218 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Indian scenario
Laws need to be strengthened and implemented properly to protect the environment.
Although India has a number of rules and regulations to protect the environment they have
still not reached the stage of full compliance. The growth of environmental laws is a reflection
of the speed with which environmentalism has established itself as a potent political force.
But many of the laws are either trivial or short-lived and vulnerable to political pressure.
Politicians do not violate laws, but the laws are so modified to suit their vested interests.
Environment regulations may thus be modified to tap the tourist potential of an area or to
set up some other industry. There have been many instances where laws have been changed
to accommodate commercialization in hill areas.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, gives wildlife wardens the power to protect animals
in wildlife parks and sanctuaries. But we also find that these wardens exercise their power
on traditional entertainers. Monkey, bear and snakes shows on streets are a common scene.
The state earns money by putting wild animals on exhibition in zoological parks and permits
circus companies to train animals for entertainment to earn profit. Environmental values
are difficult to integrate into Indian law. Though regulatory controls have become stricter,
the state of the environment has not improved because of the financial crunch, absence of
basic infrastructure, reliance on litigation, absence of comprehensive industrial location
policy and absence of relevant technology.
In India, several legislations have been passed to check pollution, such as the Air
(Prevention of Pollution) Act, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Environment
(Protection) Act. The legislation on air has some loopholes since it does not provide for the
prevention of interstate air pollution. It deals with the control of noxious emissions from
specified industrial processes, automobiles and noise pollution. Smoke and other non-noxious
emissions are not covered under this Act. There has to be transparency in the judicial
system. The public has the right to know what is going on. The judiciary has to think before
passing judgments. Without thinking of alternatives’ such as rehabilitation, these verdicts
will just continue to push up the cost of illegal management.
Public Awareness
Environmental Science aims at creating understanding among masses of the delicate
balance, which exists, between natural environment and its dependents (humans) to optimize
the exploitation of resources on economic basis, which would lead to sustainable development.
Secondly, it encourages students and researchers to make careers in the field of environment
knowledge of the basic principles of ecology and environmental science would inbuilt a sense
of duty in the citizens to care and. manage the natural resources on an optimal basis. Such
awareness is essential because the causes and solutions to environmental problems are
often linked.
Public awareness addresses issues by which a common man becomes aware of activities,
which would result in improvement of the overall environment When public awareness rises
to a level where masses come to know the do’s and don’ts of the environment, the rules and
regulation have little role to play. People should understand that how they should. react to
pollution’ problems, natural hazards, anthropogenic hazards, waste-disposal problem, hunting,
deforestation and ecosystem problems (bio-magnification, food chain and food web concept).
Public awareness increase upon making the people understand how malpractices affect