Shri Ganeshnai Namah
Environment Protection is a Myth……

Environmental Protection includes programs and services that are aimed at reducing risks to the environment from contaminants such as hazardous materials and wastes, fuels, and oils. Environment Protection is considered to be an important topic after the G- Submit, but the question arises is that after formation of so many laws in India Law System some major amendment in Constitution as well as related to environment, protecting environment is still a far goal to achieve. The term has become a part of the social work system not an emergency topic which need urgent hearing and action must be taken accordingly. Environment can't be protected overnight it required one step daily.

Major Acts Related to Environment

• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: A law that aims to improve and protect the environment
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981: A law that controls and prevents air pollution in India
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974: A basic law that aims to prevent water pollution
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002: A law that protects biological diversity and local growers
• Clean Water Act: A law that sets standards for industrial wastewater and contamination levels, and makes it illegal to discharge pollution from a point source without a permit
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: A law that protects the country's wild animals, birds, and plant species
• The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010: A law that deals with the disposal of civil cases related to environmental protection and conservation of natural resources
• Hazardous waste acts: Laws that deal with the management of hazardous waste, which is defined as any waste that poses a threat to human health or the environment

There is a special tribunal that addresses issues related to the environment, allowing urgent decisions to be taken.

This framework emerged following landmark cases such as:

Bhopal Gas Tragedy

• The Bhopal gas tragedy led to the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985, which gave the central government the power to handle claims related to the disaster.
• The Office of the Welfare Commissioner, Bhopal Gas Victims was also established in 1985.
• The disaster highlighted the need for international standards for environmental safety and industrial disaster preparedness.

Oleum Gas Leak Case

The M.C. Mehta v. Union of India case, also known as the Oleum Gas Leak Case, was a landmark environmental law case in India. Key issues addressed included:

• Pollution of the Ganga River: Social activist lawyer M.C. Mehta filed a case to address pollution of the Ganga River caused by industrial and sewage discharges. The court ordered the closure of Shriram Food and Fertiliser Industry near the river and mandated 292 other industries to use safer fuels and relocate if necessary.
• Doctrine of Absolute Liability: The Supreme Court established the principle of absolute liability, holding that any industry engaged in hazardous activities is absolutely liable for any harm caused during such activities.
• Cultural and religious significance of the Ganga River: The court emphasized the importance of the river in Indian culture and religion, ordering an end to the practice of disposing of corpses in it.
• Impact on corporate accountability: This case had a lasting impact on corporate accountability, environmental protection, and industrial safety policies in India.

Question mark on the laws
Hospitality and environment:
The major slap toward the environment law is because of hospitality industry, Government has allowed some major project in mountain ranges, water land which are being violated under environment protection act. This industry bring economic source to India but sustainable Development must be taken care because the amount of energy required to run this property is major setback to environment, there is shortage of water in some regions due to this.

To cure this the number on hotel, resort should be fixed with reference to the requirement so that wastage can be controlled. Like in kedarnath the capacity of mountain to hold should be seen and then only permission should be given accordingly. All kind of political involvement should be stopped in the environment act. The Raffle project in Udai Sagar Lake is the best example of political power and which exploited the environment.

Acid Rain
Acid rain is one of the most visible and well-known negative effects of human activity on the environment. It occurs when pollutants from power plants or other factories react with the atmosphere and produce acid that falls back to Earth in rain, snow, or fog. There are a lot of factors that can cause acid rain, so let's break it down further. Acid rain is most commonly caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. When these materials are burned, they release sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air. These gases rise up into the atmosphere and react with water vapour to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When the acids fall back to Earth in precipitation, they can wreak havoc on the environment.

While there are a few natural causes of acid rain, such as wildfires, decaying vegetation, and other biological processes within the environment, most acid rain is caused by human pollution, particularly from power plants as they burn fuel to produce energy.

Deforestation
Deforestation is the clear-cutting of trees in an area where forests once thrived. It's driven primarily by logging, agriculture, and urban development and the effects on the environment are wide-reaching. It can lead to soil deterioration, stunting the growth of new trees and it can increase flooding and landslides because trees are no longer there to absorb water or anchor the ground in place with their roots.

Deforestation is also a major contributor to global climate change, as trees play a vital role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When trees are removed, they can no longer absorb and filter out carbon dioxide. This leads to an increase in greenhouse gases which traps heat and causes our climate to rise at a faster than normal rate. What's more, cutting down trees releases even more carbon dioxide, creating more greenhouse gases.

Deforestation is also detrimental to our forests' native species. When trees are removed, animals lose their homes and their food sources, leading to a decline in populations — potentially wiping out entire species of animals.

Conclusion
With time major changes has been done in the protection of environment but still the major things due to corruption in India still remain the same, when the country government sold environment for some minor benefits. Still the sandalwood trafficking is going on and many high authority officers support them in that, it's just people protect them and there is no evidence related to it. Environment can be protected only when corruption is being controlled and permission for using environment should be given after seeing every aspect not just political background.

Written By:

• Siddhi Todawat
• Sanjana Yeole