sustainability initiatives as a means of improving their global brand and reputation
Climate Change
While India still lags the West in coming up with concrete regulations based on the development versus environment debate there is an increasing awareness in India that climate change is not about scoring points but about the existence of entire communities inside and outside of India
National Environmental Policy
The National Environment Policy seeks to extend the coverage and fill in gaps that still exist in light of present knowledge and accumulated experience
It does not displace but builds on the earlier policies
National Forest Policy 1988
National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development 1992
Policy Statement on Abatement of Pollution1992
The National Environment Policy is intended to mainstream environmental concerns in all development activities
Objectives of the National Environment Policy
Conservation of Critical Environmental Resources
To protect and conserve critical ecological systems and resources and invaluable natural and man-made heritage which are essential for life support livelihoods economic growth and a broad conception of human well-being
Intra-generational Equity Livelihood Security for the Poor
To ensure equitable access to environmental resources and quality for all sections of society and in particular to ensure that poor communities which are most dependent on environmental resources for their livelihoods are assured secure access to these resources
Environmental Governance
To apply the principles of good governance (transparency rationality accountability reduction in time and costs participation and regulatory independence) to the management and regulation of use of environmental resources
Enhancement of Resources for Environmental Conservation
To ensure higher resource flows comprising finance technology management skills traditional knowledge and social capital for environmental conservation through mutually beneficial multistakeholder partnerships between local communities public agencies the academic and research community investors and multilateral and bilateral development partners
Multilateral Development Banks are institutions that provide financial support and professional advice for economic and social development activities in developing countries The term Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) typically refers to the World Bank Group and four Regional Development BanksThe African Development BankThe Asian Development BankThe European Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentThe Inter-American Development Bank Group
Principles National Environment Policy
Human Beings are at the Centre of Sustainable Development Concerns
The Right to Development
The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations
Environmental Protection is an Integral part of the Development Process
The Precautionary Approach
Where there are credible threats of serious or irreversible damage to key environmental resources lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation
Economic Efficiency
The services of environmental resources be given economic value and such value to count equally with the economic values of other goods and services in analysis of alternative courses of action
Example Polluter Pays
Entities with ldquoIncomparablerdquo Values
Significant risks to human health life and environmental life-support systems besides certain other unique natural and man-made entities which may impact the well-being broadly conceived of large numbers of persons may be considered as rdquoIncomparablerdquo in that individuals or societies would not accept these risks for compensation in money or conventional goods and services
Equity
The cardinal principle of equity or justice requires that human beings cannot be treated differently based on irrelevant differences between them
Legal Liability
The principle of legal liability may be viewed as an embodiment in legal doctrine of the ldquopolluter pays approach
Fault Based Liability
In a fault based liability regime a party is held liable if it breaches a preexisting legal duty for example an environmental standard
Strict Liability
Strict liability imposes an obligation to compensate the victim for harm resulting from actions or failure to take action which may not necessarily constitute a breach of any law or duty of care
Public Trust Doctrine
The State is not an absolute owner but a trustee of all natural resources which are by nature meant for public use and enjoyment subject to reasonable conditions necessary to protect the legitimate interest of a large number of people or for matters of strategic national interest
Decentralization
Decentralization involves ceding or transfer of power from a Central Authority to State and Local Authorities in order to empower public authorities having jurisdiction at the spatial level at which particular environmental issues are salient to address these issues
Integration
Integration refers to the inclusion of environmental considerations in sectoral policymaking the integration of the social and natural sciences in environment related policy research and the strengthening of relevant linkages among various agencies at the Central State and Local Self-Government levels charged with the implementation of environmental policies
Environmental Standard Setting
Environmental standards must reflect the economic and social development situation in which they apply Standards adopted in one society or context may have unacceptable economic and social costs if applied without discrimination in another society or context
Preventive Action
It is preferable to prevent environmental damage from occurring in the first place rather than attempting to restore degraded environmental resources after the fact
Environmental Offsetting
There is a general obligation to protect threatened or endangered species and natural systems that are of special importance to sustaining life providing livelihoods or general well-being
Regulatory Reforms
Revisiting the Policy and Legislative
Framework
Process Related Reforms
Substantive Reforms
Process Related Reforms
Approach
The objective is to reduce delays and levels of decision-making realize decentralization of environmental functions and ensure greater transparency and Accountability
Framework for Legal Action
A judicious mix of civil and criminal processes and sanctions will be employed in the legal regime for enforcement through a review of the existing legislation
Substantive Reforms
Environment and Forests Clearances
Under the new arrangements there would be significant devolution of powers to the StateUT level
Coastal Areas
Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
Monitoring of Compliance
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
LMOs
In order to ensure that development of biotechnology does not lead to unforeseen adverse impacts the following actions will be taken
Review the regulatory processes for LMOs so that all relevant scientific knowledge is taken into account and ecological health and economic concerns are adequately addressed
Periodically review the National Bio-safety Guidelines and Bio-safety Operations Manual to ensure that these are based on current scientific knowledge
Ensure the conservation of bio-diversity and human health when dealing with LMOs
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
The following actions will be taken
Identify and give legal status to Environmentally Sensitive Zones in the country having environmental entities with ldquoIncomparable valuesrdquo requiring special conservation efforts
Formulate area development plans for these zones on a scientific basis with adequate participation by the local communities
Create local institutions with adequate participation for the environmental management of such areas to ensure adherence to the approved area development plans which should be prepared in consultation with the local communities
Monitoring of Compliance
The following actions will be taken
Take measures including capacity development initiatives to enable Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to undertake monitoring of compliance with environmental management plans Measures will also be taken to encourage municipalities to annually report their environmental performance to their governing bodies
Develop feasible models of public-private partnerships to leverage financial technical and management resources of the private sector in setting up and operating infrastructure for monitoring of environmental compliance with ironclad safeguards against possible conflict of interest or collusion with the monitored entities
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
It is necessary that the costs associated with the degradation and depletion of natural resources be incorporated into the decisions of economic actors at various levels to reverse the tendency to treat these resources as ldquofree goodsrdquo and to pass the costs of degradation to other sections of society or to future generations of the country
Environment
The term environment refers to an organizationrsquos natural and human surroundings An organizationrsquos environment extends from within the organization itself to the global system and includes air water land flora fauna as well as human beings
Current Condition in India
Rapid growing Population
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Significance in India
WHY factor
India is the worlds sixth largest and second fastest growing producer of greenhouse gases
Delhi Mumbai and Chennai are three of the worlds ten most polluted cities
Two-thirds of city dwellers lack sewerage one-third lack potable water
India urban population grows equivalent of another New York City every year This equals to a projected urban population of over 500 million in 20 years
Trends in Environmental Management
Impact Assessment and Planning (IAP)
Assessing environmental and social impacts prior to setting up operations and obtaining environmental approval from the authorities is almost mandatory in most project categories IAP assessments may be required not only for newly constructed facilities but also for new operations that will be housed in an existing building
Environmental Liability and Clean-up
Foreign investment has resulted in heightened scrutiny of current and historic environmental liabilities associated with property transactions in India
Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance
The increasing desire of Indian companies to meet world class standards has caused established companies in India to take on sustainability initiatives as a means of improving their global brand and reputation
Climate Change
While India still lags the West in coming up with concrete regulations based on the development versus environment debate there is an increasing awareness in India that climate change is not about scoring points but about the existence of entire communities inside and outside of India
National Environmental Policy
The National Environment Policy seeks to extend the coverage and fill in gaps that still exist in light of present knowledge and accumulated experience
It does not displace but builds on the earlier policies
National Forest Policy 1988
National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development 1992
Policy Statement on Abatement of Pollution1992
The National Environment Policy is intended to mainstream environmental concerns in all development activities
Objectives of the National Environment Policy
Conservation of Critical Environmental Resources
To protect and conserve critical ecological systems and resources and invaluable natural and man-made heritage which are essential for life support livelihoods economic growth and a broad conception of human well-being
Intra-generational Equity Livelihood Security for the Poor
To ensure equitable access to environmental resources and quality for all sections of society and in particular to ensure that poor communities which are most dependent on environmental resources for their livelihoods are assured secure access to these resources
Environmental Governance
To apply the principles of good governance (transparency rationality accountability reduction in time and costs participation and regulatory independence) to the management and regulation of use of environmental resources
Enhancement of Resources for Environmental Conservation
To ensure higher resource flows comprising finance technology management skills traditional knowledge and social capital for environmental conservation through mutually beneficial multistakeholder partnerships between local communities public agencies the academic and research community investors and multilateral and bilateral development partners
Multilateral Development Banks are institutions that provide financial support and professional advice for economic and social development activities in developing countries The term Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) typically refers to the World Bank Group and four Regional Development BanksThe African Development BankThe Asian Development BankThe European Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentThe Inter-American Development Bank Group
Principles National Environment Policy
Human Beings are at the Centre of Sustainable Development Concerns
The Right to Development
The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations
Environmental Protection is an Integral part of the Development Process
The Precautionary Approach
Where there are credible threats of serious or irreversible damage to key environmental resources lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation
Economic Efficiency
The services of environmental resources be given economic value and such value to count equally with the economic values of other goods and services in analysis of alternative courses of action
Example Polluter Pays
Entities with ldquoIncomparablerdquo Values
Significant risks to human health life and environmental life-support systems besides certain other unique natural and man-made entities which may impact the well-being broadly conceived of large numbers of persons may be considered as rdquoIncomparablerdquo in that individuals or societies would not accept these risks for compensation in money or conventional goods and services
Equity
The cardinal principle of equity or justice requires that human beings cannot be treated differently based on irrelevant differences between them
Legal Liability
The principle of legal liability may be viewed as an embodiment in legal doctrine of the ldquopolluter pays approach
Fault Based Liability
In a fault based liability regime a party is held liable if it breaches a preexisting legal duty for example an environmental standard
Strict Liability
Strict liability imposes an obligation to compensate the victim for harm resulting from actions or failure to take action which may not necessarily constitute a breach of any law or duty of care
Public Trust Doctrine
The State is not an absolute owner but a trustee of all natural resources which are by nature meant for public use and enjoyment subject to reasonable conditions necessary to protect the legitimate interest of a large number of people or for matters of strategic national interest
Decentralization
Decentralization involves ceding or transfer of power from a Central Authority to State and Local Authorities in order to empower public authorities having jurisdiction at the spatial level at which particular environmental issues are salient to address these issues
Integration
Integration refers to the inclusion of environmental considerations in sectoral policymaking the integration of the social and natural sciences in environment related policy research and the strengthening of relevant linkages among various agencies at the Central State and Local Self-Government levels charged with the implementation of environmental policies
Environmental Standard Setting
Environmental standards must reflect the economic and social development situation in which they apply Standards adopted in one society or context may have unacceptable economic and social costs if applied without discrimination in another society or context
Preventive Action
It is preferable to prevent environmental damage from occurring in the first place rather than attempting to restore degraded environmental resources after the fact
Environmental Offsetting
There is a general obligation to protect threatened or endangered species and natural systems that are of special importance to sustaining life providing livelihoods or general well-being
Regulatory Reforms
Revisiting the Policy and Legislative
Framework
Process Related Reforms
Substantive Reforms
Process Related Reforms
Approach
The objective is to reduce delays and levels of decision-making realize decentralization of environmental functions and ensure greater transparency and Accountability
Framework for Legal Action
A judicious mix of civil and criminal processes and sanctions will be employed in the legal regime for enforcement through a review of the existing legislation
Substantive Reforms
Environment and Forests Clearances
Under the new arrangements there would be significant devolution of powers to the StateUT level
Coastal Areas
Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
Monitoring of Compliance
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
LMOs
In order to ensure that development of biotechnology does not lead to unforeseen adverse impacts the following actions will be taken
Review the regulatory processes for LMOs so that all relevant scientific knowledge is taken into account and ecological health and economic concerns are adequately addressed
Periodically review the National Bio-safety Guidelines and Bio-safety Operations Manual to ensure that these are based on current scientific knowledge
Ensure the conservation of bio-diversity and human health when dealing with LMOs
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
The following actions will be taken
Identify and give legal status to Environmentally Sensitive Zones in the country having environmental entities with ldquoIncomparable valuesrdquo requiring special conservation efforts
Formulate area development plans for these zones on a scientific basis with adequate participation by the local communities
Create local institutions with adequate participation for the environmental management of such areas to ensure adherence to the approved area development plans which should be prepared in consultation with the local communities
Monitoring of Compliance
The following actions will be taken
Take measures including capacity development initiatives to enable Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to undertake monitoring of compliance with environmental management plans Measures will also be taken to encourage municipalities to annually report their environmental performance to their governing bodies
Develop feasible models of public-private partnerships to leverage financial technical and management resources of the private sector in setting up and operating infrastructure for monitoring of environmental compliance with ironclad safeguards against possible conflict of interest or collusion with the monitored entities
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
It is necessary that the costs associated with the degradation and depletion of natural resources be incorporated into the decisions of economic actors at various levels to reverse the tendency to treat these resources as ldquofree goodsrdquo and to pass the costs of degradation to other sections of society or to future generations of the country
Environment
The term environment refers to an organizationrsquos natural and human surroundings An organizationrsquos environment extends from within the organization itself to the global system and includes air water land flora fauna as well as human beings
Current Condition in India
Rapid growing Population
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
National Forest Policy 1988
National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and Development 1992
Policy Statement on Abatement of Pollution1992
The National Environment Policy is intended to mainstream environmental concerns in all development activities
Objectives of the National Environment Policy
Conservation of Critical Environmental Resources
To protect and conserve critical ecological systems and resources and invaluable natural and man-made heritage which are essential for life support livelihoods economic growth and a broad conception of human well-being
Intra-generational Equity Livelihood Security for the Poor
To ensure equitable access to environmental resources and quality for all sections of society and in particular to ensure that poor communities which are most dependent on environmental resources for their livelihoods are assured secure access to these resources
Environmental Governance
To apply the principles of good governance (transparency rationality accountability reduction in time and costs participation and regulatory independence) to the management and regulation of use of environmental resources
Enhancement of Resources for Environmental Conservation
To ensure higher resource flows comprising finance technology management skills traditional knowledge and social capital for environmental conservation through mutually beneficial multistakeholder partnerships between local communities public agencies the academic and research community investors and multilateral and bilateral development partners
Multilateral Development Banks are institutions that provide financial support and professional advice for economic and social development activities in developing countries The term Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) typically refers to the World Bank Group and four Regional Development BanksThe African Development BankThe Asian Development BankThe European Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentThe Inter-American Development Bank Group
Principles National Environment Policy
Human Beings are at the Centre of Sustainable Development Concerns
The Right to Development
The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations
Environmental Protection is an Integral part of the Development Process
The Precautionary Approach
Where there are credible threats of serious or irreversible damage to key environmental resources lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation
Economic Efficiency
The services of environmental resources be given economic value and such value to count equally with the economic values of other goods and services in analysis of alternative courses of action
Example Polluter Pays
Entities with ldquoIncomparablerdquo Values
Significant risks to human health life and environmental life-support systems besides certain other unique natural and man-made entities which may impact the well-being broadly conceived of large numbers of persons may be considered as rdquoIncomparablerdquo in that individuals or societies would not accept these risks for compensation in money or conventional goods and services
Equity
The cardinal principle of equity or justice requires that human beings cannot be treated differently based on irrelevant differences between them
Legal Liability
The principle of legal liability may be viewed as an embodiment in legal doctrine of the ldquopolluter pays approach
Fault Based Liability
In a fault based liability regime a party is held liable if it breaches a preexisting legal duty for example an environmental standard
Strict Liability
Strict liability imposes an obligation to compensate the victim for harm resulting from actions or failure to take action which may not necessarily constitute a breach of any law or duty of care
Public Trust Doctrine
The State is not an absolute owner but a trustee of all natural resources which are by nature meant for public use and enjoyment subject to reasonable conditions necessary to protect the legitimate interest of a large number of people or for matters of strategic national interest
Decentralization
Decentralization involves ceding or transfer of power from a Central Authority to State and Local Authorities in order to empower public authorities having jurisdiction at the spatial level at which particular environmental issues are salient to address these issues
Integration
Integration refers to the inclusion of environmental considerations in sectoral policymaking the integration of the social and natural sciences in environment related policy research and the strengthening of relevant linkages among various agencies at the Central State and Local Self-Government levels charged with the implementation of environmental policies
Environmental Standard Setting
Environmental standards must reflect the economic and social development situation in which they apply Standards adopted in one society or context may have unacceptable economic and social costs if applied without discrimination in another society or context
Preventive Action
It is preferable to prevent environmental damage from occurring in the first place rather than attempting to restore degraded environmental resources after the fact
Environmental Offsetting
There is a general obligation to protect threatened or endangered species and natural systems that are of special importance to sustaining life providing livelihoods or general well-being
Regulatory Reforms
Revisiting the Policy and Legislative
Framework
Process Related Reforms
Substantive Reforms
Process Related Reforms
Approach
The objective is to reduce delays and levels of decision-making realize decentralization of environmental functions and ensure greater transparency and Accountability
Framework for Legal Action
A judicious mix of civil and criminal processes and sanctions will be employed in the legal regime for enforcement through a review of the existing legislation
Substantive Reforms
Environment and Forests Clearances
Under the new arrangements there would be significant devolution of powers to the StateUT level
Coastal Areas
Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
Monitoring of Compliance
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
LMOs
In order to ensure that development of biotechnology does not lead to unforeseen adverse impacts the following actions will be taken
Review the regulatory processes for LMOs so that all relevant scientific knowledge is taken into account and ecological health and economic concerns are adequately addressed
Periodically review the National Bio-safety Guidelines and Bio-safety Operations Manual to ensure that these are based on current scientific knowledge
Ensure the conservation of bio-diversity and human health when dealing with LMOs
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
The following actions will be taken
Identify and give legal status to Environmentally Sensitive Zones in the country having environmental entities with ldquoIncomparable valuesrdquo requiring special conservation efforts
Formulate area development plans for these zones on a scientific basis with adequate participation by the local communities
Create local institutions with adequate participation for the environmental management of such areas to ensure adherence to the approved area development plans which should be prepared in consultation with the local communities
Monitoring of Compliance
The following actions will be taken
Take measures including capacity development initiatives to enable Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to undertake monitoring of compliance with environmental management plans Measures will also be taken to encourage municipalities to annually report their environmental performance to their governing bodies
Develop feasible models of public-private partnerships to leverage financial technical and management resources of the private sector in setting up and operating infrastructure for monitoring of environmental compliance with ironclad safeguards against possible conflict of interest or collusion with the monitored entities
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
It is necessary that the costs associated with the degradation and depletion of natural resources be incorporated into the decisions of economic actors at various levels to reverse the tendency to treat these resources as ldquofree goodsrdquo and to pass the costs of degradation to other sections of society or to future generations of the country
Environment
The term environment refers to an organizationrsquos natural and human surroundings An organizationrsquos environment extends from within the organization itself to the global system and includes air water land flora fauna as well as human beings
Current Condition in India
Rapid growing Population
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Principles National Environment Policy
Human Beings are at the Centre of Sustainable Development Concerns
The Right to Development
The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations
Environmental Protection is an Integral part of the Development Process
The Precautionary Approach
Where there are credible threats of serious or irreversible damage to key environmental resources lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation
Economic Efficiency
The services of environmental resources be given economic value and such value to count equally with the economic values of other goods and services in analysis of alternative courses of action
Example Polluter Pays
Entities with ldquoIncomparablerdquo Values
Significant risks to human health life and environmental life-support systems besides certain other unique natural and man-made entities which may impact the well-being broadly conceived of large numbers of persons may be considered as rdquoIncomparablerdquo in that individuals or societies would not accept these risks for compensation in money or conventional goods and services
Equity
The cardinal principle of equity or justice requires that human beings cannot be treated differently based on irrelevant differences between them
Legal Liability
The principle of legal liability may be viewed as an embodiment in legal doctrine of the ldquopolluter pays approach
Fault Based Liability
In a fault based liability regime a party is held liable if it breaches a preexisting legal duty for example an environmental standard
Strict Liability
Strict liability imposes an obligation to compensate the victim for harm resulting from actions or failure to take action which may not necessarily constitute a breach of any law or duty of care
Public Trust Doctrine
The State is not an absolute owner but a trustee of all natural resources which are by nature meant for public use and enjoyment subject to reasonable conditions necessary to protect the legitimate interest of a large number of people or for matters of strategic national interest
Decentralization
Decentralization involves ceding or transfer of power from a Central Authority to State and Local Authorities in order to empower public authorities having jurisdiction at the spatial level at which particular environmental issues are salient to address these issues
Integration
Integration refers to the inclusion of environmental considerations in sectoral policymaking the integration of the social and natural sciences in environment related policy research and the strengthening of relevant linkages among various agencies at the Central State and Local Self-Government levels charged with the implementation of environmental policies
Environmental Standard Setting
Environmental standards must reflect the economic and social development situation in which they apply Standards adopted in one society or context may have unacceptable economic and social costs if applied without discrimination in another society or context
Preventive Action
It is preferable to prevent environmental damage from occurring in the first place rather than attempting to restore degraded environmental resources after the fact
Environmental Offsetting
There is a general obligation to protect threatened or endangered species and natural systems that are of special importance to sustaining life providing livelihoods or general well-being
Regulatory Reforms
Revisiting the Policy and Legislative
Framework
Process Related Reforms
Substantive Reforms
Process Related Reforms
Approach
The objective is to reduce delays and levels of decision-making realize decentralization of environmental functions and ensure greater transparency and Accountability
Framework for Legal Action
A judicious mix of civil and criminal processes and sanctions will be employed in the legal regime for enforcement through a review of the existing legislation
Substantive Reforms
Environment and Forests Clearances
Under the new arrangements there would be significant devolution of powers to the StateUT level
Coastal Areas
Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
Monitoring of Compliance
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
LMOs
In order to ensure that development of biotechnology does not lead to unforeseen adverse impacts the following actions will be taken
Review the regulatory processes for LMOs so that all relevant scientific knowledge is taken into account and ecological health and economic concerns are adequately addressed
Periodically review the National Bio-safety Guidelines and Bio-safety Operations Manual to ensure that these are based on current scientific knowledge
Ensure the conservation of bio-diversity and human health when dealing with LMOs
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
The following actions will be taken
Identify and give legal status to Environmentally Sensitive Zones in the country having environmental entities with ldquoIncomparable valuesrdquo requiring special conservation efforts
Formulate area development plans for these zones on a scientific basis with adequate participation by the local communities
Create local institutions with adequate participation for the environmental management of such areas to ensure adherence to the approved area development plans which should be prepared in consultation with the local communities
Monitoring of Compliance
The following actions will be taken
Take measures including capacity development initiatives to enable Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to undertake monitoring of compliance with environmental management plans Measures will also be taken to encourage municipalities to annually report their environmental performance to their governing bodies
Develop feasible models of public-private partnerships to leverage financial technical and management resources of the private sector in setting up and operating infrastructure for monitoring of environmental compliance with ironclad safeguards against possible conflict of interest or collusion with the monitored entities
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
It is necessary that the costs associated with the degradation and depletion of natural resources be incorporated into the decisions of economic actors at various levels to reverse the tendency to treat these resources as ldquofree goodsrdquo and to pass the costs of degradation to other sections of society or to future generations of the country
Environment
The term environment refers to an organizationrsquos natural and human surroundings An organizationrsquos environment extends from within the organization itself to the global system and includes air water land flora fauna as well as human beings
Current Condition in India
Rapid growing Population
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Strict Liability
Strict liability imposes an obligation to compensate the victim for harm resulting from actions or failure to take action which may not necessarily constitute a breach of any law or duty of care
Public Trust Doctrine
The State is not an absolute owner but a trustee of all natural resources which are by nature meant for public use and enjoyment subject to reasonable conditions necessary to protect the legitimate interest of a large number of people or for matters of strategic national interest
Decentralization
Decentralization involves ceding or transfer of power from a Central Authority to State and Local Authorities in order to empower public authorities having jurisdiction at the spatial level at which particular environmental issues are salient to address these issues
Integration
Integration refers to the inclusion of environmental considerations in sectoral policymaking the integration of the social and natural sciences in environment related policy research and the strengthening of relevant linkages among various agencies at the Central State and Local Self-Government levels charged with the implementation of environmental policies
Environmental Standard Setting
Environmental standards must reflect the economic and social development situation in which they apply Standards adopted in one society or context may have unacceptable economic and social costs if applied without discrimination in another society or context
Preventive Action
It is preferable to prevent environmental damage from occurring in the first place rather than attempting to restore degraded environmental resources after the fact
Environmental Offsetting
There is a general obligation to protect threatened or endangered species and natural systems that are of special importance to sustaining life providing livelihoods or general well-being
Regulatory Reforms
Revisiting the Policy and Legislative
Framework
Process Related Reforms
Substantive Reforms
Process Related Reforms
Approach
The objective is to reduce delays and levels of decision-making realize decentralization of environmental functions and ensure greater transparency and Accountability
Framework for Legal Action
A judicious mix of civil and criminal processes and sanctions will be employed in the legal regime for enforcement through a review of the existing legislation
Substantive Reforms
Environment and Forests Clearances
Under the new arrangements there would be significant devolution of powers to the StateUT level
Coastal Areas
Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
Monitoring of Compliance
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
LMOs
In order to ensure that development of biotechnology does not lead to unforeseen adverse impacts the following actions will be taken
Review the regulatory processes for LMOs so that all relevant scientific knowledge is taken into account and ecological health and economic concerns are adequately addressed
Periodically review the National Bio-safety Guidelines and Bio-safety Operations Manual to ensure that these are based on current scientific knowledge
Ensure the conservation of bio-diversity and human health when dealing with LMOs
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
The following actions will be taken
Identify and give legal status to Environmentally Sensitive Zones in the country having environmental entities with ldquoIncomparable valuesrdquo requiring special conservation efforts
Formulate area development plans for these zones on a scientific basis with adequate participation by the local communities
Create local institutions with adequate participation for the environmental management of such areas to ensure adherence to the approved area development plans which should be prepared in consultation with the local communities
Monitoring of Compliance
The following actions will be taken
Take measures including capacity development initiatives to enable Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to undertake monitoring of compliance with environmental management plans Measures will also be taken to encourage municipalities to annually report their environmental performance to their governing bodies
Develop feasible models of public-private partnerships to leverage financial technical and management resources of the private sector in setting up and operating infrastructure for monitoring of environmental compliance with ironclad safeguards against possible conflict of interest or collusion with the monitored entities
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
It is necessary that the costs associated with the degradation and depletion of natural resources be incorporated into the decisions of economic actors at various levels to reverse the tendency to treat these resources as ldquofree goodsrdquo and to pass the costs of degradation to other sections of society or to future generations of the country
Environment
The term environment refers to an organizationrsquos natural and human surroundings An organizationrsquos environment extends from within the organization itself to the global system and includes air water land flora fauna as well as human beings
Current Condition in India
Rapid growing Population
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Regulatory Reforms
Revisiting the Policy and Legislative
Framework
Process Related Reforms
Substantive Reforms
Process Related Reforms
Approach
The objective is to reduce delays and levels of decision-making realize decentralization of environmental functions and ensure greater transparency and Accountability
Framework for Legal Action
A judicious mix of civil and criminal processes and sanctions will be employed in the legal regime for enforcement through a review of the existing legislation
Substantive Reforms
Environment and Forests Clearances
Under the new arrangements there would be significant devolution of powers to the StateUT level
Coastal Areas
Living Modified Organisms (LMOs)
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
Monitoring of Compliance
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
LMOs
In order to ensure that development of biotechnology does not lead to unforeseen adverse impacts the following actions will be taken
Review the regulatory processes for LMOs so that all relevant scientific knowledge is taken into account and ecological health and economic concerns are adequately addressed
Periodically review the National Bio-safety Guidelines and Bio-safety Operations Manual to ensure that these are based on current scientific knowledge
Ensure the conservation of bio-diversity and human health when dealing with LMOs
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
The following actions will be taken
Identify and give legal status to Environmentally Sensitive Zones in the country having environmental entities with ldquoIncomparable valuesrdquo requiring special conservation efforts
Formulate area development plans for these zones on a scientific basis with adequate participation by the local communities
Create local institutions with adequate participation for the environmental management of such areas to ensure adherence to the approved area development plans which should be prepared in consultation with the local communities
Monitoring of Compliance
The following actions will be taken
Take measures including capacity development initiatives to enable Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to undertake monitoring of compliance with environmental management plans Measures will also be taken to encourage municipalities to annually report their environmental performance to their governing bodies
Develop feasible models of public-private partnerships to leverage financial technical and management resources of the private sector in setting up and operating infrastructure for monitoring of environmental compliance with ironclad safeguards against possible conflict of interest or collusion with the monitored entities
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
It is necessary that the costs associated with the degradation and depletion of natural resources be incorporated into the decisions of economic actors at various levels to reverse the tendency to treat these resources as ldquofree goodsrdquo and to pass the costs of degradation to other sections of society or to future generations of the country
Environment
The term environment refers to an organizationrsquos natural and human surroundings An organizationrsquos environment extends from within the organization itself to the global system and includes air water land flora fauna as well as human beings
Current Condition in India
Rapid growing Population
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Ensure the conservation of bio-diversity and human health when dealing with LMOs
Environmentally Sensitive Zones
The following actions will be taken
Identify and give legal status to Environmentally Sensitive Zones in the country having environmental entities with ldquoIncomparable valuesrdquo requiring special conservation efforts
Formulate area development plans for these zones on a scientific basis with adequate participation by the local communities
Create local institutions with adequate participation for the environmental management of such areas to ensure adherence to the approved area development plans which should be prepared in consultation with the local communities
Monitoring of Compliance
The following actions will be taken
Take measures including capacity development initiatives to enable Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies to undertake monitoring of compliance with environmental management plans Measures will also be taken to encourage municipalities to annually report their environmental performance to their governing bodies
Develop feasible models of public-private partnerships to leverage financial technical and management resources of the private sector in setting up and operating infrastructure for monitoring of environmental compliance with ironclad safeguards against possible conflict of interest or collusion with the monitored entities
Use of Economic Principles in Environmental Decision-making
It is necessary that the costs associated with the degradation and depletion of natural resources be incorporated into the decisions of economic actors at various levels to reverse the tendency to treat these resources as ldquofree goodsrdquo and to pass the costs of degradation to other sections of society or to future generations of the country
Environment
The term environment refers to an organizationrsquos natural and human surroundings An organizationrsquos environment extends from within the organization itself to the global system and includes air water land flora fauna as well as human beings
Current Condition in India
Rapid growing Population
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Economic Development
Uncontrolled Growth of Urbanization
Industrialization Globalisation
Expansion and Massive Intensification of agriculture
Destruction of Forests
Rapid Growth of Population50 of population to be in Urban cities by 2020UN projection half of world population to stay in Urban cities by 2008
Environmental Conflict
India lags behind in putting forward any system for planned management of its fragile eco-system that is in constant conflict with the needs of development
Indian scenario is bleak what with all round failures in arresting the population growth with attendant pressures on land and scarce natural resources increasing urbanisation industrialisation growth in rapacious consumption wasteful life styles
In India relationship between westernised models of development and the preservation environment on the face of its fight against poverty the conflict exists broadly on three levels-
o Some castigate excessive concern for environment as a result of conspiracy of the developed nations against progress in the underdeveloped countries like India and maintain that India may address issues concerning environment only after it reaches the level of production and consumption of the industrialised nations
Some others feel that concern for environment is bound to divert attention from the problems of the poor Environment to this group has nothing to do with trying to give a better deal to the large and ever growing population
Some believe that in India at least the very large and ever-growing population is responsible for the environment crises
Environmental Issues in India
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Resource depletion (water mineral forest sand rocks etc) is an economic term referring to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region
Environmental Degradation
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Public health
Loss of biodiversity
Loss of resilience in ecosystems
Livelihood security for the poor
Forest and Agricultural Degradation of land
Degradation means reduction of
Forest quality - the density and structure of the trees the ecological services supplied the biomass of plants and animals the species diversity
Fertility and output Quality of Agricultural Land
Biomass is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time
Causes
Land clearance such as clearcutting and deforestation
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices
Livestock including overgrazing
Inappropriate Irrigation and overdrafting
Urban sprawl and Commercial development
Land pollution including industrial waste
Vehicle off-roading
Quarrying of stone sand ore and minerals
Overdrafting is the process of extracting groundwater beyond the safe yield or equilibrium yield of the aquiferAn aquifer is a wet underground layerThe Urban sprawl is the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a cityA commercial clear cut is when cutters remove only the valuable trees and leave others standing
Effects
Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
Soil acidification and the formation of acid sulfate soil resulting in barren soil
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Soil alkalinisation owing to irrigation with water containing sodium bicarbonate leading to poor soil structure and reduced crop yields
Soil salination in irrigated land requiring soil salinity control to reclaim the land
Soil waterlogging in irrigated land which calls for some form of subsurface land drainage to remediate the negative effects
Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter
Environmental Degradation
is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources such as air water and soil
the destruction of ecosystems
the extinction of wildlife
Water resources
Usage of Ground and Underground water by the Industry - causes huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge
85 of rural drinking water and 55 of urban water comes from underground sources has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop
The rivers are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste
Deforestation
almost 53 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence for housing industrialisation and river projects
Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation- Poaching
The invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc
Eucalyptus is water intensive and nutrient intensive
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Eucalyptus is toxic due to allelopathic properties which serve to reduce not only other plant life including crops by restricting germination of other species but is also detrimental to soil micro and macrofaunamacrofauna (biology) in soil science animals that are one centimetre or more long but smaller than an earthworm Potworms myriapods centipedes millipedes
Public Health
Public health has often been defined as a science dealing with the determinants and defence of health at the population level while clinical medicine deals with multiple maladies and their remedies at the level of an individual patient
Public health aims to understand and influence the social cultural and economic determinants of health as well as to study and structure health systems as efficient channels for health services delivery
Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the distribution and number variety and variability of living organisms over time
Biodiversity may be diversity within species (genetic diversity) between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity)
Biodiversity includes all ecosystemsmdashwildlands nature preserves or national parks plantations farms croplands aquaculture sites rangelands and urban parks too have their own biodiversity
Loss in biodiversity has direct and indirect negative effects on Food security Vulnerability Health Energy security Clean water and Social relations
Fragmentation of habitats and the sharp decline in small subpopulations of plants and animals bring them on the edge of decline
18 domestic poultry breeds are under threat and around 40 species of plants and animals have extincted
India has lost about 40 of its mangroves and some crucial part of its wetlands
Major problems with biodiversity conservation
Low priority for conservation of living natural resources
Exploitation of living natural resources for monetary gain
Values and knowledge about the species and ecosystem inadequately known
Unplanned urbanization and uncontrolled industrialization
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Major biodiversity threats
Habitat destruction
Extension of agriculture
Filling up of wetlands
Conversion of rich bio-diversity site for Human settlement and industrial development
Destruction of coastal areas
Uncontrolled commercial exploitation
Loss of resilience in ecosystem
Ecosystem resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to cope with disturbances such as storms fire and pollution without shifting into a qualitatively different state
A resilient ecosystem has the capacity to withstand shocks and surprises and if damaged to rebuild itself
In a resilient ecosystem the process of rebuilding after disturbance promotes renewal and innovation
Without resilience ecosystems become vulnerable to the effects of disturbance that previously could be absorbed
Livelihood security for the poor
Poor farmers are unable to cope with adverse climatic conditions can only resort to seasonal migration due to lack of any productive assets or availability of alternative employment options in the village
Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity changing cropping patterns increase in distress migration changing consumption patterns government policies favouring industrial houses among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households
Environmental issues in India
Water pollution
Growing water scarcity
Air pollution
Poor management of waste
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Falling groundwater tables
Preservation and quality of forests
Biodiversity loss and landsoil degradation
Water pollution
Discharge of untreated sewage is single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India
Large gap between generation and treatment of domestic wastewater in India
India lacks sufficient treatment capacity
Sewage treatment plants that exist do not operate and are not maintained
Improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants together with absentee employees and poor management
The untreated industrial wastes have resulted in calcium magnesium fluoride mercury beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters
The water has high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand) ammonia phosphate chloride chromium arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide in many of the dwellings along the industrial belt
The ground water also contains nickel and selenium while the tap water has high concentration of lead nickel and cadmium
Endosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globallyHeptachlor is an organochlorine compound that was used as an insecticideAcaricide An agent usually a chemical that kills mites
Water is Precious and scarce Resource
Only a small fraction (about 3) is fresh water
India is the wettest country in the world but rainfall is highly uneven with time and space (with extremely low in Rajasthan and high in North-East)
On an average there are only 40 rainy days
Out of 4000 BCM(Billion Cubic Meter) rainfall received about 600 BCM is put to use so far
Water resources are over-exploited resulting in major Water Quality problems
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
Preamble Maintaining and restoring of wholesomeness of water ndash level of WQ
Provision for consent
Every polluter (industry or municipality) has to obtain consent from SPCBsPCCs-State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Pollution Control Committee (PCC)
Consent is conditional
Standards prescribed for effluents
Monitoring the compliance
Major Factors Responsible for WQ Degradation
Domestic 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated
Industrial About 57000 polluting industries in India generate about 13468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly 60 (generated from large amp medium industries) is treated
Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads mainly in rainy season Pesticides consumption is about 100000 tonnesyear of which AP Haryana Punjab TN WB Gujarat UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers
Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in surface water which contribute pathogens the main source of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in water bodies
Sewage along with agricultural run-off and industrial effluents also contributes large amount of nutrients in surface water causing eutrophication
A large part of the domestic sewage is not even collected This results in stagnation of sewage within city a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminate the groundwater the only source of drinking water in many cities
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL STRATEGY
Urban sources ndash National River Action Plan
Industrial Sources ndash through consent ( SPCB)
Special Drives 17 categories of industries
Industries discharging into rivers and lakes
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
24 Problem areas action plan
Environmental auditing
Common effluent treatment plants for cluster of SSI units (124)
Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology
Recent efforts to address water issues
US$100 billion project to interlink all major river networks in India
Connect water-deficient areas to water-abundant ones by interlinking 37 Indian rivers
Transfer water through 30 links across 9600 kilometers and the project would connect 32 dams
Aims a transformation of Indias water treatment management transmission and distribution
Water Scarcity- Indian Scenario
The thirst of water for Indiarsquos rapid development is growing day by day
Large area under the less water conditionsdrought prone
The quality of groundwater is not good
Water supply of the 90 of Indiarsquos territory is served by inter-state rivers
Growing number of conflicts across the states on water sharing issues
Major Reasons behind Water Scarcity
Population growth and Food production (Agriculture)
Increasing construction infrastructure development Activities
Massive urbanization and industrialization throughout the country
Climatic change and variability- Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions (Deforestation etc)
Lack of implementation of effective water management systems
httpyoutubeXGgYTcPzexE
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Air Pollution
Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70 of the countryrsquos air pollution
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India
Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago industrial pollution has risen four times
At average trip speeds between 20 to 40 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emission was twice and At average trip speeds between 5 to 20 kilometers per hour the cars pollutant emissions were 4 to 8 times as much as much as when the average speed was 55 to 75 kilometers per hour
Some Indian taxis and auto-rickshaws run on adulterated fuel blends
Some adulterants increase emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles worsening urban air pollution
Fuel adulteration is essentially an unintended consequence of tax policies and the attempt to control fuel prices in the name of fairness
Indiarsquos environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation
Emits a high amount of carbon and greenhouse gases
Harmful pollutants like nitrogen and sulphur oxides emitted by aircraft at approximately 35000ft combine with other gases in the atmosphere to create noxious particulate matter
8000 people will die due to aircraft pollutants this year and 3500 of them would be from India and China
Fuelwood and biomass burning is the primary reason for near-permanent haze and smoke observed above rural and urban India and in satellite pictures of the country
Fuelwood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating in over 100 million Indian households and are used two to three times a day daily
World Health Organization claim 300000 to 400000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning and use of chullahs
Recent trends in Indias air quality
Most Indian cities continue to violate Indias and world air quality PM10 targets Respirable particulate matter pollution remains a key challenge for India
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
A decreasing trend has been observed in sulphur dioxide levels in residential areas of many cities such as Delhi Mumbai Lucknow Bhopal during last few years The decreasing trend in sulphur dioxide levels may be due to recently introduced clean fuel standards and the increasing use of LPG as domestic fuel instead of coal or fuelwood and the use of LPG instead of diesel in certain vehicles
PM10 (meaning Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter)
Most Indian cities greatly exceed acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter This is because of refuse and biomass burning vehicles emissions power plant emissions industrial sources
The Indian air quality monitoring stations reported lower levels of PM10 and suspended particulate matter during monsoon months possibly due to wet deposition and air scrubbing by rainfall Higher levels of particulates were observed during winter months
Poor management of waste
Huge amount of wastage pileups have been created in the cities because of high population density and congestion in most Indian cities
Large numbers of factories have been established across the city area and in the outer circles of the city which ignore the system of proper waste disposal
Unplanned drains coming out of the slum areas
Drainage water gets added to the drinking water and resulting in serious health problem to the public
In India ineffective drainage has been a major reason for the spread of water borne diseases
Improper disposal of bio-medical waste by several health centres mainly dental clinics primary health centres community health centres and diagnostic centres poses a health hazard to the general public sanitation workers and rag pickers
Lack of regular supervision of health centres by the Pollution Control Board on disposal of bio-medical waste
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years
The decline is due to expanding agriculture which in turn has increased water demand
Climate change may also accelerate declines in groundwater in some places as precipitation patterns are becoming more extreme increasing the severity of droughts
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Groundwater currently makes up about 97 percent of all the available fresh water on the planet and presently accounts for about 40 percent of our total water supply
Precipitation is Rain sleet hail snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Falling groundwater tables
Groundwater is a key driver of the global economy If it becomes depleted entire industries may be forced to shut down or move Whole regions could face acute water scarcity
Over-extraction also has serious implications for the environment especially when the climate is warming as falling water tables can lead to emptying lakes and rivers and dying landscapes as the water they depended on is withdrawn
In the 10 years since Coca-Cola started operations (2000-2010) groundwater levels have plummeted 2535 meters (832 feet)
Preservation and quality of forests
When deforestation perpetrates a whole gamut of consequences from soil infertility to global warming arises
Depletion of forests increases the risk of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere with the resultant effect of the reduction of the ozone layer which leads to global warming
Global warming is said to pose a serious danger to civilisation because of its devastating effects on the ecosystem
Deforestation changes the quantity of water that percolates into the soil which results in reduction of evaporation
Preservation and quality of forests
Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental issue
Indias forest cover to be about 68 million hectares or about 20 percent of the countrys area
Indias consumption of fuelwood is about five times higher than what can be sustainably removed from forests
The variety and distribution of forest vegetation is large There are 600 species of hardwoods
To achieve sustainable forest and ecological security
India must pursue rural development and animal husbandry policies to address local communities need to find affordable cattle fodder and grazing
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
To avoid destruction of local forest cover fodder must reach these communities on reliable roads and other infrastructure in all seasons year round
Revenue generated from lease of mines must be pooled into a dedicated fund to conserve and improve the quality of forests in the region where the mines are located
Power to declare ecologically sensitive areas must be with each Indian state
Sustainable agro-forestry and farm forestry must be encouraged through financial and regulatory reforms particularly on privately owned lands
Government should reform regulations and laws that encourages sustainable Growth of Forest
Social organisations and Local people be involved in activities that preserve and conserve forest and to maintain ecological security
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is defined as lsquothe variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part this includes diversity within species between species and of ecosystemsrsquo
India has a total of 89451 animal species accounting for 731 of the faunal species in the world and the flora accounts for 1078 of the global total
44 plant species are critically endangered 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable Amongst animals 18 are critically endangered 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable
The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation
However the Underlying causes of biodiversity loss are
Poverty
Macroeconomic policies
International trade factors
Policy failures
Poor environmental lawweak enforcement
Unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources
Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests and consequently its biodiversity
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Industrial Ecology CSR and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology is the study
ndash of the flows of materials and energy in industrial and consumer activities
ndash of the effects of these flows on the environment
ndash and of the influence of economic political regulatory and social factors of the flow use and transformation of resources
Industrial Ecology has been defined as a systems-based multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behaviour of complex integrated humannatural systems The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives usually involving aspects of sociology the environment economy and technology
Industrial ecology operates at 3 levels
o Firms
design for environment
pollution prevention
eco-efficiency
green accounting
environmental management
o Across Firms
industrial symbiosis
product life-cycles
industrial sector initiatives
o Regional Global
materials and energy flow studies
policies and strategies
supply chain management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about business and industry taking responsibilities beyond that of creating economic value
ldquoA concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisrdquo
CSR policy functions as a built-in self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law ethical standards and international norms
The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment consumers employees communities stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere
Corporate Social Responsibility in India
The problem with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that nobody is very clear about what exactly it encompasses
The Indian government has been trying to make it mandatory for companies to spend at least 2 of net profits on CSR
Facing strong criticism it gave up the effort in mid-July 2011 and made the spending voluntary
Instead of defining CSR the Indian government recast it as responsible business in a set of voluntary guidelines for firms
No Clear Definition but Plenty of Debate
CSR should actually relate to the way you conduct your business whereas it gets confused with giving to the local communities in which you operate
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development in India
Sustainable development in India encompasses a variety of development schemes in social cleantech (clean energy clean water and sustainable agriculture) and human resources segments
India is expected to begin the greening of its national income accounting making depletion in natural resources wealth a key component in its measurement of gross domestic product (GDP)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
Major Achievements
The number of carbon credits issued for emission reduction projects in India is set to triple to 246 million by December 2012 from 72 million in November 2009
This will cement Indias second position in the global carbon credits market (technically called Certified Emission Reduction units or CERs)
Indias renewable energy capacity to increase to 20000 megawatt (MW) by December 2012 from the current 15542 MW
The contribution of renewable energy to the power business in India has now reached 70 per cent compared to 10 per cent in 2000
Growth in use of green technologies has put India on the green-building leader board with countries such as the US About 2-3 per cent of all construction in India is green as good as (in) the US In the next two or three years we want to bring it up to 10 per cent which will put us on top
The US$ 179 billion Indian lighting market is estimated to be growing at 18 per cent annually and switching rapidly to energy-efficient systems
On the back of the incentive package for electric vehicles average monthly sales of electric two-wheelers has risen 20 per cent
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) the Navratna PSU under the Union Ministry of Mines Govt of India has become the first PSU in the country by implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration project on Carbon Sequestration in its captive power plant at Angul
Corporate Investments
State-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) has entered into an agreement with a Germany-based specialty chemicals maker Evonik Industries for setting up a multi-million Hydrogen Peroxide and Propylene Oxide (HPPO) project at Dahej in Gujarat This project would be based on an innovative environment friendly HPPO technology
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) an agency of the US Government has signed an agreement with Azure Power to fund its 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Gujarat The investment in the US$ 40 million project will be led by OPIC
The worldrsquos first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries will be set up at Bavla near Ahmedabad Firefly Energy India is planning to build a plant to produce carbon foam batteries at an investment of US$ 28 million
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
State Bank of India (SBI) the countryrsquos largest lender has become a signatory investor in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) a collaboration of over 550 global institutional investors with assets under management of US$ 71 trillion
CDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world Over 3000 organsations across the worldrsquos largest economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP These disclosures aid them in setting reduction targets and make performance improvements
National Solar Mission
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed that the progress in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is satisfactory and according to schedule
The Ministry has sanctioned 802 MW capacities of grid-connected solar projects and 36 MW of off-grid solar projects
In addition six major research projects include setting up of National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education at IIT-Bombay were also approved
Government Initiatives
Planned launch of National Mission in hybrid and electric vehicles
Allocations of US$ 8941 million from National Clean Energy fund for speeding up The National Mission for a Green India
The budget of the Environment Ministry increased by around US$ 671 million
Extension of Tax holiday for the power sector by one year
A budgetary provision (2011-12) of US$ 566 million has been made for research and development in new and renewable energy for the first four years of the 11th Five Year Plan of the MNRE
The government would dole out US$ 335 million over the next two years to banks and finance companies to lend money to solar energy projects at a generous 5 per cent interest rate top government official said The money would be lent to small solar projects adding up to 200 MW by companies like Sidbi Nabard and National Housing Bank These lenders would be provided interest-free loans by IREDA
IFC will provide up to US$ 15 million in corporate equity financing to Simran Wind Project Private Limited (Simran) a privately-owned entity which is into wind-based power production The company will use the money to finance its pipeline projects worth US$ 40 million in Tamil Nadu
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
IFC ndash International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group It finances and provides advice for private sector ventures and projects in developing countries
Punjab government has initiated an ambitious clean energy project to generate 1500 MW power from the lsquorun of the canal turbinesrsquo The Punjab Energy Development Agency (Peda) has already developed an indigenous prototype of the turbines
To facilitate fast track exploration of shale gas the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas expects the process of carving out suitable blocks to be completed by April 2011 which would allow floating of the first round of auctions of shale gas blocks in August 2011
Solairedirect Energy India is in talks with the Gujarat government to set up a 20 MW plant at the Solar Energy Park in Kutch at an estimated cost of US$ 671 million
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas
Reference Text10487141048714Krishnamoorthy Environmental Management (Prentice - Hall India)10487141048714Vijay S Chitris Changing face of the planet and Environmental Law (Snow White)10487141048714Tietenberg Environmental amp Natural Resources Economics (Pearson)10487141048714GN Pandey Environment Management (Vikas)10487141048714YK Saxena amp NK Oberol Environment Emplaned (Excel)10487141048714NK Oberol Environmental Management (Excel Books)
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