Effect of Pollution on Common Man in India: A Legal Perspective

Abstract

The present generation and the coming generations have to solve three grave problems, namely, population, poverty and pollution if they have to survive.  We will focus ourselves on pollution for now. 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 for our country. 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 that is facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. It is no longer a new or surprising fact that mankind has actually brought the Earth to the brink of disaster. Man’s suicidal actions will soon turn this wonderful planet into a lifeless and hostile planet. The ill-effects of ever-growing population and urbanization have already been seen, felt and realized to some extent in different circles.  Today, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land on which we grow our food, have been poisoned. Numerous problems like ozone layer depletion, greenhouse effect, global climatic changes, depletion of ground water levels, drinking water crises, etc. are all plaguing the Earth today in the twenty-first century and posing serious threats to the survival as well as the very existence of the human race on this  Earth. Industrialization and urbanisation have resulted in a profound deterioration of India’s living quality. Out of the 3 million premature deaths that occur in the world each year due to pollution, the highest number are assessed to occur in India. According to the World Health Organization, the country of India is one of the top ten polluted countries in the world. According to another study, while India’s Gross Domestic Product has increased 2.5 times over the past two decades, while the pollution has quadrupled in the same period. Through the paper we will be throwing light on various forms of pollution prevalent in India and their effect on the common man of the country. And the measures that can be used to curb the pollution and minimize the effect of pollution on the people.

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 that we face today.

Keywords: Pollution, Law, Environment, People, Legal Perspective