Human Population Growth

The world population passed 7 billion in 2011, and is projected to be 9.3 billion
in 2050 and in between 10 billion in 2100. India’s population has crossed one
billion mark. We are adding more than one Australia in terms of population each
year. Human population is growing and so is the affluence (A), that is accelerating
per capita consumption, and technologies and socio-political-economic
arrangements to service that consumption (T). More population mean more
pressure on resources, more consumption of energy, more production of wastes,
including green house gases- all having adverse effects on environment. Though
population growth has slowed down, it has to be stabilised at still lower level.

The period of peak rate of global population growth was during 1965-70 (just
above 2% per year). Since then, the rate has decreased by about half. The fertility
rate at global level dropped from 5 to 2.5 per women during last 50 years. In
developing countries (China not included) the fertility rate has come down from
6 to 3 during the same period. However, the world is still sharply divided. Many
people believe that rather than family planning, it is the number of children which
women desire, or say regard ‘ideal’, decides the change in population.

A women’s desired family size depends on income, her education, and infant’s
survival. The fertility rate is negatively related to education and positively related
to poverty (percentage of population living on less than 2 dollars per day). In
other words, education and economic growth reduce fertility rate.

Causes of population growth

1. Fertility Rates- Population growth is highly dependent on trends in

fertility rates. The global fertility level is expected to decline from 2.5
children per woman in 2019 to 2.2 in 2050, according to the World
Populations Prospects study from the UN.
2. Demographic transition- Demographic transition refers to a framework
in which both mortality and fertility decline with economic development,
resulting in high population growth during the transition but no growth
afterwards. It refers to the transition from high birth and death rates to low
birth and death rates as a country develops from a pre industrial to an
industrialized economic system. In this, mortality reduction precedes the
fertility reduction, resulting in transition phase of population growth.
Human population dynamics is considered to be tightly linked to it
transition pattern. Projection about stable global population size, such as -
10 billion at the end of the 21st century assume that all countries would pass
through demographic transition.
3. Mortality and life expectancy- Infant mortality rate has been the principal
driver of life expectancy. IMR is calculated as the number of children who
die before their first birthday in a given year per thousand live births in that
year. World wide it declined from 139 in 1950 to 43 at present. However,
IMR values differ, being much lower in developed regions (68 in 1950 to
6 in 2020) than less developed regions (156 in 1950 and 47 in 2010). It is
far lower in urban areas than rural areas because of higher income and
education, and better access to emergency care and skilled health workers.
Worldwide life expectancy has been rising at the rate of 2.4 years per
decade from 11840-2000.
On an average women live longer, average women life expectancy being
4.5 years greater (71.2 vs 66.7 years) than of men.
4. International migration- This is a less influential factor than the previous
two, but it is also relevant. In fact, those countries that received large
numbers of refugees or economic migrants (between 2010 and 2020,
fourteen countries or areas had a net inflow of more than one million) may
offer a longer life expectancy to newcomers.
 Impacts on Environment

It is known that population growth and economic development are affecting the
environment. The interplay between population growth, resource
depletion/environmental damage has been debated much. There are those who
think that high population growth causes stress on environment, and there are
those who put less blame on population and more blame on economic
development, industrial and agricultural practices that result in environmental
damage. The fact is that both population growth and unsustainable economic
development are cause for concern especially in developing countries.

There is relationship between population growth and environmental damage. We

may recall famous Erlich Equation:

𝐼 =𝑃×𝐴×𝑇

𝐼 = 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑛𝑒𝑡,

𝑃 = 𝑃𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝐴 = 𝐴𝑓𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑇 = 𝑇𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛

Consequences of population growth-

1. Increase in climate change-climate refers to the alteration of the climate,

which is directly or indirectly attributable to human activity. Therefore, the
more humans, the greater the impact. This is where greenhouse gases come
into play, which accumulate in the atmosphere and retain heat, increasing
the greenhouse effect and contributing to an increase in the average global
temperature.
2. Decreased food security- According to the FAO, food security is when all
people have permanent physical, social and economic access to safe,
nutritious and sufficient food to meet their nutritional requirements. The
population explosion affects the fundamentals of food security, i.e. its
availability, stability, access and consumption.
 3. Impact on biodiversity loss- biodiversity refers to the decrease or
disappearance of biological diversity, understood as the variety of living
beings that inhabit the planet. Population growth impacts
on biodiversity by increasing human activity and the presence of the
artificial over the natural, a phenomenon known as the anthropocene.
4. Overexploitation of resources- Humans are depleting the planet's natural
resources. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warns: the
current overexploitation of natural resources is generating a huge deficit,
as 20 % more is consumed each year than can be regenerated and this
percentage is growing steadily.

Population growth and Human Health

World Population Day, celebrated on July 11,2022, focuses on the impact of

overpopulation on human health. The world population is increasing at an
alarming rate! India is anticipated to have the highest global population by 2050.
The quality of life is lowered by overpopulation, which can also have an impact
on other social and environmental factors. The effects of overpopulation include
malnutrition, pollution, congested living conditions, and a lack of health care
facilities, all of which increase a community’s risk of infectious diseases.

Impacts of overpopulation on human health-

The majority of people are aware of the negative effects of overpopulation on the
environment and society but not its negative effects on health. What will our
country’s future look like if this trend continues?

Due to issues like urban overpopulation and environmental changes brought on

by the population increase, many infectious diseases have started to spread. Let’s
discuss the effects of overpopulation on human health:

1. Increased risk of infections- Infections and overpopulation are closely

related. The risk to human health increases with population density because
 airborne infections can spread more quickly. Numerous infectious diseases
have emerged as a result of concerns like urban overcrowding and
environmental changes brought on by population growth. Increased
antibiotic resistance turns out to be an unanticipated issue for diseases like:

 Tuberculosis
 Malaria
 Cholera
 Dengue fever
2. Rise of water contaminated diseases-Polluted water resources are a result
of overpopulation. Diseases caused by contaminated water cost the lives of
people every year. In a more crowded environment, the viruses propagate
more quickly, allowing dangerous mutations to proliferate and contaminate
the water supply.

3. Respiratory problems- There is a rising worry about the effects of

overpopulation brought on by increased traffic on the health of those who
commute by car. Children are more affected than adults by air pollution.
As a result of today’s deteriorating air quality, the majority of people
experience respiratory issues like:
 Asthma
 Lung cancer
 Chest pain
 Congestion
 Throat inflammation
 Cardiovascular disease
 Respiratory diseases
4. Increased risk of skin cancer- Population growth has also contributed to
the thinning of the ozone layer. Increased exposure from the sun’s
damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation may result in skin conditions like skin
 cancer and early aging of the skin. The effects of UV radiation include
cataracts and blindness. Most significantly, it impairs the immunological
system of humans.
5. Various other health hazards- People are moving to the cities in larger
numbers every day in search of jobs and wealth. Concentrated energy
consumption increases air pollution, which has a significant impact of
overpopulation on human health and lead levels in metropolitan air are
elevated due to automotive emissions. Numerous health risks, including
cancer, neurological disorders, congenital malformations, etc., are caused
by large amounts of uncollected garbage.
Measures to control population-

1. Establishing laws and regulations governing birth control.

2. Educating the public about family planning.
3. Making birth control options available to everyone.
4. Spreading awareness of population growth.

Carbon Footprint

Measure of the exclusive total amount of emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) that
is directly and indirectly caused by an activity or is accumulated over the lifecycle
stages of a product.

A carbon footprint (or greenhouse gas footprint) is a "certain amount of gaseous

emissions that are relevant to climate change and associated with human
production or consumption activities. In some cases, the carbon footprint is
expressed as the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) which is meant to sum up the
total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event,
organization, service, place or product. In other cases, only the carbon
dioxide emissions are taken into account but not those of other greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbon dioxide
and methane, can be emitted through the burning of fossil fuels, land clearance,
and the production and consumption of food, manufactured goods, materials,
wood, roads, buildings, transportation and other services. The global average
annual carbon footprint per person in 2014 was about 5 tonnes CO2e. The average
carbon footprint for a U.S. citizen is 16 tons. This is one of the highest rates in
the world.

Resettlement and Rehabilitation-

People are forced to move out of their land due to both natural and manmade
disasters. Natural disasters like earthquakes, cyclones, tsunami etc. render
thousands of people homeless and sometime even force them to move and resettle
in other areas. Similarly, developmental projects like construction of roads, dams,
canals and flyovers displace people from their homes. Leakage of nuclear
material in Japan resulted in millions of people being forced to leave the area for
their safety. Thus, resettlement refers to the process of settling again in a new
area. Rehabilitation means restoration to the former state.
Reasons for displacement of people
The various causes for displacement of people are as follows:
1. Natural disasters like earthquake, cyclones, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions,
prolonged droughts conditions, floods, hurricanes etc.
2. Man made disasters like industrial accidents (e.g. Bhopal gas tragedy),
nuclear accidents (Chernobyl; Japan), oil spills (Exxon Valdez oil spill), toxic
contamination of sites etc.
3. In search of better employment opportunities.
4. Developmental projects like Construction of dams, irrigation canals,
reservoirs, etc.
5. Infrastructural projects including transportation activities like flyovers,
bridges, roads, highways, canals, etc.
6. Energy related project like power plants, oil exploration, mining activities,
Pipe lines like HBJ pipeline etc.
7. Agricultural projects- Projects related with the conservation of wildlife like
national parks, sanctuaries and biosphere reserves.
Some of the issues regarding Resettlement
1. Little or no support
2. Meagre compensation
3. Loss of livelihood
4. Lack of facilities
5. Increase in stress
6. Increase in health problems
7. Secondary displacement
8. Loss of identity
Objectives of rehabilitation
The following objectives of rehabilitation should be kept in mind before the
people are given an alternative site for living:
1. Tribal people should be allowed to live along the lives of their own
patterns and others should avoid imposing anything on them.
2. They should be provided means to develop their own traditional art and
culture in every way.
3. Villagers should be given the option of shifting out with others to enable
them to live a community based life.
4. Removal of poverty should be one of the objectives of rehabilitation.
5. The people displaced should get an appropriate share in the fruits of the
development. I should say that it is really a good move by ISC to share its
profits among the active contributors.
6. The displaced people should be given employment opportunities.
7. Resettlement should be in the neighbourhood of their own environment.
8. If resettlement is not possible in the neighbour area, priority should be
given to the development of the irrigation facilities and supply of basic
inputs for agriculture, drinking water, wells, grazing ground for the cattle,
schools for the children, primary healthcare units and other amenities.
9. Villagers should be taken into confidence at every stage of
implementation of the displacement and they should be educated, through
public meetings, discussion about the legalities of the Land Acquisition
act and other rehabilitation provisions.
10. The elderly people of the village should be involved in the decision
making.
Case Studies-
India has the largest number of development projects in the world and, quite
possibly, the largest number of development-induced displaced persons in the
world as well. The India Social Institute estimated there were currently 21.3
million persons displaced because of development projects; of this number 16.4
million were displaced by dams. According to the Central Water Commission,
3,300 dams had been built since 1947 and another 1,000 are under construction.
The Indian Institute of Public Administration estimates that the average number
of persons displaced by a large dam is 44,182.73 Development projects
disproportionally affect the poorest segments of Indian society, including those
belonging to scheduled castes and tribal groups, and threaten them with even
greater impoverishment because of a loss of livelihood, land, assets and social
structure. Among the best known and most controversial cases of development-
induced displacement in India is that of the Sardar Sarovar dam and irrigation
complex on the Narmada River. Although the Indian government had been
studying development of the Narmada River basin for several decades since
independence, full-scale construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam did not begin
until 1987, overseen by the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) and funded
initially by the World Bank.
INDIA Government claims that the Sardar Sarovar Project would irrigate 1.8
million hectares of drought-prone areas in Gujarat and 75,000 hectares in
Rajasthan as well as provide domestic water to 2.4 million people were met with
criticisms from the local communities that the benefits were exaggerated and that
the project would displace as many as 320,000 people and affect the livelihoods
of thousands more. Following several years of non-violent protests led by the
Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada Movement), in 1991, the World
Bank established an independent review committee, chaired by the former head
of the UN Development Program, Bradford Morse. In June 1992, the Morse
Commission released its report, concluding that “the Sardar Sarovar Projects as
they stand are flawed, that resettlement and rehabilitation of all those displaced
by the Projects is not possible under prevailing circumstances, and that the
environmental impacts of the Projects have not been properly considered or
adequately addressed.
Displacement due to other dams: India has been constructing dams and other
hydel projects. In the last 50 years, 20 million people have been affected by the
construction of such projects. Water Resources projects are planned and
implemented by the respective State Governments. Further, the concerned State
Government and Project Authorities make assessment of number of
people/families displaced due to such projects and formulate and implement
project-wise Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) Plans. To facilitate this
process, Union Government has issued National Rehabilitation and Resettlement
Policy 2007 (NRRP-2007) and “Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency
in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013” for smooth
implementation of R&R action plan in respect of Project Affected Families.
However, Compensation for project affected people are decided by the project
authorities as per existing R&R policy of Centre/State whichever is more
beneficial. As per information available with the Central Water Commission
(CWC), project-wise list of number of displaced persons due to irrigation projects
in West Bengal are as follows–
1. Kangsabati Reservoir – 15000 people
2. Subarnarekha Barrage – 18265 people
3. Teesta Barrage – 2946 people and
4. Teesta Low Dam Stage-IV- 41 people.
Displacement due to mining: Due to possibility of the accidents or sinking of
the land, people have to be displaced in and around mining areas. Mining takes
up several hectares of land. As a result, thousands of people have to be evacuated.
Jharia coal fields posed a problem to the local residents due to underground fires.
Some 3 lakh people were to be shifted and it became a problem to find an
alternative site. A huge amount of money to the tune of Rs. 115 crores was spent
to put out the fire. The problem still persists. In India, more than 25 million people
have been displaced due to development projects and about 12% are due to
mining industries. Among affected 70% are tribals in Industrial / Mining Projects.
1.64 lakh hectare forest land is being diverted for mining in our country.
Mining project at the world’s second-largest coal block, Deocha-Pachami,
Birbhum, in West Bengal, will be taken up only after environmental concerns are
sorted and displaced families resettled. The project cautiously, taking care of
every aspect from resettlement to the environment. There are about 395 families
(40 per cent tribal) in Deocha-Pachami under the block Dewanganj-Harinsingha
block in the south-western and western fringe of the district. Taking into account
Dewanganj, the resettlement would be for another 389 families (total of 784
families). The coal block would require investments to the tune of Rs 12,000-
15,000 crore over a period of time, and has the potential to generate nearly one
lakh employment opportunities. The state will be required to acquire about 9,000
acres out of the project area of 11,222.50 acres. Vested land is estimated to be
around 2,000 acres, the officials said. Five per cent of the project area is forest
land needing forest clearance. This is a big project that can supply coal for the
next 100 years and the block has an estimated coal reserve of 2.1 billion tones.
Chipko Movement (1973)-
Chipko movement, also called Chipko andolan, nonviolent social and ecological
movement by rural villagers, particularly women, in India in the 1970s, aimed at
protecting trees and forests slated for government-backed logging. The
movement originated in the Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh (later
Uttarakhand) in 1973 and quickly spread throughout the Indian Himalayas. The
Hindi word chipko means “to hug” or “to cling to” and reflects the demonstrators’
primary tactic of embracing the trees to impede the loggers.
With the conclusion of the Sino-Indian border conflict in 1963, the Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh experienced a growth in development, especially in the rural
Himalayan regions. The interior roads built for the conflict attracted many foreign-
based logging companies that sought access to the region’s vast forest resources.
Although the rural villagers depended heavily on the forests for subsistence—both
directly, for food and fuel, and indirectly, for services such as water purification
and soil stabilization—government policy prevented the villagers from managing
the lands and denied them access to the lumber. Many of the commercial logging
endeavours were mismanaged, and the clearcut forests led to lower agricultural
yields, erosion, depleted water resources, and increased flooding throughout much
of the surrounding areas.
In 1964 environmentalist and Gandhian social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt
founded a cooperative organization, Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (later
renamed Dasholi Gram Swarajya Mandal [DGSM]), to foster small industries for
rural villagers, using local resources. When industrial logging was linked to the
severe monsoon floods that killed more than 200 people in the region in 1970,
DGSM became a force of opposition against the large-scale industry. The first
Chipko protest occurred near the village of Mandal in the upper Alaknanda valley
in April 1973. The villagers, having been denied access to a small number of trees
with which to build agricultural tools, were outraged when the government
allotted a much larger plot to a sporting goods manufacturer. When their appeals
were denied, Chandi Prasad Bhatt led villagers into the forest and embraced the
trees to prevent logging. After many days of those protests, the government
cancelled the company’s logging permit and granted the original allotment
requested by DGSM.
With the success in Mandal, DGSM workers and Sunderlal Bahuguna, a local
environmentalist, began to share Chipko’s tactics with people in other villages
throughout the region. One of the next major protests occurred in 1974 near the
village of Reni, where more than 2,000 trees were scheduled to be felled.
Following a large student-led demonstration, the government summoned the men
of the surrounding villages to a nearby city for compensation, ostensibly to allow
the loggers to proceed without confrontation. However, they were met with the
women of the village, led by Gaura Devi, who refused to move out of the forest
and eventually forced the loggers to withdraw. The action in Reni prompted the
state government to establish a committee to investigate deforestation in the
Alaknanda valley and ultimately led to a 10-year ban on commercial logging in
the area.
The Chipko movement thus began to emerge as a peasant and women’s
movement for forest rights, though the various protests were largely decentralized
and autonomous. In addition to the characteristic “tree hugging,” Chipko
protesters utilized a number of other techniques grounded in Mahatma Gandhi’s
concept of satyagraha (nonviolent resistance). For example, Bahuguna famously
fasted for two weeks in 1974 to protest forest policy. In 1978, in the Advani forest
in the Tehri Garhwal district, Chipko activist Dhoom Singh Negi fasted to protest
the auctioning of the forest, while local women tied sacred threads around the
trees and read from the Bhagavadgita.
Appiko Movement (1983)-
Appiko Movement is one of the forest-based environmental movements in India.
The movement took place in the Uttara Kanada district of Karnataka in the
Western Ghats. The story of the movement is that for several decades the forest
department had been promoting monoculture plantations of teak after clear-
felling the existing mixed semi-evergreen forests.
About Appiko Movement-
 In September 1983, women and youth of the region decided to launch a
movement similar to Chipko, in South India.
 The movement was named Appiko which means “hug” in Kannada,
symbolising protection for the tree.
 The movement was founded and led by environmental
activist Panduranga Hegde.
 The aim of the movement was to conserve the trees of the Kalse forests in
Karnataka.
 Women and youth from Saklani and surrounding villages walked five
miles to a nearby forest and hugged trees there.
 They forced the fellers and the contractors of the state forest department to
stop cutting trees.
 The people demanded a ban on the felling of green trees.
 The agitation continued for 38 days and this forced the state government
to finally concede to their demands and withdraw the order for the felling
of trees.
 Like the Chipko, the Appiko movement revived the Gandhian way of
protest and mobilisation for a sustainable society in which there is a
balance between man and nature.
Background
 In August 1983, the villagers of the Sirsi Taluk of Uttara Kannada
requested the forest department not to continue the felling operations in the
Bilegal forest under the Hulekal range.
 The forest department, however, did not pay attention to the request of the
villagers and the clear-felling of the natural forests by the contractors
continued.
 The villagers felt the ill effects of this arrogance on the part of the forest
department.
 There was severe soil erosion and drying up of the perennial water
resources.
 In the Salkani village of Sirsi Taluk, people were deprived of the only patch
of forest left near this and surrounding villages to obtain biomass for
fuelwood, fodder, and honey.
 Moreover, the spice-garden farmers of Uttara Kannada, who were critically
dependent on leaf manure from the forests, were also badly hit.

Objectives of Appiko Movement

The Appiko movement succeeded in its three-fold objectives, which include:

 Protecting the existing forest cover

 Regeneration of trees in denuded land
 Utilizing forest wealth with proper consideration for the conservation of
natural resources.

Effects of Appiko Movement

 The Appiko movement saved the basic life sources for the people, that is,
trees like bamboo useful for making handcrafted items which they could
sell for earning some money for their livelihood.
 It also saved medicinal trees for their use by the local people.
  Further, the movement created awareness among the villagers throughout
the Western Ghats about the ecological danger posed by the commercial
and industrial interests to their forest, which was the main source of
sustenance.
 Like the Chipko movement, south India’s Appiko movement also achieved
successful results.
Silent Valley Movement-
Silent Valley Movement was an anti-state movement to save Silent Valley, a
tropical evergreen forest in Kerala’s Palakkad district. The movement was
founded in 1973 to prevent a hydroelectric project from flooding and harming the
Silent Valley Reserve Forest and its biodiversity.
Silent Valley-
The Silent Valley is a tropical evergreen forest area located in Kerala. It is one
of India’s last remaining portions of virgin tropical evergreen forest and is
extremely biodiverse. Environmentalists and residents were outraged when a
hydroelectric power project was proposed in 1973.
Silent Valley Movement-
 The silent valley movement arose in response to the official statement of
the construction of a dam on Kunthipura’s upper stream, also called the
silent valley project.
 The first survey was conducted by the state government in 1958.
 The dam over the top stream, according to British technicians, can help
generate hydroelectricity.
 The planning commission gave its approval in 1973. The project’s main
goal was to produce 120 megawatts of electrical power and water to yield
240 megawatts of electric power.
 In 1976, a bunch of environmentalists began to oppose the silent valley
project.
  A task force was set up under the presidency of the then Vice-President of
the World Wildlife Fund India.
 The task force continued to work for over a year and conducted several
surveys that recommended that the project be halted.
 The task force’s report stated that the project’s construction will lead to
significant harm to the green cover. It will eventually harm flora and fauna,
as well as the water. This will result in high-scale forest disasters.
 This report also advised that in case the government is compelled to
construct the dam, then they must also adhere to the 17 recommendations
outlined in the given report.
 In 1979, the task force’s leader admitted that the initial report was a blunder
and made a plea to the government to cease the project entirely.

Bishnois of Rajasthan-
Bishnoi (also known as Vishnoi) is a community found in the Western Thar
Desert and northern states of India. They follow a set of 29
principles/commandments given by Guru Jambheshwar (also known as Guru
Jambhoji, Guru Jambha). Bishnoi Panth was founded by Shree Guru
Jambheshwar (1451-1536), also known as Jambhoji. Some people have used the
term Vishnoi, meaning followers of Vishan (Vishnu's name in local dialect), while
most refer to themselves as Bishnoi.
hree Guru Jambeshwar announced a set of 29 tenets. These were contained in a
document called Shabadwani, written in the Nagri script, which consists of 120
shabads. Of his 29 tenets, ten are directed towards personal hygiene and
maintaining good basic health, seven for healthy social behaviour, and four tenets
to the worship of God. Eight tenets have been prescribed to preserve bio-diversity
and encourage good animal husbandry. These include a ban on killing animals
and cutting green trees, and providing protection to all life forms. The community
is also directed to see that the firewood they use is devoid of small insects.
Wearing blue clothes is prohibited because the dye for colouring them is obtained
by cutting a large quantity of shrubs. They are called the first eco-warriors due to
their pro-active approach in conserving ecological balance and protecting the
environment.
Bishnoi Movements-
Bishnoi Movement was started approximately 290 years ago (in the early part of
the 18th century) in Rajasthan by the Bishnoi community. A large group of them
from 84 villages led by a lady called Amrita Devi laid down their lives in an effort
to protect the trees from being felled on the orders of the Maharaja (King) of
Jodhpur.

 The Bishnoi movement is one of the first organized proponents of eco-

conservation, wildlife protection, and green living.
 The Bishnois are considered the first environmentalists of India. They are
born nature lovers.
 In the history of environmental movements, this was the movement that,
for the first time, used the strategy of hugging and embracing trees for their
protection.
 The famous Amrita Devi’s movement is considered to be among the
pioneering efforts for environmental protection.
 King Abhay Singh of Jodhpur, in the 1730s, when building his new palace,
ordered his soldiers to cut down the trees for wood in Khejarli village.
 As a symbol of protest, Amrita Devi stood against the soldiers and fought
for the life of trees by clinging onto them.
 Her three daughters, Asu, Ratni, and Bhagu also stood by their mother.
 Supporting them, the other people of this community also stood up for the
trees and wrapped their arms around the trunks.
  The soldiers continued to axe the trees down, without paying heed to the
requests of the people.
 The prime reason behind opposing tree cutting was embedded in the
cultural belief of the Bishnoi community as described in the principles of
their sect, advocating the protection of trees and wildlife conservation.
 Another reason was immediately related to their rural livelihood, as they
depended on the forest for the supply of fuelwood and fodder.
 Bishnoi from Khejarli and other villages came to join this agitation and
hugged the Khejri trees one by one to protect trees being cut at the cost of
their head.
 In this movement, 363 Bishnois laid down their lives for the protection of
Khejri trees in the Khejarli village of Rajasthan.
 This movement has left an indelible mark on the memories and a long-
lasting effect on the psyche of the people.
Objectives of Bishnois Movement-
1. Conservation of bio-diversity to ensure eco-friendly social life for the
community.
2. Promoting personal hygiene to ensure a healthy life.
3. Advocacy against cutting of trees.
4. Preservation of biodiversity and animal husbandry.

Outcomes of Bishnois Movement-

1. After this incident, the maharaja gave a strong royal decree preventing the
cutting of trees in all Bishnoi villages.
2. The concept of tree-hugging and tree huggers has roots in the history of
Bishnoism in the year of 1730 A.D.
3. This movement and sacrifice not only inspired the Chipko Movement in
the 20th Century which was led by Sunder Lal Bahuguna but also the
Government of India in the form of the “Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife
 Protection Award” and Government of Rajasthan in the form of “Amrita
Devi Bishnoi Smrithi Paryavaran Award” for contributing to the protection
of wildlife and environment conservation respectively.

Narmada Bachao Andolan-

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) is a social movement in India. It was
launched in 1985 to oppose the construction of many large dams on the Narmada
River. The NBA is led by a group of activists, including Medha Patkar. They
argue that the dams will displace thousands of people and have a devastating
impact on the environment. The NBA has been successful in delaying the
construction of some of the dams.

1. Medha Patkar is a prominent leader of the movement. She has organized

hunger strikes and peaceful protests and has been imprisoned many times
for the cause.
2. Baba Amte is renowned for his work against leprosy. He also opposed the
dam construction. He published a booklet titled "Cry O Beloved Narmada"
in 1989.
3. Filmmaker Ali Kazimi documented the 1991 Sangharsh Yatra in his film
"Narmada: A Valley Rises."
4. Anand Patwardhan is a veteran documentary filmmaker. He produced an
award-winning documentary called "A Narmada Diary" in 1996.

Key Points of Narmada Bachao Andolan-

1. The Narmada Bachao Andolan was a social mass movement that began in
1985 to protest the lack of appropriate resettlement and rehabilitation
(R&R) policy for the more than 250,000 displaced due to the construction
of large dams along the Narmada River.
 2. Initially known as the Narmada Dharangrast Samiti or Committee for
Narmada Dam-Affected People, the Narmada Bachao Movement was
renamed in 1989.
3. The Narmada Valley project was conceived in 1946, but construction did
not begin until 1978 when the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT)
issued final orders that included R&R plans.
4. The plan was to construct 30 large dams, 135 medium dams, and 3,000
small dams along the 1,312-kilometer Narmada River from Madhya
Pradesh to Gujarat.
5. Except for the Sardar Sarovar Dam, all dams were in Madhya Pradesh.
6. This decision was based on the assumption that it would provide water to
approximately forty million people, irrigation, and electricity to the
region’s residents.
7. The 138.68-meter-high wall of the Sardar Sarovar Dam would submerge
38,000 hectares of land, displacing 244 villages and 250,000 people.
8. The villages comprise 81% of its basin and are primarily populated
by tribal populations such as Bhils, Gonds, Baigas, and others whose
primary occupation is agriculture.
9. The construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam resumed in 1999 and was
completed in 2006. The project’s height was increased from 138 to 163
meters. PM Narendra Modi dedicated it in 2017.

National Green Tribunal-

1. It is a specialised body set up under the National Green Tribunal Act
(2010) for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to
environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural
resources.
 2. With the establishment of the NGT, India became the third country in the
world to set up a specialised environmental tribunal, only after Australia
and New Zealand, and the first developing country to do so.

3. NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally

within 6 months of filing of the same.

4. The NGT has five places of sittings, New Delhi is the Principal place of
sitting and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are the other four.

Structure of NGT-
1. The Tribunal comprises of the Chairperson, the Judicial Members and
Expert Members. They shall hold office for term of three years or till the
age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier and are not eligible for
reappointment.

2. The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation

with Chief Justice of India (CJI).

3. A Selection Committee shall be formed by central government to appoint

the Judicial Members and Expert Members.

4. There are to be least 10 and maximum 20 full time Judicial members and
Expert Members in the tribunal.

5. The NGT deals with civil cases under the seven laws related to the
environment, these include:
 The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974,
 The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977,
 The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980,
 The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981,
 The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,
 The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 and
 The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Environmental Ethics-
Ethics is a part of philosophy and guide us to follow righteous path which is in
the larger interest of the society as a whole. Environmental ethics is related to
environmental philosophy and defines what is right and wrong at ecological
level. It is more a moral binding than legal compulsions. Practicing
environmental ethics is, therefore, left to an individual. The outcome of such
practices is always par excellence since it comes from voluntarily and hence
with dedication. Educating today‘s youths, thus, becomes more significant in
order to achieve expected outcome.

Religious school of thought was the first philosophical ground to advocate

environmental ethics. Every religion has strongly asked its followers to respect
rivers, animals and the ecology nearby.

Modern philosophy on environmental ethics has evolved in the second half of

twentieth century. Population explosion, environmental degradation, resource
crisis etc problems drew the attention towards the environmental concerns.
However, it also raised some challenges while deciding the environmental
ethics in contemporary situation. Disparity among society, nations and region;
basic right to procure the resources for daily livelihood; right to access to
resources etc were the key challenges in designing environmental ethics.

Role of various religions and cultural practices in environmental

conservation-

All religions agree that nature is an act of divinity and should be treated as such...

Almost all religions address the issue of the creation of the universe, or universes,
in different forms and with varying degrees of clarity or detail. However, all
religions agree that the creation is an act of God and should be treated as such.
Environment and Hinduism-
The sanctity of all life on this planet and elsewhere is clearly ingrained in the
Hinduism. The Supreme God has absolute sovereignty over all creatures
including humans. According to Hindu scriptures all lives have the same right
to existence. Human beings have no dominion over other creatures. They are
forbidden to exploit nature; instead they are advised to seek peace and live in
harmony with nature. The Hindu religion demands veneration, respect and
obedience to maintain and protect the harmonious unity of God and nature.

Hindu philosophy provides a solid foundation for the doctrine of Ahimsa (non-
violence) and this presupposes the doctrines of karma and rebirth. The Hindu
beliefin the cycle ofbirth and rebirth, wherein a person may come back as an
animal or a bird, means that the Hindus give other species not only respect, but
also reverence. This provides a solid foundation for the doctrine of ahimsa -
non-violence (or non-injury) against animals and human beings alike, and
Hindus have a deep faith in this doctrine.

The soul may return in different life forms and with this belief there is a
profound opposition to the institutionalized killing of animals, birds and fishes
for human consumption. Hinduism considers the Nature as ‘the body of God’.
Different birds and animals are associated with different Gods and Goddesses
and worshipped or the emphasis is on their protection and preservation. Finally
Hindu religion provides a moral guideline for environmental preservation and
conservation. Abuse and exploitation of nature is considered as unjust and
sacrilegious.

In Rig Veda it is mentioned that universe consists of five basic elements

namely Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space. These five elements provide basis
for life in everything and man is ordained to conserve them.

Veda commands the knowledgeable to keep the environment free from all
impurities and that can be done by way of Yagnas or sacrificial fire. Yagnas
have said to be the medium of relation between human and the Devatas. These
Devatas are the natural forces who have to be kept propitiated. The Yagnas are
done to worship the deity and to purify the air and keep the environment
healthy. The ‘vid’ has been commanded to devote his life for the purpose of
yagnas and thus balancing the interests of man and nature.

Environment and Buddhism-

Buddhism is the religion full of love, understanding and compassion

committed to the ideals of non violence. The basic tenets of Buddhism are
simplicity and ahimsa. The principle of simplicity based on sustainability
teaches that man should not over exploit the natural resources. The principle
of ahimsa or non violence ofnot killing the animals shows the love for fauna.
The teachings ofBuddhism have concentrated on the theory of Karma and the
theory of cause and effect. They demonstrate that unmindful neglect of these
principles ofright living may lead to chaos and thusto environmental crisis.
InBuddhismthe rivers, forests, mountains are highly respected and regarded as
bliss bestowers and buddhists had great respect for the Sun, Moon and other
planets. Buddha also set down rules forbidding the pollution of rivers, ponds
and wells in Sutta-Nipata.

Environment and Jainism-

Jainism places great emphasis on the principle that one should reprise from
avoidable acts that are harmful to oneself or others.5 Ahimsa (non-violence) is
the fundamental tenet of Jain way of life, a term that is clearly allied with
realism, common sense, personal worth and responsibility. For the Jains
environmental harmony through spirituality should be pursued by all. This can
be done by adhering to three precepts: the right belief, the right knowledge and
the right conduct.
Environment and Sikhism-

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion assigned divine attributes to nature.
According to Sikhism people should respect God’s creations and know the
eternal truth regarding their place in the universe. Human race is the integral
part of the nature and linked to the rest of creation by indissoluble bonds. The
Guru Granth Sahib proclaims the glory of God in nature and the environment.
Sikhs believe that the universe was created by the Almighty God. A balance
between all the elements of nature is necessary for the continuation of the
universe. Any disruption in balance brings distress and disaster.

Environment and Islam-

The Holy Qur’an declares that everything is created from water. Allah is
considered to be the owner of land and mankind is the trustee or guardian
whereas other living creatures are considered to be the beneficiaries.

CNG Vehicles in Delhi-

The deteriorating ambient air quality due to ever increasing vehicular

emissions is the major reason for rating the capital city of Delhi as world's
fourth most polluted city. The Supreme Court of India, concerned over the
deteriorating air quality of Delhi mainly from vehicular sources, in a landmark
judgment on 28th July 1998, directed that all the public transport vehicles in
Delhi to run only on CNG after 31st March, 2001. Since then, efforts have been
made to take Delhi out of this "most polluted" label. This order was
implemented on subsequent and strong interventions of the Supreme Court of
India.

The CNG is a clean burning alternative fuel for vehicles with a significant
potential for reducing harmful emissions especially fine particles. In diesel
engines, a major part of the fuel remains unburnt, making up particulate
emissions.
However, high vehicle cost, shorter driving range, heavy fuel tank, expensive
distribution and storage network and potential performance and operational
problems compared to liquid fuels are some of drawbacks of CNG.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan-

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is one of the most popular and significant missions in
the History of India. This campaign was introduced by the Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi, and was launched on 2nd October 2014 to honour Mahatma
Gandhi’s vision of a Clean country.

Objectives-
The major objective of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is to spread the awareness of
cleanliness and the importance of it.
The concept of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is to provide basic sanitation facilities
like toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness, and safe
and adequate drinking water supply to every person.

At the core of this mission lie six components:

1. Individual household toilets;
2. Community toilets;
3. Public toilets;
4. Municipal Solid Waste Management;
5. Information and Education Communication (IEC) and Public Awareness;
6. Capacity Building
Action Plan-
 Improve the growth percentage of toilets from 3% to 10% by 2019
 Increase in the construction of toilets from 14000 to 48000 daily
  Launch of a National Level/State Level Media campaign through audio-
visual, mobile telephony, and local programmes to communicate the
message of awareness.
 Involvement of school children in the activities for spreading awareness on
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.

Campaigns under Swachh Bharat Mission-

1. Plastic se Raksha’
2. ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’
3. ‘Swachhta Shramdaan’
4. ‘Swachhta hee Seva’

National Environment Awareness Campaign-

The National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC) was launched by

the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of
India in 1986. It aims to create awareness on environmental issues among a
wide group of stakeholders. Several nongovernmental organizations,
educational and training institutions, professional associations, scientific
bodies, community organizations, and also a whole range of other agencies
participate in the campaign. These bodies singularly or in partnership with
other organizations, organize programmes for creating environmental
awareness followed by field action at the local, regional and national level.

Key Points-

 The National Nature Camping Programme (NNCP), also known as

the National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC), is an important
campaign of the Government of India's Ministry of Environment and
Forests (MoEF).
 The NEAC was established in 1986 with the goal of raising environmental
awareness on a national scale.
  It is a multi-media campaign that uses traditional and non-traditional
communication methods to spread environmental messages.
 Under this campaign, nominal financial assistance is provided to
registered non-governmental organisations (NGOs), schools, colleges,
universities, research institutions, women and youth organisations, army
units, State Government Departments, and others from across the country
to help them organise/conduct awareness raising activities.
 The Ministry chooses a national theme for NEAC each year.
 Every year, the Ministry provides an indicative list of awareness activities
that may be organised under NEAC based on the annual theme.
 Folk media and street theatre can also be used as campaign mediums.

National Green Corps (NGC) ‘Eco Club’ programme-

National Green Core (NGC) popularly known as ‘a programme of Eco-

clubs’ is also a nationwide initiative of the Ministry of Environment & Forests
and Climate Change. This programme was started in the year 2001-02, and
today has a network of more than 1,20,000 schools that aims at building core
groups of young students working towards environmental conservation for
more secure and sustainable world.

Objectives-

1. To impart knowledge to school children, through hands-on experience,

about their immediate environment, interactions within it and the problems
therein.
2. To develop requisite skills of observation, experimentation, survey,
recording, analysis and reasoning for conserving the environment through
various activities.
3. To inculcate the proper attitude towards the environment and its
conservation through community interactions.
 4. To sensitize children to issues related to environment and development
through field visits and demonstrations.
5. To promote logical and independent thinking among children so that they
are able to make the right choices in a spirit of scientific inquiry.
6. To motivate and stimulate young minds by involving them in action
projects related to environmental conservation.

Methods-

The scheme is being operated through Eco-clubs of 50-60 students having

interest in environment related issues, formed in member schools. Eco clubs
are supervised by a Teacher In-charge, who is selected from among the
teachers of the member school on the basis of his/her interest in environment
related issues. There is District Implementation and Monitoring Committee to
supervise, organise training for In-charge teachers, and monitor periodically
the implementation of scheme at the District level. There is a State Steering
Committee for guidance, direction and to oversee the implementation of the
scheme. The State Nodal Agency coordinates the implementation of the
scheme in the State and organize related activities like training to Master
Trainers. The National Steering Committee will give overall direction to the
programme and ensure linkages at all levels.

Activities-

1. Organize seminars, debates, lectures and popular talks on environmental

issues in the school.
2. Field visits to environmentally important sites including polluted and
degraded sites, wildlife parks etc.
3. Organize rallies, marches, human chains, and street theatre at public places
with a view to spread environmental awareness.
4. Action based activities like tree plantation, cleanliness drives both within
and outside the school campus.
5. Grow kitchen gardens, maintain vermi-composting pits, construct water-
harvesting structures in school, practice paper re-cycling etc.
6. Prepare inventories of polluting sources and forward it to enforcement
agencies.
7. Organize awareness programmes against defecation in public places,
pasting posters in public places and to propagate personal hygiene habits
like washing hands before meals etc.
8. Maintenance of public places like parks, gardens both within and outside
the school campus.
9. Mobilize action against environmentally unsound practices like garbage
disposal in unauthorized places, unsafe disposal of hospital waste etc .