6 BASICS OF ENVIRONMENT AND POLLUTION CONTROL

Some noise pollution may be temporary while other sources are more permanent. Effects may include hearing loss,
wildlife disturbances, and a general degradation of lifestyle.
RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION
Radioactive pollution is rare but extremely detrimental, and even deadly, when it occurs. Because of its intensity and the
difficulty of reversing damage, there are strict government regulations to control radioactive pollution.
Sources of radioactive contamination include:
 Nuclear power plant accidents or leakage
 Improper nuclear waste disposal
 Uranium mining operations
Radiation pollution can cause birth defects, cancer, sterilization, and other health problems for human and wildlife
populations. It can also sterilize the soil and contribute to water and air pollution.
THERMAL POLLUTION
Thermal pollution is excess heat that creates undesirable effects over long periods of time. The earth has a natural
thermal cycle, but excessive temperature increases can be considered a rare type of pollution with long term effects.
Many types of thermal pollution are confined to areas near their source, but multiple sources can have wider impacts
over a greater geographic area.
Thermal pollution may be caused by:
 Power plants
 Urban sprawl
 Air pollution particulates that trap heat
 Deforestation
 Loss of temperature moderating water supplies
As temperatures increase, mild climatic changes may be observed, and wildlife populations may be unable to recover
from swift changes.
LIGHT POLLUTION
Light pollution is the over illumination of an area that is considered obtrusive. Sources include:
 Large cities
 Billboards and advertising
 Night time sporting events and other night time entertainment
Light pollution makes it impossible to see stars, therefore interfering with astronomical observation and personal enjoyment.
If it is near residential areas, light pollution can also degrade the quality of life for residents.
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX 2018
In news 2018:
The 2018 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) finds that air quality is the leading environmental threat to public
health. Now in its twentieth year, the biennial report is produced by researchers at Yale and Columbia Universities in
collaboration with the World Economic Forum. The tenth EPI report ranks 180 countries on 24 performance indicators
across 10 issue categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality. Switzerland leads the world in sustainability,
followed by France, Denmark, Malta, and Sweden.
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Key findings:
 Switzerland’s top ranking reflects strong performance across most issues, especially air quality and climate protection.
 In general, high scorers exhibit long-standing commitments to protecting public health, preserving natural resources,
and decoupling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from economic activity.
 India and Bangladesh come in near the bottom of the rankings, with Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and
Nepal rounding out the bottom five.
 Low scores on the EPI are indicative of the need for national sustainability efforts on a number of fronts, especially
cleaning up air quality, protecting biodiversity, and reducing GHG emissions.
 Some of the lowest-ranking nations face broader challenges, such as civil unrest, but the low scores for others can
be attributed to weak governance, they note.
EPI and Global Sustainability Data
The EPI builds on the best available global data from international research entities, such as the Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation, the World Resources Institute, and the Sea Around Us Project at the University of British
Columbia, as well as international organizations such as the World Bank and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Nevertheless, serious data gaps limit the ability to measure results – and particularly changes in performance – on a
number of important issues. “As the EPI project has highlighted for two decades, better data collection, reporting, and
verification across a range of environmental issues are urgently needed,”.
The world needs better data on sustainable agriculture, water resources, waste management, and threats to biodiversity.
Supporting global data systems is one of the most important steps the world community can take to achieving sustainable
development goals.
DUST MITIGATION PLAN
Centre had notified dust mitigation norms.
The norms mandate that:
 No building or infrastructure project requiring Environmental Clearance shall be implemented without approved
Environmental Management Plan inclusive of dust mitigation measures.
 Roads leading to or at construction sites must be paved and blacktopped (i.e. metallic roads).
 No excavation of soil shall be carried out without adequate dust mitigation measures in place.
 No loose soil or sand or Construction & Demolition Waste or any other construction material that causes dust shall
be left uncovered,
 Wind-breaker of appropriate height i.e. 1/3rd of the building height and maximum up to 10 meters shall be provided.
 Water sprinkling system shall be put in place.
 Dust mitigation measures shall be displayed prominently at the construction site for easy public viewing.
How it works? (Steps taken)
The teams are empowered to take on-the-spot action against violators and if necessary, issue “stop-work” orders.
The campaign will also include enforcement of pollution-control measures for vehicles, driving discipline, inspection of
power plants in Delhi to ensure compliance with the norms on pollution.
Besides field surveys by empowered teams of officials, a series of seminars on mitigation of pollution will also be
organised during the period. These include - a workshop on Environmental and Health; Air Pollution Abatement Technologies;
enlisting support from NGOs, Civil Society, citizens; Clean Air Day in Universities, Colleges and Schools; a Mini Marathon
for Clean Air; enhancing the role of PSUs and industries, apex industrial bodies; launching a national digital forum for
discussions on air pollution; Indoor Air Pollution Management and a conference of Environment Ministers of States and
Union Territories.
 8 BASICS OF ENVIRONMENT AND POLLUTION CONTROL

MINAMATA CONVENTION
In news
Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for ratification of Minamata Convention on Mercury enabling India to
become a Party of the Convention.
About
 The approval entails ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury along with flexibility for continued use of
mercury based products and processes involving mercury compound up to 2025.
 The first Conference of the Parties (CoP) under the Minamata Convention took place in Geneva, Switzerland in 2017
which India attended as observer.
It is financed through Global Environment Facility.
Details about the convention
 The Minamata Convention on Mercury is first global legally binding treaty to protect human health and the environment
from the adverse effects of mercury.
 It was agreed in Geneva, Switzerland in January 2013 and came into force in August, 2017.
The Minamata Convention has put party nations to:
 Reduce and eliminate the use and release of mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM).
 Control mercury air emissions from coalfired power plants, coal-fired industrial boilers, certain non-ferrous metals
production operations, waste incineration and cement production.
 Phase-out or take measures to reduce mercury use in certain products such as batteries, switches, lights, cosmetics,
pesticides and measuring devices, and create initiatives to reduce the use of mercury in dental amalgam.
 Phase out or reduce the use of mercury in manufacturing processes such as chloralkali production, vinyl chloride
monomer production, and acetaldehyde production.
 It also puts a ban on new mercury mines.
 The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites contaminated
by mercury as well as health issues.
Waste management
Waste management involves collecting, transporting, disposing, recycling and monitoring waste generated through
human activities.
General waste management techniques are:
Landfill: It involves having the waste buried off in empty, deserted locations outside the city. Dumped waste is made
to undergo compression to enhance the density and make the fill stable. It is later covered to discourage vermin
growth. A gas extraction system is customarily installed to exact the gas (arising out of decomposition) through a
burrow pit.
Incineration: Waste is exposed to high temperature to trigger combustion and ultimately reduce to ash, gas and heat
energy. Toxic wastes from industry are thermally treated in furnace and boiler to extract energy. This method is
useful where land is scarce. Gasification and Pyrolysis methods involve heating waste in short supply of oxygen at
high temperature inside a pressurized and sealed vessel. The resultant residue is used for energy generation.
Recycling: Paper, plastic, PVC and other homogenous products can be recycled to put them in use in a new garb.
This also rids the environment of non-biodegradable, chemical wastes that significantly disturb the ecological balance.
Biological reprocessing: Wastes of organic origin are made to undergo biological decomposition and re-used as
compost or mulch for agriculture and landscaping. Gas collected is used for electricity generation.
Waste Reduction and Avoidance: The stress is on increased use of second hand products, repaired products and
reducing the use of complex disposable items to keep a tab on waste generation in abundance.