Abstract

Environmental issues are one of the most primary causes of disease, health issues and long term livelihood impact for India. Undesirable change in physical, chemical or biological characteristics of air, land, water or soi has adverse effect on Public health. Pollutants change undesirably in the properties of air, water and soil. Government of India has passed the Environment(Protection) Act, 1986 to protect and improve the quality of environment. 

Introduction

There are so many environmental issues in India. Air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, garbage, radioactive pollution, soil erosion and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges for India. Nature is also causing some drastic effects on India. The situation was worse between 1947 through 1995. According to data collected and environmental assessments studied by World Bank experts, between 1995 through 2010, India has made some of the fastest progress in addressing its environmental issues and improving its environmental quality in the world[1,2]. Still, India has a long way to go to reach environmental quality similar to those enjoyed in developed economies. Pollution remains a major challenge and opportunity for India. Our environment is changing day by day. There is no denying that fact. However, as our environment changes, so does the need to become increasingly aware of the problems that surround it.

Air Pollution

It has adverse effect on human body. Smoke from forest fires and volcanic eruptions etc., decomposition from garbage, resulting in release of unwanted gases into the atmosphere, burning of fossil fuels in automobiles and Industries release particulate and use of leaded petrol, gaseous wastes or particulate -byproducts of various Industries causes air pollution. Traditional fuel (fuelwood, crop residue and dung cake) dominates domestic energy use in rural India and account for about 90% of the total. In urban areas, traditional fuel constitutes about 24% of the total. Fuel wood, agricultural waste and biomass cake burning release over 165 million tonnes of combustion products every year[3,4]. Traditional fuel (fuelwood, crop residue and dung cake) dominates domestic energy use in rural India and account for about 90% of the total. In urban areas, traditional fuel constitutes about 24% of the total. Fuel wood, agricultural waste and biomass cake burning release over 165 million tonnes of combustion products every year[5,6,7].  India, rice straw and other crop residue burning in open is a major source of air pollution[8]. Main air pollutants are metallic particles, dust particles, aerosol, smoke, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, Hydrogen sulphide, Sulphur dioxide etc. Carbon monoxide causes giddiness, headache, decreased vision, cardiovascular malfunction. Hydrogen causes nausea, eye and throat irritation. Sulphur dioxide causes respiratory tract diseases like asthma,  Bronchitis, cancer etc. Fine particulate cause breathing and respiratory symptoms, irritation, inflammation and damage to lungs. In plants, air pollution causes reduced growth and yield and leads to premature death.

Noise Pollution

It is undesirable high level of sound. Loud speakers, music systems, TV used for entertainment,  Jet planes and rockets, industrial noises,  social functions and crackers cause noise pollution. It’s harmful effects are sleeplessness, stress, increased rate of heartbeat and Hypertension, breathing problems, damage of ear drums impairing hearing ability permanently, gastric problem-nausea and emotional disturbance.  High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans and an increased incidence of coronary artery disease[9]. The Supreme Court of India which is in New Delhi gave a significant verdict on noise pollution in 2005[10]. Unnecessary honking of vehicles makes for a high decibel level of noise in cities. The use of loudspeakers for political purposes and for sermons by temples and mosques makes noise pollution in residential areas worse. In January 2010, Government of India published norms of permissible noise levels in urban and rural areas[11]. 

Water Pollution

It is undesirable change in physical, chemical and biological properties of water that may affect the human beings and domestic species. Government of India has passed the water (Prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974, to safeguard our water resources. Main sources of water pollution are domestic sewage, agricultural runoff and industrial wastes. Other sources of water pollution include agriculture runoff and small scale factories along the rivers and lakes of India. Fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture in northwestern India have been found in rivers, lakes and ground water[12]. Flooding during monsoons worsens India's water pollution problem, as it washes and moves all sorts of solid garbage and contaminated soils into its rivers and wetlands.

Domestic sewage includes everything that comes from residential area to common public sewage system. Domestic sewage contains suspended solids e. g. sand silt and clay, Colloidal materials, e. g. bacteria, paper and cloth fibres. Dissolved materials, e.g.  nitrate, ammonia phosphate, sodium, calcium salt. Domestic sewage mainly contains biodegradable organic wastes which are readily decomposed with the help of decomposers Agricultural runoff includes fertilizer residues and pesticide residues. Agriculture is a major contributor to water pollution from nonpoint sources. The use of fertilizers as well as surface runoff from farm fields, pastures and feedlots leads to nutrient pollution[13]. In addition to plant-focused agriculture, fish-farming is also a source of pollution. Additionally, agricultural runoff often contains high levels of pesticides. 

i. Industrial wastes.

ii. Industries like petroleum, paper manufacturing, metal extraction and processing etc. release waste water containing heavy metals like mercury and many organic compounds.

iii. Mercury is very well known for biological magnification.

iv. Toxic substances can not be metabolized or excreted, therefore they get accumulated in an organism.

v. Effect of DDT on birds: Calcium metabolism in birds is disturbed which results in thinning og eggshells. This leads to decline in bird population. A study published in 2017 stated that "polluted water spread gastrointestinal diseases and parasitic infections and killed 1.8 million people" (these are also referred to as waterborne diseases)[14]. Ocean acidification is another impact of water pollution. Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH value of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere[15].

Solid Waste

These are discarded solid waste materials which are produced by various human activities. Solid wastes may be of different types such as municipal wastes, hospitals wastes, Industrial wastes, electronic waste. Soil contamination, soil pollution, or land pollution as a part of land degradation is caused by the presence of human-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals or improper disposal of waste. The most common chemicals involved are petroleum, hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons such as naphthalene and, pestiside Contamination is correlated with the degree of industrialization and intensity of chemical substance. The concern over soil contamination stems primarily from health risks, from direct contact with the contaminated soil, vapour from the contaminants, or from secondary contamination of water supplies within and underlying the soil. Discarding the plastic and polyethylene covers in the open will cause problems to the grazing animals who happen to ingest these materials. There are several cases of death reported of such animals due to this malpractice in recent years. 

i. In future plastic could help in some world’s biggest problems, such as climate change and food shortage [16] Plastic is toxic non – biodegradable product. Damage by plastic pollution is never ending process[17]. It continues from its manufacturing to its disposal. It emits toxic waste including VOCs and hazardous gas in air like carbon monoxide, dioxins, Hydrogen cyanide etc. These gases are main source of air pollution. Plastic waste create every type of pollution including soil, water and air. Hence it is the worst enemy of environment. 

Method of solid wastes disposal

1. Solid wastes sanitary landfills process is simple, clean and very effective. In this procedure, layers are compressed with some mechanical equipment and covered with earth, leveled, and compacted. A deep trench of 3 to 5 m is excavated and micro-organisms act on the organic matter and degrade. Some of the few solid waste landfills India has, near its major cities, are overflowing and poorly managed. They have become significant sources of greenhouse emissions and breeding sites for disease vectors such as flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, rats, and other pests [18].

2. Incineration method: It is suitable for combustible refuse. High operation costs and construction are involved in this procedure. This method would be suited in crowded cities where sites for land filling are not available.

3. Composting process: It is similar to sanitary land-filling and it is popular in developing countries. Decomposable organic matter is separated and composted in this procedure. Yields are stable end products and good soil conditioners. They can be used as a base for fertilizers.

4. Disposal by Ploughing into the fields: Disposal by ploughing into the fields are not commonly used. These disposals are not environment friendly in general.

5. Salvaging procedure: Materials such as metal, paper, glass, rags, certain types of plastic and so on can be salvaged, recycled, and reused.

6. Fermentation digestion: Biodegradable wastes are converted to compost and recycling can be done whenever possible. Hazardous wastes can be disposed using suitable methods. Following these procedures/process can help to manage solid waste disposal. Solid waste pollution is caused mainly through urbanization and through industrial waste. It causes various diseases in human as bacillary dysentery, diarrhea and amoebic dysentery, plague, salmonellosis, trichinosis, endemic typhus, cholera, jaundice, hepatitis, gastro enteric diseases etc.

5. Radioactive pollution: Nuclear energy was assumed to be natural, non-polluting way of electricity generation till the incident at Chernobyl. Now it is considered most potent pollutant. It is caused by leakage of radioactive materials from power plant and unsafe disposal of radioactive wastes. Radiation from nuclear wastes cause mutation at high speed. Radiation cause abnormal disorders, Cancers etc. Radioactive disposal should be pretreated and stored in shielded containers and then buried about 500 m deep below earth’s surface.

6. Erosion of sands 

In March 2009, the issue of Punjab attracted press coverage. It was alleged to be caused by flying ash ponds of thermal power stations, which reportedly lead to severe birth defects in children in the Faridkot and Bhatinda districts of Punjab. The news reports claimed the uranium levels were more than 60 times the maximum safe limit [19,20]. In 2012, the Government of India confirmed [21] that the ground water in Malwa belt of Punjab has uranium metal that is 50% above the trace limits set by the United Nations' World Health Organization. Scientific studies, based on over 1000 samples from various sampling points, could not trace the source to fly ash and any sources from thermal power plants or industry as originally alleged. 

7. Deforestation in India 

is the widespread destruction of major forests in India. It is mainly caused by environmental degradation by stakeholders such as farmers, plantation corporations. In 2009, India ranked 10th worldwide in the amount of forest loss, where world annual deforestation is estimated as 13.7 million hectares (34×10⁶ acres) a year[22]. Deforestation started with the growth of agriculture, but was exacerbated in the nineteenth century when British commercial forestry operations destroyed forests in montane areas of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Gangetic plains have been almost completely deforested for agriculture [23]. 

Conclusion

Some of the primary environmental challenges that are causing great worry are air pollution, water pollution, natural environment pollution, rubbish pollution, and so on.  Environmental pollution has negative effects of any human health. Deforestation has affected the lives of wild animals and birds including bats. Birds like sparrow, pigeon and crow are becoming rarer due to deforestation. Due to deforestation, India is facing water problems in urban cities and villages. Administration should enforce strictly the regulations and rules for control of pollution. They should check the norms of manufacturing plastic foils about their prescribed thickness. 

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