12
location. According to European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), India
was ranked 14th from the last in United Nations global climate risk index in 2017
and ranked second most-affected countries in terms of casualties related due to
extreme weather. According to WHO (2018) 14 out of 15 most polluted cities in
terms of PM 2.5 concentration are from India. According to WHO (2013), environmental degradation in India accounts for approximately Rs. 3.75 trillion ($80
billion) per year which is equivalent to 5.7% of national GDP.
2.2 Major Environmental Concerns in India
2.2.1 Environmental Pollution: Air, Noise and Water
Environmental pollution is considered as the leading concern in the world today.
Environment pollution is defined as the introduction of impurities in the environment
through natural or anthropogenic process/processes which affects the natural process and poses threat to human and other living organisms. The 2018 Environmental
Performance Index (EPI) has ranked 180 countries on 24 performance indicators
across ten issue categories covering environmental health (air quality, water and
sanitation and heavy metals) and ecosystem vitality (biodiversity and habitat, forests, fisheries, climate and energy, air pollution, water resources and agriculture).
These metrics indicate how close countries are to established environmental policy
goals (https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu; accessed on 14.12.2019).
India ranked 177 out of 180 countries in terms of EPI in 2018 with a score of 9.3
out of 100 in environmental health which indicates very low economic growth and
prosperity and 45.5 out of 100 in ecosystem vitality which indicates that the ecosystem is under strain from industrialization and urbanization. The major environmental concerns in India are explained below in terms of air, noise and water pollution.
2.2.1.1 Air and Noise Pollution
Poor air quality due to excessive air pollution is the most prevalent environmental
hazard which severely affects the public health. Poor air quality due to presence of
airborne pollutant is responsible for ‘two-thirds of all life-years lost to environmentally related deaths and disabilities’ (http://www.healthdata.org/data-tools). India is
committed to provide clean environment with pollution free air for its countryman
through minimization of air pollution. Minimizing air pollution is one of the toughest challenges in India today. Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC) in its report (NCAP 2019) stated that the particulate matters (PM 2.5
and PM 10 ) are the major air pollutants responsible for air pollution in India. Other
pollutants viz., SOx, NOx and ozone (O 3 ) in air are found to be in compliance with
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Data from World Health
Organization (WHO 2018) reveal that 14 out of 15 most polluted cities of the globe
P. K. Sikdar and S. Basu
location. According to European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), India
was ranked 14th from the last in United Nations global climate risk index in 2017
and ranked second most-affected countries in terms of casualties related due to
extreme weather. According to WHO (2018) 14 out of 15 most polluted cities in
terms of PM 2.5 concentration are from India. According to WHO (2013), environmental degradation in India accounts for approximately Rs. 3.75 trillion ($80
billion) per year which is equivalent to 5.7% of national GDP.
2.2 Major Environmental Concerns in India
2.2.1 Environmental Pollution: Air, Noise and Water
Environmental pollution is considered as the leading concern in the world today.
Environment pollution is defined as the introduction of impurities in the environment
through natural or anthropogenic process/processes which affects the natural process and poses threat to human and other living organisms. The 2018 Environmental
Performance Index (EPI) has ranked 180 countries on 24 performance indicators
across ten issue categories covering environmental health (air quality, water and
sanitation and heavy metals) and ecosystem vitality (biodiversity and habitat, forests, fisheries, climate and energy, air pollution, water resources and agriculture).
These metrics indicate how close countries are to established environmental policy
goals (https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu; accessed on 14.12.2019).
India ranked 177 out of 180 countries in terms of EPI in 2018 with a score of 9.3
out of 100 in environmental health which indicates very low economic growth and
prosperity and 45.5 out of 100 in ecosystem vitality which indicates that the ecosystem is under strain from industrialization and urbanization. The major environmental concerns in India are explained below in terms of air, noise and water pollution.
2.2.1.1 Air and Noise Pollution
Poor air quality due to excessive air pollution is the most prevalent environmental
hazard which severely affects the public health. Poor air quality due to presence of
airborne pollutant is responsible for ‘two-thirds of all life-years lost to environmentally related deaths and disabilities’ (http://www.healthdata.org/data-tools). India is
committed to provide clean environment with pollution free air for its countryman
through minimization of air pollution. Minimizing air pollution is one of the toughest challenges in India today. Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC) in its report (NCAP 2019) stated that the particulate matters (PM 2.5
and PM 10 ) are the major air pollutants responsible for air pollution in India. Other
pollutants viz., SOx, NOx and ozone (O 3 ) in air are found to be in compliance with
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Data from World Health
Organization (WHO 2018) reveal that 14 out of 15 most polluted cities of the globe
P. K. Sikdar and S. Basu