Environmental Pollution    Air Pollution    River water Pollution    Groundwater exploitation    Plastic Pollution    Municipal solid waste    Pollution due to Mining    Pollution due to biomedical waste    Pollution due to e-Waste    Delhi's air is choking with pollutant PM 2.5    Greenhouse Gas Emissions    Pollution of Indian Seas    NASA  research findings    Environmental Pollution and chronic diseases    Mahatma Ghandhi on Environmental pollution    Invasive alien species    Pollution trading    Poverty is the biggest polluter    The most polluted places in India    Emissions of gaseous pollutants: satellite data    Is nuclear energy a solution of global warming?    Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification    Reduce pollutions: suggestions       Environmental Pollution   The environmental problems in India are growing rapidly. The increasing economic development and a rapidly growing population that has taken the country from 300 million people in 1947 to more than one billion people today is putting a strain on the environment, infrastructure, and the country’s natural resources. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and land degradation are all worsening problems. Overexploitation of the country's resources be it land or water and the industrialization process has resulted environmental degradation of  resources.  Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today.   With India's population at 1.2 billion people and counting, plus internal economic migration to urban areas from the countryside, the country's cities are bursting at the seams. Housing shortages, electricity and water cuts, traffic congestion, pollution and a lack of basic services are the reality for millions. The demographers are predicting that India will add three to four hundred million new people to its population over the next 40 years   About 45 per cent of India's land is degraded, air pollution is increasing in all its cities, it is losing its rare plants and animals more rapidly than before and about one-third of its urban population now lives in slums, says the State of Environment Report India 2009 brought out by the government.

Environmental Pollution News             Copenhagen climate summit    The skies over North India are  seasonally filled with a thick soup of  aerosol particles all along the southern  edge of the Himalayas,  Bangladesh  and the Bay of Bengal.  - NASA research findings.  Fire, Haze -Northwest India (NASA)         Space Shuttle view of haze and  pollution over Northern India swept  in from Tibet. Credit: NASA

The third official report on the state of India's environment, released by Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh in New Delhi on September 2, 2009. The cost of environmental damage in India would shave 4 percent off of the country's gross domestic product. Lost productivity from death and disease due to environmental pollution are the primary culprits.   Eighty-five industrial clusters in India are toxic: 85% of big industrial clusters in India are health hazards as air, water and land pollution levels are not fit for human habitants.    The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on December 24, 2009 released a study ranking the environmental pollution in 88 industrial clusters across the country.The study formulates a comprehensive environment pollution index (CEPI) on the basis of water, land and air pollution.   On 11 March, 2010 Mr Jairam Ramesh Minister of State for Environment and Forests informed the Rajya Sabha that the Central Pollution Control Board has done a nation wide environmental assessment of Industrial Clusters based on CEPI and 43 such industrial clusters having CEPI greater than 70, on a scale of 0 to 100, has been identified as critically polluted.      A Comprehensive environmental assessment of industrial clusters, undertaken by IIT Delhi and the CPCB, found that the environmental pollution levels in 10 major industrial hubs had reached a “very alarmingly high” level. This list includes Ankleshwar and Vapi in Gujarat , Ghaziabad and Singrauli in UP, Korba (Chhattisgarh), Chandrapur (Maharashtra), Ludhiana (Punjab), Vellore (Tamil Nadu), Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) and Angul Talcher (Orissa).

Industrial pollution       Blame air pollution for   New Delhi's blanket of fog  on January 8, 2010  Fog over Indian cities

Air Pollution   The World Health Organization estimates that about two million people die prematurely every year as a result of air pollution, while many more suffer from breathing ailments, heart disease, lung infections and even cancer.Fine particles or microscopic dust from coal or wood fires and unfiltered diesel engines are rated as one of the most lethal forms or air pollution caused by industry, transport, household heating, cooking and ageing coal or oil-fired power stations.   There are four reasons of air pollution are - emissions from vehicles, thermal power plants, industries and refineries. The problem of indoor air pollution in rural areas and urban slums has incresed.   India’s environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation. Coal supplies more than half of the country’s energy needs and is used for nearly three-quarters of electricity generation. While India is fortunate to have abundant reserves of coal to power economic development, the burning of this resource, especially given the high ash content of India’s coal, has come at a cost in terms of heightened public risk and environmental degradation. Reliance on coal as the major energy source has led to a nine-fold jump in carbon emissions over the past forty years. The government estimates the cost of environmental degradation has been running at 4.5% of GDP in recent years. The low energy efficiency of power plants that burn coal is a contributing factor. India's coal plants are old and are not outfitted with the most modern pollution controls.      With pollution level rising across the country, India on Wednesday, the 18 November 2009 revised the national ambient air quality standards after 15 years. "We have notified the ambient air quality standards in India which  is equivalent to the European level and exceeds the standard prevalent in the US," Minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh said. The revised ambient air quality standards provide a legal framework for the control of air pollution and the protection of public health and any citizen can approach the court demanding better air quality.   Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70% of the country’s air pollution. The major problem with government efforts to safeguard the environment has been enforcement at the local level, not with a lack of laws. 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 over the same period. The economy has grown two and a half times over the past two decades but pollution control and civil services have not kept pace. Air quality is worst in the big cities like Kolkata,  Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc.     Bangalore holds the title of being the asthma capital of the country. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalore’s 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution- related ailments.    CHENNAI: Exhaust from vehicles, dust from construction debris, industrial waste, burning of municipal and garden waste are all on the rise in the city. So are respiratory diseases, including asthma. At least six of the 10 top causes of death are related to respiratory disease, says Dr D Ranganathan, director (in-charge), Institute of Thoracic Medicine.   Mumbai: Not only are levels of Suspended Particulate Matter above permissible limits in Mumbai, but the worst pollutant after vehicular emissions has grown at an alarming rate. The levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), or dust, in Mumbai’s air have continued to increase over the past three years.     The air pollution in Mumbai is so high that Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites after people living near the landfill sites complained of the stench. The Deonar landfill site, one of India’s largest, was first used by the British in 1927. Today, the festering pile covers more than 120 hectares and is eight story's high.    These cities are on the World Health Organization's list of top  most polluted cities. Vehicle exhaust, untreated smoke, and untreated water all contribute to the problem. Continued economic growth, urbanization, and an increase in the number of vehicles, together with lax enforcement of environmental laws, will result in further increases in pollution levels. Concern with New Delhi's air quality got so bad that the Supreme Court recently stepped in and placed a limit on the number of new car registrations in the capital.   The effects of air pollution are obvious: rice crop yields in southern India are falling as brown clouds block out more and more sunlight. And the brilliant white of the famous Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Tajmahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. In the case of Shatistar of 1990,  AIR 1990 SC 630 (pp.8 to 13), Supreme Court declared in a clear tone that a citizen has right for a decent environment in his living area.

Poison in the air due to Power  plants. In India, air pollution is  estimated to cause, at the  very minimum, 1 lakh excess  deaths and 25 million excesses  illnesses  every year.       Poison in the air due to    vehicle emissions     The brilliant white of the   Taj Mahal is slowly fading to  a sickly yellow. In the famous  “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court  to save the Taj Mahal  Case being polluted by fumes  and more than 200 factories  were closed down.   Multi-storeyed residential buildings  stand behind an expanse of slums  in Mumbai    Mumbai authorities have  purchased 42,000 litres  of perfume recently to spray on the city’s  enormous waste dumps at  Deonar and Mulund  landfill sites

River water Pollution   Fully 80 percent of urban waste in India ends up in the country's rivers, and unchecked urban growth across the country combined with poor government oversight means the problem is only getting worse. A growing number of bodies of water in India are unfit for human use, and in the River Ganga, holy to the country's 82 percent Hindu majority, is dying slowly due to unchecked pollution.   New Delhi's body of water is little more than a flowing  garbage dump, with fully 57 percent of the city's waste finding its way to the Yamuna. It is that three billion liters of waste are pumped into Delhi's Yamuna (River Yamuna) each day. Only 55 percent of the 15 million Delhi residents are connected to the city's sewage system. The remainder flush their bath water, waste water and just about everything else down pipes and into drains, most of them empty into the Yamuna. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, between 75 and 80 percent of the river's pollution is the result of raw sewage. Combined with industrial runoff, the garbage thrown into the river and it totals over 3 billion liters of waste per day. Nearly 20 billion rupees, or almost US $500 million, has been spent on various clean up efforts.    The frothy brew is so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth.    Much of the river pollution problem in India comes from untreated sewage. Samples taken recently from the Ganges River near Varanasi show that levels of fecal coliform, a dangerous bacterium that comes from untreated sewage, were some 3,000 percent higher than what is considered safe for bathing.     Agara city's waste finding its way to the   River Yamuna  Groundwater exploitation    Groundwater exploitation is a serious matter of concern today and legislations and policy measures taken till date, by the state governments (water is a state subject) have not had the desired effect on the situation.    Plastic Pollution  Plastic bags, plastic thin sheets and plastic waste is also a major source of pollution.  See in detail:  Plastic Bag Pollution in the country   Municipal solid waste   India’s urban population slated to increase from the current 330 million to about 600 million by 2030,  the challenge of managing municipal solid waste (MSW) in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner is bound to assume gigantic proportions. The country has over 5,000 cities and towns, which generate about 40 million tonnes of MSW per year today. Going by estimates of The Energy Research Institute (TERI), this could well touch 260 million tonnes per year by 2047.   Municipal solid waste is solid waste generated by households, commercial establishments and offices and does not include the industrial or agricultural waste. Municipal solid waste management is more of an administrative and institutional mechanism failure problem rather than a technological one. Until now, MSW management has been considered to be almost the sole responsibility of urban governments, without the participation of citizens and other stakeholders. The Centre and the Supreme Court, however, have urged that this issue be addressed with multiple stakeholder participation. Cities in India spend approximately 20% of the city budget on solid waste services.   Pollution due to Mining   New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on December 29, 2007 said mining was causing displacement, pollution, forest degradation and social unrest. The CSE released its 356-page sixth State of India’s Environment report, ‘Rich Lands Poor People, is sustainable mining possible?’  According to the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) report the top 50 mineral producing districts, as many as 34 fall under the 150 most backward districts identified in the country.    The CSE report has made extensive analysis of environment degradation and pollution due to mining, wherein it has said, in 2005-06 alone 1.6 billion tonnes of waste and overburden from coal, iron ore, limestone and bauxite have added to environment pollution. With the annual growth of mining at 10.7 per cent and 500-odd mines awaiting approval of the Centre, the pollution would increase manifold in the coming years.    In Orissa state, in the next five to 10 years, Jharsuguda will be home to production of 3.1 million tonne aluminum. This, however, will generate 3,100 tonne of fluoride every year. Similarly, the State is gearing up for power projects - mostly coal-based - targeting 20,000 mega watt energy. This will require 3.2 lakh tonne of coal daily which in turn can lead to generation of 1,200 tonne ash a day.   The mines of Mahanadi Coal Fields and NTPC draw about 25 Cr litres of water per day from the River Brahmani and in return they release thousands of gallons of waste water, which contains obnoxious substances like Ash,  Oil, Heavy Metals, Grease, Fluorides, Phosphorus, Ammonia, Urea and Sulphuric Acid, into the River Nandira (A tributary of River Brahmani). The effluents from chlorine plant cause chloride and sodium toxicity to the river Rushikulya – the lifeline of southern Orissa. The Phosphoric Fertilizer Industry discharges effluent containing Nitric, Sulphuric and Phosphoric acids into river Mahanadi.   Besides, there is emission of sulphur dioxide. The emissions at Jharsuguda alone will be higher than that of all refineries in India put together. Jharsuguda will also see 12 million tonne steel annually being produced when the projects go on stream. This will mean generation of 20 million tonne of solid waste every year.      In Jharkhand there are abundant coalmines, most of the coalmines are situated in Hazaribag, Chatra, Palamau, Rajmahal, Dhanbad and Ranchi district. Mighty Damodar River and its tributaries flow through these coalmines. Due to extensive coal mining and vigorous growth of industries in this area water resources have been badly contaminated. The habitants have, however, been compromising by taking contaminated and sometimes polluted water, as there is no alternative source of safe drinking water. Thus, a sizeable populace suffers from water borne diseases. Besides mining, coal based industries like coal washeries, coke oven plants, coal fired thermal power plants, steel plants and other related industries in the region also greatly impart towards degradation of the environmental equality and the human health.                                                                                                                                              Pollution due to biomedical waste   Pollution due to biomedical waste is likely to spread disease dangerous to life and making atmosphere noxious to health. On February 27, 2009 Modasa’s in Gujarat deadly hepatitis-B trail has led investigators to a major medical waste recycling racket in Ahmedabad’s own backyard where a whopping 50 tonne biological waste, including syringes, needles, IV sets and vials, was impounded. This illegally procured waste stored in godowns could expose the city and the whole state to the threat of not just hepatitis-B but other deadly infections spread through intravenal treatments. Usually such waste has to be segregated and destroyed in an incinerator. But the huge quantity of waste found in the godowns were being probably repackaged and sold.   Pollution due to e-Waste  The UNEP report "Recycling – from E-Waste to Resources" was released on the Indonesian island of Bali on February 22, 2010 at the start of a week-long meeting of officials and environmentalists.According to the report's authors by 2020 e-waste in South Africa and China will have jumped by 200-400 per cent from 2007 levels, and by 500 per cent in India.    India produces about 3,80,000 tonnes of e-Waste per annum, which includes only the waste generated out of television sets, mobile phones and PCs, a major chunk of which comes from organizations.  E-waste produced in India includes over 100,000 tonnes from refrigerators, 275,000 tonnes from TVs, 56,300 tonnes from personal computers, 4,700 tonnes from printers and 1,700 tonnes from mobile phones. The un- organized recycling sector which fails to practice eco-friendly e-Waste recycling methods release large amount of toxic chemicals. The toxic gases and the large volume of Electronic Waste Adds environmental Pollution in India                                         Till date, there were no definite e-Waste rules in India to regulate the management of e-waste  But in September 2009, MAIT , GTZ (German Technical Cooperation Agency), Greenpeace and Toxics Link, in  consultation with all stakeholders, submitted a set of draft rules for e-Waste management to Govt of India.    Delhi's air is choking with pollutant PM 2.5  PM 2.5 is only 2.5 microns in diameter is very very small particle. The diameter of a human hair strand is around 40-120. Being so small, it escapes emission apparatus prescribed by  Euro II and III.  Any kind of combustion, especially of vehicular origin, contains this particle. If PM 2.5 is not regulated it will ensure major health hazards. The number of Asthma patients will rise and in future there may huge rise of lung cancer cases also. The toxic value of PM 2.5 is such that metals like lead present in the PM 2.5 get inhaled deeper into lungs which deposits there. The children are most affected by depositing lead due to inhaling the poisonous air. The increasing amount of PM 2.5  is like a poison in the air we breathe. Researchers believe particulates, or tiny particles of soot, interfere with the respiratory system because they are so small they can be breathed deeply into the lungs.   Toxic smog is set to engulf  Delhi once again this winter after a six-year respite because of the huge number of new cars clogging the roads. New Delhi adds nearly 1,000 new cars a day to the existing four million registered in the city, almost twice as many as before 2000. Pollution levels are up to 350 micrograms per cubic metre in 2006-2007 and the levels of nitrogen oxides have been increasing in the city to dangerous levels, which is a clear sign of pollution from vehicles. Of these it is the diesel cars that are responsible for the pollution. Diesel- run vehicles constituted just two percent of the total number of cars on Delhi's roads seven years ago compared to more than 30 percent today and a projected 50 percent by 2010.Diesel is being increasingly used because it is a cheaper fuel. Diesel emissions can trigger asthma and in the long run even cause lung cancer.      A survey by the Central Pollution Control Board and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences survey showed that a majority of people living in Delhi suffered from eye irritation, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and poor lung functioning.  One in 10 people have asthma in Delhi. Worse, the winter months bring respiratory attacks and wheezing to many non-asthmatics who are old, who smoke, have respiratory infections or chronic bronchitis. Across the national capital and its suburbs, polluted air is killing people, bringing down the quality of life, and leaving people feeling ill and tired.   Some studies show children are among the worst-affected by the dense haze that often shrouds the city, and doctors frequently tell parents to keep their children indoors when smog levels are particularly high. In a survey of almost 12,000 city schoolchildren late last year, 17 percent reported coughing, wheezing or breathlessness, compared to just eight percent of children in a rural area.   Greenhouse Gas Emissions   India emits the fifth most carbon of any country in the world. At 253 million metric tons, only the U.S., China, Russia, and Japan surpassed its level of carbon emissions in 1998. Carbon emissions have grown nine-fold over the past forty years. In this Industrial Age, with the ever-expanding consumption of hydrocarbon fuels and the resultant increase in carbon dioxide emissions, that greenhouse gas concentrations have reached levels causing climate change. Going forward, carbon emissions are forecast to grow 3.2% per annum until 2020. To put this in perspective, carbon emissions levels are estimated to increase by 3.9% for China and by 1.3% for the United States. India is a non-Annex I country under the United Nations Framework Convention on Green house gases and climate Change, and as such, is not required to reduce its carbon emissions. An historical summary of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel use in India is increasing rapidly and causes global warming.   All inhabitants of our planet have an equal right to the atmosphere, but the industrialized countries have greatly exceeded their fair, per-capita share of the planet’s atmospheric resources and have induced climate change. The most developed countries possess the capital, technological and human resources required for successful adaptation, while in the developing countries, a large proportion of the population is engaged in traditional farming, that is particularly vulnerable to the changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events associated with climate change.   According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol , the most industrialized countries are mainly responsible for causing climate change. Thus  equity requires that they should sharply reduce their emissions in order to arrest further climate change and allow other countries access to their fair share of atmospheric resources in order to develop.                                                                                                                                       Pollution of Indian Seas  The ship Platinum-II arrived in Indian waters on 8 October, 2009 The ministry of environment and forests said it inspected Platinum-II and found the ship contained toxic material.                                                     The Platinum-II - formerly known as SS Oceanic or the SS Independence - was destined for the Alang ship- breaking yard. The Gujarat Maritime Board leases out the yard to ship-breakers. It is Asia's largest ship-breaking yard and known as the "graveyard of ships". Thousands of ships from around the world come to this section of Gujarat state's coastline to be dismantled. Workers manually take apart huge liners, past their prime, with very basic tools. A report commissioned by the Indian government three years ago showed that one in six workers at the Alang shipyard showed signs of asbestos poisoning. It said many of the workers tested showed early signs of asbestosis - an incurable disease of the lungs.  NASA  research findings    Latest research findings by NASA and Stanford University indicate that aerosol pollution will slow down winds, impacting normal rainfall pattern in tropical countries. The unique combination of meteorology, landscape (relatively flat plains framed by the Himalayas to the north and open ocean to the south), and the large population maximize the effects of aerosol pollution in India.  The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, streaming southward over Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. Most of this air pollution comes from human activities.    Accumulation of aerosol particles in the atmosphere also makes clouds last longer without releasing rain. This is because atmospheric water forms deposits on naturally occurring particles, like dust, to form clouds. But if there is pollution in the atmosphere, the water has to deposit on more particles. Thus it causes lesser rain.

Environmental Pollution and chronic diseases   In an Indo-US joint workshop, on September 05, 2008 at Chandigarh, Prof S K Jindal said it has been  globally recognised that environmental factors, have important links with infectious as well as non-infectious diseases of both acute and chronic nature. “The WHO estimates that 24 per cent of global disease burden and 23 per cent of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. The burden is more on the developing than the developed countries.”  He said: “In developing countries, an estimated 42 per cent of acute lower respiratory infections are caused by environmental factors.”    The major burden of these hazards is borne by the lungs. Bronchial asthma and other allergies; chronic obstructive lung disease, respiratory infections including tuberculosis and occupational lung diseases are some of the common problems with a strong environmental risk which, account for a large disease burden all over the world, including in India. “There is a need for extensive studies to gauge the effects of environmental factors on the human health.”    According to New England Journal of Medicine, 2007, even a short exposure to traffic fumes can increase your chances of heart disease, including heart attack. People who exercise in areas where there is heavy traffic may be especially at risk, researchers say.

Mahatma Ghandhi on Environmental pollution   Mahatma Gandhi had said that nature has enough to satisfy everyone’s need but has not enough to satisfy man’s greed. Sadly our ever-expanding greed has put us in such precarious situation. Will we realise it? The policy of industrialisation had helped rich to become richer and poor become poorer. The disparity has widened. It is the democratic system followed in the country which has forced our policy-makers to think of growth for all. That is why we are hearing plans for inclusive growth. Industrialisation is not without price. All these have a direct bearing on environmental pollution leading to climatic change. We are all witness to the deleterious effects of climate change. The whole world is now anxious to repair the damage.   Invasive alien species    Invasive alien species are species whose introduction and/or  spread outside their natural habitats threatens biological diversity. They occur in all groups, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and can affect all types of ecosystems. They can directly affect human health. Infectious diseases are often traced to IAS imported by travellers or vectored by exotic species of birds, rodents and insects. IAS also have indirect health effects on humans as a result of the use of pesticides and herbicides, which pollute water and soil. They may look harmless but are dangerous, mainly causing flu, allergies,  respiratory disorders and even infertility among humans and animals. Sometimes they manifest themselves as bird flu and at other times as foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease and lead to massive destruction of livestock populations. The biggest casualty of such species has been our rich biodiversity, and threats to food security.   MIKANIA MICRANTHA, is of the most prominent invasive aliens in India. It is a major threat in many parts of the country, it grows 8 to 9 cm a day and muzzles small plants and chokes larger trees such as coconut and oil palm.  Parthenium:  Parthenium Hystrophorous a poisonous plant The parthenium now occupies 50 lakh hectares in the country and has become a major health hazard for people and animals.  PROSOPIS JULIFLORA: Vilayati babul(prosopis juliflora) was introduced in India in the last century as a very promising species for the afforestation of dry and degraded land. But over the years, it has emerged as a noxious invader that can grow in diverse ecosystems, enable it to wipe out other plant species in its surroundings.

Mahatma Ghandhi    Parthenium Hystrophorous

Pollution trading    India may let power companies start trading renewable-energy credits in May in a push to create a multibillion-dollar market to encourage reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. The estimates trade in renewable energy credits could rise to as much as $10 billion by 2020. India is pressing ahead with its own efforts to fight climate change after last month’s Copenhagen talks failed to reach a new global climate treaty. The move puts the world’s fourth-largest emitter ahead of China and other developing nations in creating a domestic emissions-trading market to boost investment in solar, wind and other clean-energy projects. India is the second-largest generator of carbon credits in the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism, the world’s second-biggest greenhouse-gas trading market. Certified Emissions Credits, or CERs, issued for pollution- cutting  projects in India are sold to businesses in Europe and elsewhere seeking to meet either mandatory or voluntary limits.

The only large-scale "pollution  trading" system in the world, run by the  European Union, is failing to deliver green energy investment.

Poverty is the biggest polluter   Indira Gandhi, a former prime minister, famously announced at the United Nations’ first environmental conference, in 1972, that “Poverty is the biggest polluter.” Those sentiments were echoed recently when Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh snubbed the U.S. secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, by telling her in public that India could not accept binding carbon emission targets because doing so would stunt the nation’s economic growth.   The United States, with under 5 percent of the world’s population, accounts for more than 20 percent of total carbon emissions. India, with more than 17 percent of the global population, accounts for just 5.3 percent of emissions. Why, he asks.   The most polluted places in India  Vapi in Gujarat and Sukinda in Orrisa is among the world's top 10 most polluted places, according to the Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based nonprofit group.   Vapi :  Potentially affected people: 71,000 -Pollutants: Chemicals and heavy metals due to its Industrial estates.   Sukinda:  Potentially affected people: 2,600,000. -Pollutants: Hexavalent chromium due to its  Chromite mines.    The most polluted cities in India    As many as 51 Indian cities have extremely high air pollution, Patna, Lucknow, Raipur, Faridabad and Ahmedabad topping the list. An environment and forest ministry report, released on September 14, 2007 has identified 51 cities that do not meet the prescribed Respirable Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels, specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In 2005, an Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) placed India at 101st position among 146 countries.    Taking a cue from the finding, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) formulated NAAQS and checked the air quality, which led to the revelation about air quality in leading cities.    According to the report, Gobindgarh in Punjab is the most polluted city, and Ludhiana, Raipur and Lucknow hold the next three positions. Faridabad on the outskirt of Delhi is the 10th most polluted city, followed by Agra, the city of Taj Mahal.  Ahmedabad is placed 12th, Indore 16th, Delhi 22nd, Kolkata 25th, Mumbai 40th, Hyderabad 44th and Bangalore stands at 46th in the list. The Orissa town of Angul, home to National Aluminium Company (NALCO), is the 50th polluted city of the country. Emissions of gaseous pollutants: satellite data   Scientists and researchers from around the world gathered at ESRIN, ESA’s Earth Observation Centre in Frascati, Italy, recently to discuss the contribution of satellite data in monitoring nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere.  Using nitrogen dioxide (NO2) data acquired from 1996 to 2006 by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument aboard ESA’s ERS-2 satellite, Nitrous oxide emissions over India is growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent/year. The location of emission hot spots correlates well with the location of mega thermal power plants, mega cities, urban and industrial regions.     Emissions of gaseous pollutants have increased in India over the past two decades. According to Dr Sachin Ghude of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), rapid industrialization, urbanization and traffic growth are most likely responsible for the increase. Because of varying consumption patterns and growth rates, the distribution of emissions vary widely across India.                                                                                      Is nuclear energy a solution of global warming?  India a country of 1.1 billion people currently gets only a fraction of its electricity from nuclear power. Now the US atomic trade pact with India and an atomic energy pact with France,  India can fight global warming with clean nuclear energy. Nuclear energy has been recognized as a clean as CO2 to the atmosphere after its reaction that could damage our environment. It's also known that nuclear energy has reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emission, reducing emissions of CO2for about 500 million metric tons of carbon.     Despite the advantage of nuclear as a clean energy, the big concern is the waste resulted from nuclear reaction, which is a form of pollution, called radioactivity. Nuclear waste is also a problem with nuclear power, in that spent nuclear fuel has no safe place to be stored right now. Perhaps the greatest problem with nuclear power is the price to taxpayers.   Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification  The EIA Notification was first enacted in 1994 and was amended several times before being replaced with a new Notification in  2006. Those who fail to comply with the EIA Notification guidelines are punishable under the Environment Protection Act and other laws. One of the proposed amendments states that in case of any expansion of existing projects, they are free to certify themselves as environmentally sound. But how can we expect those with commercial interests to issue a fair evaluation of the environmental impact of their projects.    Reduce pollutions: suggestions  Steps in Budget 2010-11 for the Environment  The increased pollution levels associated with industrialisation and urbanisation, a number of proactive steps have been proposed in the Union Budget (2010-11). The major steps include:  National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) - for funding research and innovative projects in clean energy technology. The Finance Minister said that in many  areas of the country pollution level has reached alarming proportions. While it must be ensured that the principal of a “polluter pays” remains the basic guiding criteria for pollution management, there should also be a positive thrust for development of clean energy. And to build the purpose of the NCEF, the Minister has proposed to levy a clean energy cess on coal produced in  India at a nominal rate of Rs.50 per tonne, which will also be applicable to imported coal.  Affluent Treatment Plan, Tirupur - The Government has proposed a one time grant of Rs. 200 crore to the Government of Tamil Nadu towards the cost  of installation of a zero liquid discharge system at Tirupur to sustain knitwear industry. On March 9, 2010, The Vellore Citizens’ Welfare Forum (VCWF) has opposed the Union Government’s budget allocation of a one-time grant of Rs 200 crore to Tirupur dyeing units to overcome the pollution problem. “Such a grant to polluting industries also violated article 48A of the Constitution of India,’’ they argued. They pointed out that the proposed grant would make the tax payers money being spent on unproductive purposes. Special Golden Jubilee Package for Goa - The Government has proposed to provide a sum of Rs.200 crore as a special golden jubilee package to Goa to  preserve the natural resources of the State by restoring Goa’s beaches which are prone to erosion, and increasing its green cover through  forestry. National Ganga River Basin Authority  Allocation for National Ganga River Basin Authority has been doubled in 2010-11 to Rs.500 crore. The “Mission  Clean Ganga 2020” under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) with the objective that no untreated municipal sewage or industrial influent will be discharged into the National river has already been initiated.    Mumbai Cyclothon 2010.     Mumbai witnessed it's first ever Cyclothon on February 21, 2010, with over 7,000 participants at the Mumbai Cyclothon 2010. An event like this gives the right message to the public as well as the government about saving fuel as well as our environment.

Toxic Release  Per capita emission in 2007-08 in select cities across the world (in a study in October 2009)::  Jamshedpur - 2.76 tonnes       Gargaon - 2.33 tonnes       Kolkata  - 1.83 tonnes       Delhi      - 1.6 tonnes     Faridabad - 1.58 tonnes     Bangalore - 0.82 tonnes Washington DC- 19.7 tonnes Beijing,China - 6.9 tonnes London, UK   - 6.2 tonnes Source:      www.newscientist.com   and  ICLEI study      ETP dicharge at Vapi       Worst 5 Indian power companies in terms of total emission of CO2   -NTPC  LTD. -Maharastra State Power Gen Co. - Gujrat Urja Vikas Nigam - Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut - Andhra Pradesh Power Gen Corp.      Nuclear power plants in India     Tulsi (Holy Basil)     Tulsi reduces pollution:   Now Tulsi an ayurveda wisdom to help Taj Majal retain its pristine allure.  The forest department has come up with a quick-fix project -- plant a Tulsi drive in Agra. Tulsi is chosen for its  anti- pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal.       Choose an eco- friendly bicycle for short distance.

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