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The Act extends to whole of India. Some terms related to environment have been described as follows in the Act: 1. nvironment incl!des water, air and land and the interrelationshi" that exist amon# and between them and h!man bein#s, all other livin# or#anisms and "ro"ert$. %. The environmental "oll!tion means the "resence of an$ solid, li&!id or #ases s!bstance "resent in s!ch concentration as ma$ be or tend to be in'!rio!s to environment. (. )a*ardo!s s!bstance means an$ s!bstance or "re"aration which b$ its "h$sico+chemical "ro"erties or handlin# is liable to ca!se harm to h!man bein#s, other livin# or#anisms, "ro"ert$ or environment. The Act has #iven "owers to the central #overnment to ta,e meas!res to "rotect and im"rove environment while the state #overnment coordinate the actions. The most im"ortant f!nction of central #overnment !nder this act incl!des: Settin# !" of a- The standards of &!alit$ of air, water or soil for vario!s areas and "!r"oses. b- The maxim!m "ermissible limits of concentration of vario!s environmental "oll!tants for different areas. c- The "roced!res and safe#!ards for the handlin# of ha*ardo!s s!bstances. d- The "rohibition and restrictions on the handlin# of ha*ardo!s s!bstances in different areas. e- The "rohibition and restriction on the location of the ind!stries and to carr$ on "rocess and o"erations in different areas. f- The "roced!res and safe#!ards for the "revention of accidents which ma$ ca!se environmental "oll!tion and "rovidin# for remedial meas!res for s!ch accidents. The "ower of entr$ and ins"ection, "ower to ta,e sam"le etc. !nder this act lies with the .entral /overnment or an$ officer em"owered b$ it. 0or the "!r"ose of "rotectin# and im"rovin# the &!alit$ of the environment and "reventin# and abatin# "oll!tion, standards have been s"ecified !nder Sched!le I+I1 of nvironment 23rotection4!les 1986 for emission of #aseo!s "oll!tants and dischar#e of effl!ents5waste water from ind!stries. These standard var$ from ind!str$ to ind!str$ and also var$ with the medi!m into which the effl!ent is dischar#ed or the area of emission.
RAINWATER HARVESTING: 4ainwater harvestin# is a techni&!e of increasin# the rechar#e of #ro!ndwater b$ ca"t!rin# and storin# rainwater. This is done b$ constr!ctin# s"ecial water+harvestin# str!ct!res li,e d!# wells, "ercolation "its, la#oons, chec, dams etc. "oll!tion of this water is "revented. 4ainwater harvestin# is not onl$ "rovin# !sef!l for "oor and scant$ rainfall re#ions b!t also for the rich ones. It is an astonishin# fact that .hera"!n'i, the "lace receivin# the second hi#hest ann!al rainfall still s!ffers from water scarcit$. Till now there is hardl$ an$ rain+water harvestin# bein# done in this re#ion, thereb$ losin# all the water that comes thro!#h rainfall.
GLOBAL WARMING: Tro"os"here, the lower most la$er of the atmos"here tra"s heat b$ nat!ral "rocess d!e to the "resence of certain #ases. This effect is called /reen )o!se ffect The amo!nt of heat tra""ed in the atmos"here de"ends mostl$ !"on the concentration of #reen ho!se #ases and len#th of time the$ sta$ in the atmos"here. The ma'or #reen ho!se #ases are carbon dioxide, o*one, methane, nitro!s oxide etc. and water va"o!rs. The avera#e #lobal tem"erat!re is 71=c. In the absence of #reen ho!se #ases this tem"erat!re wo!ld have been 18= c. Therefore, #reenho!se effect contrib!tes a tem"erat!re rise to the t!ne of ((= c. )eat tra""ed b$ #reen ho!se #ases in the atmos"here ,ee"s the "lanet warm eno!#h to allow !s and other s"ecies to exist.
The two "redominant #reen ho!se #ases are water va"o!rs which are controlled b$ h$drolo#ical c$cle and carbon dioxide. <hile the levels of water va"o!r in the tro"os"here have relativel$ remained constant the levels of carbon dioxide have increased. >ther #ases whose levels have increased d!e to h!man activities are methane, nitro!s oxide. ?eforestation has f!rther res!lted in elevated levels of carbon dioxide d!e to non removal of carbon dioxide b$ "lants thro!#h "hotos$nthesis It has "roved to be disastro!s for vario!s ecos$stems on the earth incl!din# h!mans as it wo!ld alter the conditions faster than some s"ecies co!ld ada"t or mi#rate.
GREEN HOUSE GASES: The "henomenon that worries the environmental scientists is there is an increase in the concentration of the #reen ho!se #ases in the air that absorbs infra+red li#ht containin# heat and res!lts in the re+radiation of even more of the o!t#oin# thermal infra+red ener#$, thereb$ increasin# the avera#e s!rface tem"erat!re be$ond 17= c. The "henomenon is referred to as the enhanced #reen ho!se effect. The #reen ho!se #ases incl!de .arbon dioxide, .hlorofl!orocarbons, methane and nitro!s oxide etc. These are the #reen ho!se #ases "resent in the tro"os"here and res!ltin# in an increase in the tem"erat!re of air and the earth.
Impac ! "# $%&a%c$' ()$$% &"*!$ $##$c : The enhanced #reenho!se effect will not onl$ ca!se #lobal warmin# b!t will also affect vario!s other climatic and nat!ral "rocesses. 1+ G,"-a, $mp$)a *)$ .%c)$a!$: The avera#e #lobal tem"erat!re is 71=c. In the absence of #reen ho!se #ases this tem"erat!re wo!ld have been 18= c. Therefore, #reenho!se effect contrib!tes a tem"erat!re rise to the t!ne of ((= c. /+ R.!$ .% S$a L$0$,: <ith the increase in #lobal tem"erat!re sea water will ex"and. )eatin# will melt the "olar ice sheets and #laciers res!ltin# in f!rther rise in sea level.
>ne meter rise in sea level will in!ndate low l$in# areas as well as a#ric!lt!ral lowlands and deltas and will affect rice "rod!ctivit$. In India, the @a,shadwee" Islands with a maxim!m hei#ht of 6 meters above the level ma$ be v!lnerable. Some of the most bea!tif!l cities li,e A!mbai ma$ be saved b$ heav$ investment on emban,ment to "revent in!ndation.
@ife of millions of "eo"le will be affected, b$ the sea level rise who have b!ild homes in the deltas of /an#es, the Nile, Aississi""i rivers. 1+ E##$c ! "% &*ma% &$a, &: The #lobal warmin# will lead to chan#es in the rainfall "attern in man$ areas, thereb$ affectin# the distrib!tion of vector+borne diseases li,e malaria, filariasis, ele"hantiasis etc.
<armer tem"erat!re and more water sta#nation wo!ld favo!r breedin# of mos&!itoes, snails and some insects, which are the vectors of s!ch diseases. )i#her tem"erat!re and h!midit$ will increase5a##ravate res"irator$ and s,in diseases. 2+ E##$c ! "% A().c*, *)$: It ma$ show "ositive or ne#ative effects on vario!s t$"es of cro"s in different re#ions of the world. Tro"ical and s!btro"ical re#ions will be more affected since the avera#e tem"erat!re in these re#ions is alread$ on the hi#her side. ven a rise of %= c ma$ be &!ite harmf!l to cro"s. Increase in tem"erat!re and h!midit$ will increase "est #rowth. 3ests will ada"t to s!ch chan#es better than the cro"s Aeas!res to chec, #lobal warmin#:
To slow down enhanced #lobal warmin# the followin# ste"s will be im"ortant: 1. .!t down the c!rrent rate of !se of .0.s and fossil f!el. %. Bse ener#$ more efficientl$ (. Shift to renewable ener#$ reso!rces 6. Increase in n!clear "ower "lants for electricit$ "rod!ction 7. Shift from coal to nat!ral #as 6. Tra" and !se methane as a f!el C. 4ed!ce beef "rod!ction. 8. Ado"t s!stainable a#ric!lt!re 9. Stabili*e "o"!lation #rowth 1D. fficientl$ remove carbon dioxide from smo,e stac,s 11. 3lant more trees. 1%. 4emove atmos"heric carbon dioxide b$ !tili*in# "hotos$nthetic al#ae.