ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN INDIA

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN INDIA

Major Issues

• India supports 16% of world population in 2.4% of area
  
• 60% of cultivable land estimated to suffer soil erosion, waterlogging and salinity
  
• From 1947 to 2002, average per capita availability of water decreased 70%
  
• Overexploitation of groundwater in Haryana, Punjab and UP 
  
• Net result: rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, increased frequency of drought
  
• Environmental degradation is estimated to cost the equivalent of 4% of India’s GDP. After environmental corrections, India’s economic growth rate falls down to about 4.5%
  

Water Supply

• No city in India with population more than 1m distributes water for more than a few hours a day
• Longest duration of supply: Chandigarh (12 hrs/day). Shortest: Rajkot (0.3 hrs/day). Average: 4.3 hrs/day
• Continuous water available in: Jamshedpur (population 570000), Navi Mumbai (for about 50% of its 1m population), Badlapur in Greater Bombay (30% of its population)

Water Degradation

• Only 30% of wastewater is treated. Rest flows into rivers or groundwater
• Of 3119 cities in India, only 209 have partial wastewater treatment facilities, only 8 have full treatment facilities
• 114 cities dump untreated sewage and partially cremated bodies into the Ganges
• Fecal bacteria in the Ganges is 3000 over safety limit. In the Yamuna it is 10000 times over safety limit
• Around 65% of the rivers had Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) below 3mg/l, while 15% rivers had BOD more than 6mg/l. The situation has been improving over the last decade but remains critical.

Atmospheric Degradation

• Vehicular emissions cause up to 33% of air pollution in India
  
• In Bangalore, around 50% of children suffer from asthma
  
• Consistent haze and smoke is caused in northwestern India due to the burning of biomass
  

Land Degradation

• Almost 50% of cultivable land affected by soil erosion
• Deforestation of Shivalik Hills, Himalayas, Western and Eastern Ghats resulting in frequent floods
  
• Increased sedimentation of rivers and silting of water reservoirs
  
• Extensive illegal quarrying and mining
  

INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN INDIA

ADDRESSING RURAL SANITATION

Community-led Total Sanitation

• Public-private partnership
• Introduced in Maharashtra in 2002
• Primarily aims to create Open Defecation Free communities in rural areas
• Communities mobilize themselves to construct latrines and achieve total sanitation
• Currently active in about 2000 gram panchayats over Maharashtra
• Only urban local body where CLTS has been implemented is Kalyani near Calcutta
• Initiated by the Ministry of Rural Development

ADDRESSING WATER DEGRADATION

Ganga Action Plan

• Launched by GoI in 1985 to reduce pollution
  
• 1.0 MLD of sewage treatment targeted
  
• Plan failed to decrease pollution after spending Rs 900 crore over 15 years. Declared closed in 2000
  
• Yamuna and Gomati included in GAP Phase II
  
• Implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
  

National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)

• Launched in 1993 to clean up major rivers
  
• Involves
  
  • Interception and diversion of sewage
    
  • Sewage treatment plants
    
  • Construction of crematoria and sanitation facilities
    
  • River front development
    
• Fully funded by Central government
  
• Currently covers 37 rivers
  
• Created sewage treatment capacity of 3070 MLD
  
• Implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
  

ADDRESSING LAND DEGRADATION

Programme for Reclamation and Development of Alkali & Acid Soils

• Aims to reclaim develop lands affected by alkalinity and acidity and to improve soil fertility
  
• Area of 0.66 m Ha out of 3.5 m Ha of alkali land reclaimed
  
• Financed by Union (90%) and State (10%) governments
  
• Impact
  
  • pH of reclaimed soil decreased from 10.5 to 9.2
    
  • increased paddy yield by two times
    
  • 75% increase in household income
    
• Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture
  

Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA)

• Launched in 1995
  
• Aims to reclaim land used for shifting agriculture and to encourage these farmers to switch to settled agriculture
• Primarily implemented in NE states, where shifting agriculture is causing acute deforestation
  
• Scheme is designed to protect and develop the hill slopes through soil and water conservation measures in order to prevent further land degradation
  
• Fully funded by Central government
  
• Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture
  

ADDRESSING INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

Action plan for the tannery sector

• Chrome recovery: All tannery units in the country to have chrome recovery facility, either individually or on a collective basis. Recovered chromium is to be used in the tanning process
• Waste minimization measures: waste minimization circles to be formed in all tannery clusters. To be made obligatory gradually
  
• Reduction of water consumption: All tanneries to install water meters. Water consumptions rates to be lowered using waste minimization measures
• Compliance of standards: Installation of automatic monitoring equipment, open anaerobic lagoons to be converted into closed systems with gas recovery, all units to take up environmental auditing on an annual basis
  
• Management of Total Dissolved Solids: all units to employ cleaner technology for less use of salt, desalting, effluent treatment
  
• Solid waste management: all units to use process sludge for by-product recovery (esp. biogas), chromium recovery, and safe disposal of hazardous waste
  
• All units to reuse recovered salts and employ safe disposal measures
  
• All units to eliminate use of Boron
  
• Ground water quality monitoring to be strengthened
  
• Implemented by the CPCB (MoEF)
  

OTHER INITIATIVES

Environment Atlas

• Scheme called State of Environment Atlas launched by Union Govt. in 2002
• Streamlines the process of data collection and reporting regarding the environment
• Objective: to bring out an overview of the environmental scenario of the states and UTs for policy and decision-making
• Implemented by four host institutes: Energy and Resources Inst. New Delhi, Development Alternatives New Delhi, Environment Protection Training Inst. Hyderabad, and Administrative Staff College of India Hyderabad
• Initiated by the Ministry of Environment and Forests

Global Environment Monitoring Stations (GEMS)

• Nationwide network of 1019 monitoring stations in 27 states and 6 UTs
  
• Covers rivers, lakes, canals and wells
  
• Water samples are analysed for chemical and bacteriological parameters, trace metals and pesticides
  
• Water quality data is reported in the Water Quality Status Year Book
• Established by the Central Pollution Control Board in tandem with state PCBs . Comes under the Ministry of Environment and Forests
  

National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP)

• Nationwide network 342 monitoring stations covering 26 states and 4 UTs
  
• Aims to determine the status and trend of air quality in various cities and to develop measures to correct and prevent air quality deterioration
  
• Four air pollutants are monitored regularly: sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, Suspended Particulate Matter and Respirable Suspended Marticulate Matter
  
• Implemented by the CPCB in association with state PCBs. Comes under the Ministry of Environment and Forests
  

Ecocity Programme

• Launched in 2003
  
• Created to address unplanned development, poor sanitary conditions and pollution in urban areas
  
• Aims to provide innovative and unconventional solutions that do not require large financial investment
  
• Initiated by the CPCB. Comes under the MoEF