Environmental and Sustainable Development Policies to Address the Pollution Catastrophe in India

Although the environment, crops, water, air, food and fiber, control the weather, and supply oxygen, its air, water, and soil are polluted too. Humans have altered about 75% of the earth, reducing wildlife and nature’s space and harming the environment. Industrialisation, urbanisation, population growth, and globalisation have affected people and the environment. This study aims to investigate the environmental and sustainable development-focussed policies to address the pollution catastrophe. The study is a content analysis of prominent online newspaper media reports from January 1, 2020, to November 30, 2022, on legal, environmental, and sustainable issues to reduce pollution and advocate an Indian environmental and sustainable development policy. Since pollution and environmental degradation pose significant threat to humanity, ecosystems, and sustainable living are at risk. Despite national and international legislative and regulatory actions, the environment remains a significant issue. An environmental strategy that encourages sustainable development for future generations is the need of the times. It was found that there were legal and environmental offenses, the management of unscientific treatment procedures, the lack of fundamental education about existing court orders, and fatality-induced health problems. Therefore, India needs an environmental and sustainable development policy to limit environmental concerns’ fatality and protect the earth from pollution.
- Agarwal, P. (2021, September 16). Delhi: Bad air due to emissions affecting health the most, says research: Delhi News - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved December 10, 2022, Available from https:// timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-bad-air-dueto-emissions-affecting-health-the-most-says-research/ articleshow/94235053.cms
- Ali, S.I. (2022, March 23). Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi most polluted city in the world: Jaipur News - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/ rajasthans-bhiwadi-most-polluted-city-in-the-world/ articleshow/90386442.cms
- Annam, B. (2022, June 19). Pollution, plastic waste poses grave threat to mangroves. The New Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https:// www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2022/ jun/19/pollution-plastic-waste-posesgrave-threat-tomangroves-2467304.html
- Antony, T. (2020, April 21). Sewage discharge caused Periyar pollution, shows test. The New Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.newindianexpress. com/cities/kochi/2020/apr/21/sewage-discharge-causedperiyar-pollution-shows-test-2132989.html
- Bandyopadhyay, K. (2022, October 28). Vehicles drowned out Cracker noise this Kali puja: PCB Data: Kolkata News - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ kolkata/vehicles-drowned-out-cracker-noise-this-kali-pujapcb-data/articleshow/95133367.cms
- Biswas, A.K. and K. Hartley (2017, July 22). From Evidence to Policy in India’s Groundwater Crisis. The Diplomat.
- Brundtland, G.H. and M. Khalid (1987). Our Common Future. World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University Press.
- Central Ground Water Board. (2014, July). Geogenic groundwater pollution – special reference to arsenic and fluoride. Central Ground Water Board. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from http://cgwb.gov.in/Bhujalmanthan/GEOGENIC%20POLLUTION_edit_SND.pdf
- Central Pollution Control Board. (2022, November 28). Central Pollution Control Board. CPCB. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://cpcb.nic.in/envprotection-act/
- Chaitanya, S.V.K. (2020, September 3). Vedanthangal pollution: Deadline to submit report extended. The New Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamilnadu/2020/sep/03/vedanthangal-pollution-deadline-tosubmit-report-extended-2191769.html
- Chathurvedi, B. (2022, October 10). Greenpiece: ‘light pollution’ is an issue for avian visitors. Hindustan Times. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.hindustantimes.com/environment/greenpiece-lightpollution-is-an-issue-for-avian-visitors-101665364017784. html
- Dahiya, S., Myllyvirta, L. and N. Sivalingam (2017). (rep.). Airpocalypse: Assessment of Air Pollution in Indian Cities (pp. 1–35). New Delhi: Greenpeace Environment Trust.
- Dar, V. (2020, June 20). Financial express. The Financial Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www. financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/plastic-challengecovid-derailed-fight-against-climate-change-but-savingplanet-is-as-important-as-ones-health/1998072/
- Dey, S. (2015, June 28). 80% of India’s surface water is polluted, points out the report. Times of India.
- Dixit, K. (2022, May 10). Why there may be plastic in your food: Study finds Mulch Sheets polluting soil: Delhi News - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ delhi/why-there-may-be-plastic-in-your-food-study-findsmulch-sheets-polluting-soil/articleshow/91452320.cms
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2017, June 23). Soil pollution comes under scrutiny. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.fao.org/ news/story/en/item/897263/icode/.
- Gosh, S. (2020, May 13). Financial express. The Financial Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www. financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/how-the-nationshould-be-prepared-for-natural-disasters-in-light-of-thecurrent-pandemic-situation-of-covid-19/1957664/
- Grey, A. (2017, March 27). These are the Cities with the worst Noise Pollution. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/03/these-arethe-cities-with-the-worst-noise-pollution/.
- Huey, J. and D.E. Apollonio (2018). A content analysis of popular media reporting regarding increases in minimum ages of legal access for tobacco. BMC Public Health, 18(1): 1129. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6020-6
- Jayanth, A.S. (2020, October 21). Small units’ ayurvedic drugs may have harmful metals. Return to frontpage. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.thehindu. com/news/national/kerala/small-units-ayurvedic-drugsmay-have-harmful-metals/article32909678.ece
- Kadidal, A. (2021, December 13). Uranium in groundwater in Karnataka villages: Study. Deccan Herald. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.deccanherald.com/ state/top-karnataka-stories/uranium-in-groundwater-inkarnataka-villages-study-1060227.html
- Krishnakumar, G. (2022, August 29). Indiscriminate sewage pollution in Kochi kayal. Return to frontpage. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com/news/ cities/Kochi/indiscriminate-sewage-pollution-in-kochikayal/article65826100.ece
- Mavad, A. (2022, June 2). Noise pollution on the rise. Deccan Herald. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www. deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-withbengaluru/noise-pollution-on-the-rise-1114755.html
- Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Biodiversity Synthesis. Retrieved November 19, 2022, from https://www. millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.354. aspx.pdf.
- Mohan, S. (2022, April 13). Light pollution in Kerala causing damage to birds, environment. The New Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https:// www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2022/apr/13/ light-pollution-in-kerala-causing-damage-to-birdsenvironment-2441297.html
- Mohanram, A. (2022, March 11). Turn off the lights. Return to frontpage. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com/real-estate/turn-off-the-lights/ article65208647.ece
- Mohaptra, T. (2020, November 8). Financial express. The Financial Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/sustainableagriculture-incentivise-ecosystem-services/2123969/
- Mouthaan, S. (1995). International environmental law and the 1992 Rio Earth Summit: a brave new world. Holdsworth Law Review, 17, 119.
- Nandi, J. (2020, March 15). Scientists link outbreaks such as covid-19 to Biodiversity loss. Hindustan Times. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.hindustantimes.com/ india-news/scientists-link-outbreaks-such-as-covid-19-tobiodiversity-loss/story-BJmeOJwYYRQkbK5r7cCwXP. html
- Rout, H.K. (2022, September 2). Odisha: Cag to audit drainage, sewerage to check water pollution in 5 cities. The New Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2022/ sep/02/odisha-cag-to-audit-drainage-sewerage-to-checkwater-pollution-in-5-cities-2494036.html
- Sharma, P.K. (2022, February 28). Tipping point. Return to frontpage. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https:// www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/ tourism-has-brought-economic-prosperity-to-thehimalayan-region-but-the-environmental-cost-has-beencatastrophic/article65070497.ece
- Sidharth, T.S.S. (2020, December 18). Noise Pollution turns deathly in Hyderbad’s residential areas. The New Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.newindianexpress.com/topic?per_pa ge=105&term=pollution&request=MIN&type=title&r ow_type=A&archive=true&year=2020
- Singh, L. (2021, April 8). Maharashtra recycles only 1% of e-waste it generates: MPCB Data. The Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://indianexpress. com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-recycles-only-1-ofe-waste-it-generates-mpcb-data-7265125/
- Skribanowitz, P. and N. Clark (2017, March 8). Worldwide Hearing Index 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from https://www.mimi.audio/en/blog/2017/3/8/worldwidehearing-index-2017.
- Suresh, M.K. (2022, November 2). 79% of waterbodies in Kerala Contaminated, reveals Govt study. English. Mathrubhumi. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https:// english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/79-of-waterbodiesin-kerala-contaminated-know-how-your-district-fare-inrecent-govt-study-1.8011019
- The World Bank and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (2016). The cost of air pollution: Strengthening the economic case for action. Washington DC: The World Bank.
- Tripathi, B. (2019, September 2). As India hosts desertification meet, 30% of its land is already degraded. IndiaSpend.
- UNEP (2016) (rep.). A Snapshot of the World’s Water Quality: Towards a global assessment (pp. 1–162). Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme.
- Verma, A. (2022, November 3). Air Quality Worsens, shut Delhi schools, says NCPCR . The New Indian Express. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www. newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2022/nov/03/airquality-worsens-shut-delhi-schools-says-ncpcr-2514397. html
- Vidal, J. (2016, August 31). Cleaning the World’s Water: We are now more polluted than we have ever been. The Guardian.
- Viet, K. (1990). From Stockholm to Brundtland. Environmental Policy and Law, 20.
- Zaveri, E. (2017, May 9). India’s Groundwater future is at stake. The Hindu Business Line.