ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW
Environmental Challenges
India’s economic development propelled by rapid industrial growth and urbanization is causing severe environmental problems that have local, regional and global significance. Deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution and land degradation continue to worsen and are hindering economic development in rural India, while the rapid industrialization and urbanization in India’s booming metropolises are straining the limits of municipal services and causing serious environmental problems.
More than 20 cities in India have populations of over ten million, and some of them, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, are among the world’s most polluted. Assuming continued economic liberalization and increased urbanization, the damage to environment and health could be enormous if precautionary measures are not taken. The challenge, therefore, is to maintain the quality of air, water and land and protect the environment by reconciling environmental, social and economic imperatives.
Air quality data in India’s major cities indicate that ambient levels of air pollutants exceed both the World Health Organization and Indian standards, particularly for particulate matter. Of the total air pollution load nationwide, vehicular sources contribute 64 percent, thermal power plants 16 percent, industries 13 percent, and the domestic sector 7 percent. Environmental effects from growing fossil fuel use can only worsen as India seeks to meet the energy needs of its growing economy. It is estimated that over 96 percent of India’s total demand for commercial energy is met by fossil fuel with coal contributing 60 percent and petroleum products providing the remaining 36 percent.
EnvironmentalChallenges
India’s rivers and streams suffer from high levels of pollution from waste generated primarily from industrial processes and municipal activities. Untreated sewage and non-industrial wastes account for four times as much pollution as industrial effluents. While it is estimated that 75 percent of the wastewater generated is from municipal sources, industrial waste from large and medium-sized plants contributes to over 50 percent of the total pollution loads. In major cities, less than five percent of the total waste is collected and less than 25 percent of this treated.
To address these environmental challenges in coordination with the state governments, the central government has identified and targeted 17 highly polluting industries and 24 environmental problem areas. The chemical and engineering industries are at the top of the government’s list, since they are the major contributors to air, water, and waste pollution. These industries include integrated iron and steel plants, non ferrous metallurgical units, pharmaceutical and petrochemical complexes, fertilizers and pesticide plants, thermal power plants, textiles, pulp and paper, tanneries and chloralkali units.
Environment
We want to turn the situation around. Inspired by our Founder’s vision, volunteers from around the India have initiated several projects to combat several serious and huge environmental crisis. Projects include large-scale tree plantations carried out under Mission Green Earth, the revival of dried rivers, cleaning polluted rivers, temple waste management, and natural farming that preserves soil quality. Our projects mostly revolve around conserving natural resources and securing rural livelihoods in the process.
