Page 1 of 15
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 1561
Environmental Pollution in India - Issues and Solutions
AMSTRONG. S
PG Student
PRIST (Deemed to be University), THANJAVUR.
Abstract - Environment in India has been deteriorated exponentially in the past six decades due to rapid loss in
natural resources and severe enormous growth in pollution level. Depletion of forests, population explosion,
automobile emissions, use of hazardous chemicals and lot of other undesirable human activities are mainly
responsible for this degraded scenario of environmental health in India. This is in fact, rendering considerable
economic downfall to the country and warrants serious attention of administrators, policymakers, scientists and
humans altogether to save the environment and humanity and to provide generational equity. The present project
deals with the threat of environmental degradation and suggests some possible remedial measures for eco- conservation in India. Now it is essentially advisable in the need of the time to become protector, producer and
caretaker of natural resources and not the predator, polluter, demolisher or consumer of earth. Eventhough our
country, India has a rich and long history of environmental laws dating back to the 1970s; it still ranks very low on
air and water pollution levels compared to the rest of the world resulting in higher rates of infant mortality and lower
life expectancy rates. Poor sanitation conditions and sewage problems compound the problem affecting the health of
ordinary citizens in India. The reasons for this disconnect between enlightened environmental laws and high levels
of pollution could be traced to lax enforcement of existing environmental laws, discrepancies in the environmental
guidelines for businesses to follow between the central government and at the state levels, and the existence of a
large number of small and medium scale industries (SMIs) who neither have the resources nor the technical skills to
adhere to the existing environmental laws. Using extensive reviews, this report suggests a series of steps to help the
country achieve safe air and water pollution levels resulting in improved health conditions for the citizens. The
cornerstone of the prescription for improvements in the environment is a collaborative arrangement that brings
together the various government agencies, the citizens, SMIs, large domestic companies, and non-Governmental
organizations (NGOs) to participate in a collaborative arrangement to educate, streamline effective policies, develop
the necessary institutional infrastructure, and provide adequate funding for improving the environment.
Keywords: Pollution, air pollution, water pollution, land pollution, solid waste, sewage, sludge, land use.
Environmental problems and analysis
Land use change with environmental feedback is some of the interesting and important
aspect of research work in India. Literature highlights one of the most important aspects of
global change - the interaction of land use and the climate system. In separate chapters the book
treats modeling of land-use patterns, the effects on climate, the effect of land use on the global
carbon cycle, hydrological aspects of land use, aspects of climate change on food availability in
West Africa, and the spatial requirements of Bio-energy plantations. The current collection of
chapters provides a unique, integrated treatment of land use in the context of global change.
On the Indian contest Majid Hussain has made a study about physical impact and land utilization
based through land reclamation, changes in terrain related to the introduction of ways of
transportation and communications, corporate irresponsibility and environmental problems and
loss of life. The scientific problems and the actual conditions of Mavoor industrial area after the
closure of rayon industry is presented clearly by Abey George & Jyothi Krishnan from the their
work river pollution.
Page 2 of 15
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 1562
National Environment and Engineering Research Institute has made an Impact
Assessment of Cochin Refineries and they found that air pollutions trend in Cochin region is
comparatively lower than other metropolitan cities of India. In his research paper on
Investigation on Air pollution’, D.G. Gajghate has proposed that there will be a relationship
between seesonwise metrological data with air pollution rate in different season in Nagpur city.
Another contribution was in the field of changing ecology of Cochin backwaters by
Quasim, Z.S and Madhu pratul. They argued that the polluted water from various industries in
Ernakulum is the real factor for the changing ecology of Cochin backwaters. They have made
laboratory analysis in the Marine Science Division of Cochin University. Prabhu Sastri Rande
has made a theoretical analysis of Impact Assessment of Industries and Environment through
urban land use change in various cities of India. He concluded that industrial land use change not
only affects population and job concentration but also cause the increasing discharge amount of
waste water.
Mohan Kalyal made some assumptions regarding environmental pollution and its control
showing ambient air quality statistics of various cities of India. It is very informative since it
shows the details of air quality particularly of Ernakulum and all the cities of India in General.
Urban impacts on improving air pollution in major cities of the world are one of the interesting
aspects of investigation. Such studies can be seen in Davis L.M and Cornwell D.A. In 1975, John
Seinfeld has made an analysis about the urban impact and air pollution. He stated about the
physical and chemical fundamentals of air polluting materials of different cities in America.
Murallee Krishna has analyzed about the solid waste, liquid waste and air pollutants concentrated
in various towns of India after urbanization process. He argued that waste water from refineries
and industrial waste through industrialization are making urban pollution in large scale.
Land use change and urbanization are other interesting aspects of researchers. The studies
carried out by Raju, Sivas. S regarding major cities in India clearly reminds the urban problems
faced by the cities, due to air, water and solid waste. Another work done by Randharva, M.S,
argued about the ways of beautifying Indian cities through the best management industrial waste.
Another study carried out by Prof; P.R Trivedi, about the purpose of Environmental Assessment
Methods and its land use relationship. He has formulated that an environmental impact matrix.
This shows the environmental impact of urbanization in the form of industry, transportation, the
heating of buildings, sewage treatment works, open fires and landfill sites. He added that
significant heating of air masses over urban centers occurs as a result of re-radiation from heat
absorbing surfaces due to the land use change as roads, parking lots and roof tops.
Water quality
River water is regarded as one of the most productive aquatic systems and the nutrient
supply from fresh water inputs is important in sustaining high rates of agricultural production.
Estuaries function as important sinks and transformers of nutrients, thus altering the quantity and
quality of nutrients transported from land to the sea. The Chaliyar river estuary is a typical
positive estuary. Earlier, a few studies have been conducted in this estuary on pollution, salinity
intrusion.
Page 3 of 15
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 1563
Distribution of nutrients in the Beypore was reported by Sarala Devi et al and their study
was confined to the river mouth only. Premchand et al have examined the circulation and
flushing characteristics of this estuary during southwest monsoon season. The salinity
distribution pattern and its relationship with dissolved oxygen has been studied by Giridhar
Hadnooker et al. Nirmala et al have studied the effect of salinity variation along with other
hydrographical parameters on the ecology of this estuary.
On a real basis of any class of ecosystems, estuaries receive some of the highest inputs of
nutrients because of the local influences from land drainage and often pollution. A number of
estuaries receive nutrient additions every year over 1000 times the fertilizer loads per unit added
to agricultural areas. The resulting nitrogen and phosphorus inputs lead to elevated
phytoplankton productivity and can lead to hypoxia and eutrophication. There has been an
increase in recent years in the rates of eutrophication of lakes, rivers and estuaries due to the
release of nitrates and phosphates from excess fertilizers, industrial and sewage effluents. The
great concern over this problem has stimulated much new research in the following areas: the
chemistry and biogeochemistry of nutrients in aquatic systems, the quantification of the sources
and sinks of nutrients, and the dynamics of nutrient uptake and release. The point source inputs
from rivers and sewage treatment plants have been successfully quantified for a number of
systems.
A similar study is also conducted by Rigina for the study on surface water chemistry to
industrial pollution using GIS. The result shows that the alkalinity in the water has exceeded the
limit over the considerable part of a tertiary. Non point sources of pollution are mostly from
agricultural use and rural anthropogenic aspects near the water bodies. Wang Ning has attempted
to study the nonpoint sources of pollution of nitrogen and phosphorus lose due to soil erosion
using GIS and incorporating geographical factors such us terrain, relief, vegetation and land use
type.
Yong Hui et al has conducted the spatio temporal study of water pollution pattern using
PCA (principle component analysis), the result of the analysis have shown two broad classes
with discriminate pattern which have been presented using GIS. The variables studied were
temperature, pH, COD, BOD, NH+ 4, COD, TP, SO. Cluster analysis has been conducted to
study spatial clusters of discriminate variables the result of this study shows regional
concentration of the pollution in the lake in china. Spatiotemporal differences in the
concentration of pollution has also been studied by Wang using hydrologic function to calculate
the flow direction and flow accumulation for sediment transfers as well as for assimilating
pollutant from respective stations.
The detailed idea about the water problems and its effects on the fish mortality in the
Chaliyar river is given by Karuppasamy, P by his work of Pollution and fish mortality in
Chaliyar river, Mavoor, Marine Fisheries Information Service, Technical and Extension Series,
Another study on the water and air quality changes on Mavoor and Chaliyar River is conducted
by the K. M. Seethi in his paper give a detailed idea about the pollution and job problems on
Mavoor industrial area.
Biotic and Abiotic problems of water analysis in Chaliyar River
Based on the aquatic conditions and the polluted problems on Mavoor industrial area a brief
study was conducted by the Rajat Banerji on his work about the biotic and Abiotic problems in
