Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems

Major Environmental Issues in India: • India's rapid population growth, industrialisation, urbanisation, and agricultural intensification have created severe environmental problems. 1. Land Degradation: • About 120–130 million hectares of India's land is degraded — almost 40% of total land area. • Types and causes: (a) Water erosion: Heavy monsoon rainfall erodes soil from unprotected hillsides — Shivalik foothills, Northeast India, Western Ghats. (b) Wind erosion: Thar Desert — sand storms and dune migration. (c) Ravine formation: Chambal river has created thousands of km of badlands ('ravines') — UP, MP, Rajasthan. (d) Waterlogging and salinisation: Canal-irrigated areas of Punjab, Haryana, UP — poor drainage. (e) Deforestation: Forests cleared for agriculture, settlements, mining — exposes soil. (f) Mining: Open-cast coal and iron ore mining in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh — leaves devastated landscape. • Conservation measures: Afforestation, bunding, check dams, watershed development, social forestry. 2. Urban Waste Disposal: • India's cities generate about 150,000 tonnes of solid waste daily — of which only ~50–60% is collected; even less is scientifically processed. • Problems: (a) Open dumping: Most city waste ends up in open landfills (dumping sites) — Deonar (Mumbai), Bhalswa (Delhi) are mountains of garbage. (b) Burning: Open burning of waste releases toxic gases. (c) Groundwater contamination: Landfill leachate pollutes groundwater. (d) Sewage: Most cities lack adequate sewage treatment — raw sewage flows into rivers. (e) E-waste: Growing problem — IT equipment contains toxic metals; mostly handled informally. • Solutions: Solid Waste Management Rules (2016); Swachh Bharat Mission (2014) — built 100 million toilets, promoted waste segregation; source segregation; composting; waste-to-energy plants.

Water Pollution in India: • India's rivers, lakes, and groundwater are severely polluted — affecting the health of hundreds of millions of people. Causes of Water Pollution: 1. Sewage and domestic wastewater: • India's urban areas generate about 70,000 million litres of sewage daily — but only about 30–40% is treated. The rest flows into rivers. • Rivers most affected: Yamuna (received untreated sewage from Delhi's 20 million people), Ganga, Gomti. 2. Industrial effluents: • Factories discharge heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic), dyes, solvents, acids into rivers without adequate treatment. • Leather tanneries in Kanpur discharge chromium into the Ganga. • Textile dyeing units in Tiruppur severely polluted local rivers. 3. Agricultural runoff: • Excess fertilisers (nitrogen, phosphorus) run off into rivers and water bodies — causing eutrophication (algal bloom that depletes oxygen). • Pesticide residues in surface and groundwater. 4. Mining: • Acid mine drainage from coal and metal mines. 5. Thermal pollution: • Power plants discharge hot water — raising water temperature and reducing oxygen. 6. Groundwater contamination: • Arsenic in Bengal and Bihar (natural); Fluoride in Rajasthan (natural); Nitrates from fertilisers. Consequences: • Waterborne diseases: Cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, diarrhoea — major cause of child mortality. • Biodiversity loss: River pollution destroys aquatic ecosystems — Gangetic dolphin (endangered), fish stocks. • Agricultural harm: Contaminated irrigation water damages crops and human health. Measures: • National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). • Namami Gange Mission (2015): ₹20,000 crore programme — sewage treatment plants, crematoria, river-front development. • Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) — pollution monitoring and regulation. • National Water Policy (2012). • Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) mandatory for polluting industries.

Slums in India: • A slum is a densely settled area with inadequate housing, lack of basic services (water, sanitation, electricity), insecure tenure, and overcrowding. • India has about 65 million slum dwellers (2011 Census) — approximately 17% of urban population. • Most famous slum: Dharavi, Mumbai — Asia's largest, home to nearly 1 million people in ~2.1 km². Problems of Slums: 1. Housing: • Cramped, structurally weak shelters — kuccha (temporary) construction of plastic, tin, and wood. • High density: Multiple families sharing a single room. • No secure land tenure — slum dwellers can be evicted. 2. Water and sanitation: • Inadequate clean water supply — sharing standpipes; buying water at high cost. • Open defecation or shared community toilets — inadequate ratio. • Poor drainage → stagnant water → vector-borne diseases (malaria, dengue). 3. Health: • Overcrowding → infectious disease (tuberculosis, COVID-19). • Poor sanitation → diarrhoeal diseases. • Limited healthcare access. 4. Education: • Schools often overcrowded; dropout rates higher; child labour. 5. Safety and crime: • Some slums controlled by criminal gangs; domestic violence; lack of street lighting. 6. Economic: • Residents are mostly informal workers — domestic helpers, construction labour, waste pickers, small traders — with no social security. Government Programmes: 1. JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, 2005–14): Investment in urban infrastructure and housing; Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP). 2. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) — PMAY-U (2015): • 'Housing for All by 2022' — construction and upgrading of affordable housing. • Four components: In-situ slum rehabilitation; affordable housing through credit-linked subsidy; affordable housing in partnership with private sector; beneficiary-led construction. 3. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban): • Construction of community toilets; elimination of open defecation. 4. Smart Cities Mission: • 100 selected cities — comprehensive development of infrastructure including slum areas. 5. AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation): • Water supply, sewerage, parks in 500 cities. Key Challenges: • Scale of the problem is vast — demand exceeds supply. • Land prices in cities make affordable housing difficult. • Evictions without adequate alternatives continue. • NGO and community participation essential alongside government action.