2. “Environment"
• Most commonly used to describe "natural"
environment;
• Means the sum of all living and non-living things
that surround an organism, or group of
organisms;
• Includes all elements (biotic and abiotic) factors
and conditions that have some impact on growth
and development of certain organism.
• Often undergoes dynamic changes due to several
stresses (natural/manmade);
• Organisms species develop amenability to adapt
to such changes for survival.
Environmental Monitoring
3. Human Health:
• Environmental health and safety can only be
achieved if we prevent and control pollutants
from entering into the environment;
• Evolution of legal instruments and standards;
• Third party risks and liabilities.
Environmental Monitoring
4. “Infrastructure Goods & Services”
Production of various goods and services needs various inputs in the form
of raw materials including chemicals;
Handling and Use of these raw materials chemicals have inherent hazards
to the workers, public and environment;
Ultimate disposal of the wastes pose challenges e.g.:
(a) Non-biodegradable wastes not amenable to cost effective means of
treatment;
(b) waste management and disposal costs;
(c) safety of workers’ and public health;
(d) Market instruments and environmental compatibility for the
products.
Environmental Monitoring
5. “Current Scenario for Environment Protection”
• Regulatory Authorities by and large prescriptive with
environmental norms and also emphasize on the control
applications rather on appropriate technologies in
production, resource conservation, pollution reduction.
• Pollution control technologies as end of pipe solution are
although able to meet the prescribed norms but the O&M costs
add enormously to the products costs;
• Stiff global competition in cost cutting and regulatory
pressures are leading to a rethinking towards prevention of
pollution strategies in production, resource conservation and
pollution reduction at source.
• Need for a paradigm shift in waste management hierarchy .
Environmental Monitoring
6. “Environment Monitoring"
Refers to the processes and activities that need to be
undertaken to characterize and monitor the quality of the
environment.
Used for
• To establish baseline environmental benchmarks
thresholds;
• Prediction of environmental impacts due to
prospective developments;
• Risk assessment of environmental stresses to
society;
• Establish status of mandatory compliance;
• Formulate policies and plans.
Environmental Monitoring
8. “Legislative Framework"
Global Initiative 1974 UN Stockholm Conference.
• Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
1974;
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
1981;
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Environmental Monitoring
9. “Institutional Mechanism"
• Central Pollution Control Board;
• State Pollution Control Boards;
• Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government
of India;
• Approved Agencies;
• Non Governmental Organizations.
Environmental Monitoring
11. Environmental Monitoring
Major National Programmes:
• National Air Quality Monitoring Programme;
• Global Environment Monitoring System;
• Monitoring of Inland National Aquatic Resources
Systems.
• Self Monitoring Systems.
12. Environmental Monitoring
“Constraints”
• Spread of the monitoring networks;
• Accessibility and outreach of monitoring data;
• Use of data by user agencies;
• Adoption of Monitoring Technology;
• Capacity of Monitoring Agencies.
13. Environmental Monitoring
“Future”
• Adopt remote / sensor based GPRS technologies;
• Emission/Pollutant Trading System;
• Institutional Capacity Building;
• Third Party Monitoring;
• Encourage self-monitoring;
• Capacity of Monitoring Agencies.
