Environment laws

1. Acts, Regulations and Legislations
These are essential for social and economic discipline
The first law
‘Bengal smoke nuisance act’ on 1905

2.  Stockholm decision in 1972 and social awareness
 specific act in 1976
 constitutional amendment (42nd) in 1976

3. The Environment Protection Act (1986)
Objectives:
 to protect the environment from all sorts of pollution
 to impart regulations for the improvement or
development of environment
 to set up a limit for various waste substances that pollute
the environment
 to impose restrictions to setup an industry in coastal
regulation zone
 to impart environmental audit

4.  Defined hazardous substances
 made mandatory submission of report on ‘environmental
impact assessment’
 ‘National Environmental Tribunal Act (1995)’
 ‘National Environmental Appellate Authority Act (1997)’

5. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1981)
Objectives:
 To constitute a board to deal with the issues
 to measure the polluting gas/smoke/air coming out or
emerging out of industries and to control them
 to declare 'banned' on burning of some specific / selective
articles either partially or totally
 to advise the concerned to use advanced technology in
order to prevent environmental pollution

6. Defined environmental polluting agent –
 any solid, liquid and gaseous substances found in such
quantity that may have detrimental effect on environment
and may create a potential health hazard
 State Government will keep liaison with the State Pollution
Control Board for implementation of provisions of the act

7. Penalties:
Persons managing industry are to be penalized if they emits
air pollutants in excess of the standards laid down by the
State Board.
Whoever contravenes any of the provision of the Act or any
order or direction issued is punishable with imprisonment
extending up to three months or a fine of Rs.10,000 or both.

8. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1974)
Objectives:
 to constitute State Pollution Control Board that will look
after the pollution of surface and ground water
 to provide for prevention, control and abatement of
water pollution and the maintenance or restoration of the
wholesomeness of water
 to evaluate the feasibility of giving approval to the use of
any sort of surface and groundwater as well as waste
disposal to water bodies.
Penalties: same as the Air act

9. Forest Conservation Act (1980)
Objectives:
 to control deforestation
 to conserve forests and for matters connected therewith
or ancillary or incidental thereto
 to ensure that forest lands are not be de-reserved without
prior approval of the Central Government

10. Prohibition –
No person is allowed to make clearings of shredded plant
materials or set fire in Reserve Forest. Cattle are not permitted
to enter for feeding into the Reserve Forest.
Penalties:
Felling, collecting of timber, bark, leaves, or collecting any
forest product is punishable offence with imprisonment for a
term of six months, or a fine up to Rs.500, or both.

11. The Wildlife Protection Act (1972)
Wildlife Protection Act deals with the declaration of National
Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Objectives:
 to protect flora and fauna species from hunting or
otherwise.
 (The amendment of this act in 2002 has made it more
stringent ) to provide absolute protection for plants, birds and
wild animals, specially tigers

12. Penalties:
A person who breaks any of the conditions of any license or
permit granted under this Act shall be guilty of an offence
punishable with imprisonment for a term extending up to 3
years or a fine of Rs 25,000 or both.

13. Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation
 Collection of data
Processing of data
 Passing the analysis to law enforcement agency/body

14. Enforcement of environmental legislation in India follows:
The precautionary principle - When an activity raises threat to
mankind the environment precautions are to be taken
The polluter pays principle - polluters must bear damage
control cost
Freedom of information - access of general public to data held
by national government
Despite presence of Acts, protection of wildlife and environment is
not carried out in its true spirit

15. Population growth
The size of a population changes over a time depends on four
basic parameters
Natality
(+)
Immigration ---Population ---Emigration
(-)
Mortality

16. Variation among Nations
China >India >USA> Indonesia> Brazil
Developed countries : USA, Canada, Europe
 low rate of population growth,
 better living standard and
 comprises 1/3 of world population
Developing countries : India, Africa, Pakistan
 high rate of population growth,
 poor living standard and
 comprises 2/3 of world population

17. Population explosion
Human population growth increased from:
1 to 2 billion, in 123 years
2 to 3 billion, in 33 years
3 to 4 billion, in 14 years
4 to 5 billion, in 13 years
5 to 6 billion, in 11 years

18. Increase in length of life
Decrease in mortality
Control over diseases
Advancement in agriculture
Role of reproductive and child health care program
Improvement in medical facilities
Improvement in food storage facilities
Protection from natural calamities.
The main reasons of population explosion

19. Ø To promote the adoption of small family norm, on the basis of
voluntary acceptance.
Ø To promote the use of spacing methods.
Ø To ensure adequate supply of contraceptives to all eligible
couples within easy reach.
Ø To ensure qualitative healthy delivery and population control,
the Reproductive and Child health programme has been
implemented in every state with community needs assessment
approach.
Family welfare programme
Aims and Objectives of Family Welfare Programme
In 1951, India became the first country in the world to launch family
welfare programme to reduce population growth in the country.

20. Family Welfare Programmes Mainly include:
1. Family planning information, counselling and services to
women for healthy reproduction.
2. Education about safe delivery and post delivery of the mother
and the baby and the treatment of women before pregnancy.
3. Health care for infants; immunization against preventable
diseases.
4. Prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted reproductive
tract infection.

21. Family welfare programme
Around 57% women in the World are in the reproductive age
group
Some measures:
Oral Contraceptive measures
Female sterilization
Male sterilization
Intrauterine device for female
Condoms for male

22. The size of a family also depends upon the education level of
people and their up bringing background
The family welfare programme has been fully integrated with
the maternal and child health programme which has created
confidence among people that their children will be protected
from health hazards

23. There are so many schemes regarding family welfare issues
 National family Welfare Programme
 National Population Policy
 National Rural Health Mission
 Urban Family Welfare Schemes
 Sterilization Beds Scheme
 Reproductive and Child health Programme
 Maternal and Child health Programme

24. HIV/AIDS
 AIDS is a deficiency of immune system
 AIDS doesn't spread by means of touch or physical contact
 patients should not be isolated from family or society
Mode of transmission:
Sexual contact with infected person
Transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products
Sharing infected needles
From infected mother to child at prenatal and natal stages

25. Pathogen
AIDS is caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
It belongs to the group of lentivirus having reverse
transcriptase enzyme.
The pathogen enters and replicates in the cells of immune
system thereby destructing the cells.
The body becomes susceptible to various opportunistic
infections.

26. Treatment
HAART (Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy) in which
the most common drugs used in India are Tenofovir,
Effavirenz and Lamivudine.
These are partially effective in prolonging the patient's
life but cannot prevent death.

27. Prevention of AIDS
As AIDS has no curative treatment, prevention is the best
option.
Recombinant vaccine is available in India.
WHO has recommended the following measures for prevention:
Proper testing before blood transfusion
 Practicing safe sex
Ensuring the use of disposable needles and syringes
Controlling intravenous drug abuse
Educating people about AIDS

28. Effects of Air pollution on human health
Pollutant Effect on human health
Smoke  Respiratory problems like asthma and bronchitis
 Decreases visibility of eyes
Dust and mist  Byssinosis (cotton dust)
 Asbestosis (asbestos industries)
 Silicosis (stone grinders)
 Siderosis (iron mills)
 Pneumoconiosis (coal mines and flour mills)
 Manganese poisoning (welders)
Pollen, spores, cyst and bacteria  Allergic reactions
 Bronchitis and emphysema
 Tuberculosis
 Lung cancer
 Hay fever (most common pollen allergy)
CO, NOx, SO2, CxHy (hydrocarbon)  Heart and lung problems
 Cancer
 Formation of carboxy-haemoglobin reducing O2 in
blood

29. Effect of water pollution on human health
A mere 0.1% impurities in water make it unfit for human use
Impurities effects
Pathogenic microorganisms  Dysentery
 Typhoid
 Cholera
 jaundice
Heavy metals
 mercury
 cadmium
 arsenic
 lead
 Minamata
 Itai Itai
 Black foot disease
 Dyslexia
Nitrate in drinking water Blue baby syndrome
Fluoride (excess) in drinking water Motling of teeth
DDT, detergents, fertilizers, etc. Biological magnification

30. Effect of noise pollution on human health
The intensity of sound in normal conversation is 30 – 60 dB.
Any value more than that causes noise pollution. Noise
becomes unbearable at 140 dB. Some effects of noise pollution
are as follows-
 A brief exposure to high sound level, 160 dB or more, may
damage ear drums permanently impairing hearing ability.
 It causes sleeplessness, increased heart beating, altered
breathing pattern, thus considerably stressing humans.

31. Effect of radioactive waste on human health
 Radiation that is given off by nuclear waste cause damage
to organisms as it causes mutation at a very high rate.
 Nuclear radiation may be lethal causing cancer.

32. Effects of ozone layer depletion on human health
 UV – B damages DNA and mutation may occur
 It causes ageing of skin, damage of skin cells, and skin
cancers
 Cause inflammation of cornea, i.e., snow-blindness and
also cataract
 High exposure may cause permanent damage of cornea.