Short Essay on Pollution and Environment Protection Act – Environment is an important part of human life and a healthy environment is a must for human existence. Therefore, it is crucial that we take care of our surroundings and help nature maintain ecological balance so that we could hand over to the coming generations the environment as we found it, if not any better.
In the recent past there has been a lot of damage to the ecology. Air, water and soil have been polluted and there appears to be no decisive end to it. The scientific advancement and rapid industrialization has taken its toll.
The excessive use of pesticides by our farmers has turned even underground water unsafe for consumption. The law had to control the worsening situation and so Parliament enacted the Environment Protection Act, which is the most comprehensive law on environment protection. The Act came in the wake of the Stockholm declaration by the United Nations Conference.
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The steps taken for the environmental protection include co-ordination of actions of State governments, officers and other authorities laying down standards for the quality of environment, and the standards for emission or discharge of pollutants from various sources.
It is statutorily prohibited to discharge environment pollutant in excess of the prescribed standards, and so is the handling of hazardous substances except in accordance with the safety procedures.
The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 provides for immediate financial assistance to the victims of industrial accidents.
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No other Supreme Court in the world has spent as much time and shown as much concern as the Supreme Court of India in addressing environmental issues. This may well be on account of the lethargic approach of the other two branches of the State in this regarding.
Public Interest Litigation proved to be an effective tool and citizens has legitimate access for approaching the Supreme Court and the High Courts to prevent damage to the environment.