CHAPTER 2

Pollution: Causes and Kinds

1. CAUSES OF POLLUTION AND

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Causes of pollution and environmental degradation are of two types:
1. Natural causes
2. Man-made causes

1.1 Natural causes

Drought, flood, cyclone, earthquake, molten lava of volcano, hurricane,
twister, torrents, epidemics are the main natural causes/factors which cause
environmental pollution. Since they are agents of nature and man has no
control over them, they are known as natural causes.

1.2 Man-made causes

There are four main man-made causes:
1. Population growth
2. Poverty
3. Urbanisation
4. Industrialisation

1.2.1 Population growth

"The earth is finite and world population is infinite." Every new face con-
sumes lots of natural and non-natural products, which are also ultimately
provided after exploiting natural resources. Thus, every birth increases the
consumption of natural resources. But it is true that "a finite world can
support only a finite population". In other words, natural resources shrink
as people multiply. The world's population has grown almost five-fold from
1. 1 7 billion to 5.1 billion in this century.
 2.0 POLLU TION: CAUSES AND KINDS [Clf-4.p

India alone has 16 per cent popula tion of the world with only 2 , 4 p
cent area of the total world land area. With its popula tion of 20.34 crore ~r
1871, it crossed the mark of 100 crore on 11 May 2000. This rise in urb
in
popul ation is at a v~ry high r~te. It indicat~s a? increasing deman d for fu:f
food, water, pollution-free au, space to live 1n and health y conditions 0 f
life. Increasing popul ation of urban areas has create d the problem of la d
pollut ion, air pollut ion, water pollut ion, insani tary condit ions, slums -:u
cumulatively affecting adversely the qualit y of life. This is why Kolkata and
Delhi are rated as "chok ed cities". The Supreme Court had to order shiftin
of pollut ing indust ries from Delhi and not to ply vehicles which are mor!
than 15 years old.
Contin uous rise in popul ation has enhan ced the densit y of population
in variou s areas which has also create d variou s social, physical and psy-
chological proble ms for the people. Space requir ed for the population
has also resulte d in defore station and disapp earanc e of vegetation cover
which is only 13 per cent of the total area agains t 33 per cent which is ver;
essential.
Increa sing popul ation also results in povert y which is also a cause of
pollut ion. Daily increase in popul ation means more coal, diesel, petrol to
burn; more iron and other metals for daily use; more means of tran.sporta-
tion creatin g air pollut ion; more clothes to put on which also use up natural
resources; more furnit ure and paper to use which in turn result in cutting
of more trees; more space to live in; more water to drink and for agricul-
tural purpo ses. As a matte r of fact increased popul ation of India has caused
housin g proble ms, shorta ge of food and transp ortatio n, insani tary condi-
tions, loss of nutriti ous food. All this cumulatively affects the quality of life
which is implic it in the right to life in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
Thus, all this makes an impac t on the huma n enviro nment . For example,
if we want to increase food produc tion;· pesticides will be used which may
yield more produ ction but cause chemical pollut ion of land, water and air,
and hazard ous waste. Disap pearan ce of vegeta tion cover has also reduced
the anima l kingdo m. It is also to be noted that "susta inable development is
closely linked to the dynam ics of popul ation growt h"..

1.2.2 Poverty
Poverty contri butes equall y to both- popul ation growt h and environmen-
tal pollut ion. "Pove rty" has been defined as "the inabil ity of an individual
or househ old to attain a minim al standa rd of living". The poor usu~Ily
1

have low life expect ancy, high infant morta lity, higher incidence of dis~-
b!ement and higher consu mptio n of natura l resour ces in the form of foo '

d E ·ron01ent
n,_
t • O "'.-,un et, Our Health, Report of the World Commission on Health an nvi
(1992,) 38.
 \ \
i
CAUSES OF POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION 21

\
f dd r a~d fuel. Unhygienic and insanitary conditions are another by-prod-
o ef p~verty affecting human health. "Poverty reduces people's capac-
uct o use resources 10
ity to . a susta1na
. ble manner, 1t
• 1ntens1
• .fi es pressure on t h e
environment. "
Sadly, the impoverishment.of the poor is a~comp~nied by simult~neous and srs-
tematic erosion of the basic means of their subsistence, the environment, with
its life-supporting natural resources-land, water and forest. It has now aptly
been observed that we need no magnifying glasses to see how inextricably the
poor and poverty are linked to the environment. 2
Planned and unbridled destruction of forests has affected the poor, nomadic
groups and tribes in forests an~ who ful~l their f un~ame~tal needs from the
forest and its products. Thus, 1f trees disappear, rains will be scarce, water
resources will dry up, water table would go down-food, fodder, fuel will
not be available, and lastly, destruction of vegetation means increased
chances of drought and dry season. It may be slow but definite destruction
of human environment because poor in rural areas totally depend upon
forests and their products.
In urban areas, problems of slums, pavement dwelling, insanitary con-
ditions, commotion, shortage of food, increased demand of coal, firewood
and kerosene, shelter and energy are intimately connected with poverty lead-
ing to environmental degradation and human health problems. Therefore,
the need of the times is some strategy including legal strategy to contain
the problem of poverty and to have sustainable development and healthy
environment.
In Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corpn. 3 , the Supreme Court
observed that before pavement dwellers and slum dwellers are evicted they
must be provided alternative sites with basic amenities like water, com-
munity latrines, paved streets and lighting so as to guarantee wholesome
environment under the expanded horizon of the right to life.

1.2.3 Urbanisation
Rapid and unplanned urbanisation had also contributed to environmental
pollution and degradation of human environment. This is the result of rapid
population growth and unending migration of the poor from small towns
and villages to urban centres. Now more than one-fifth population of the
n~~ion lives in urban areas. Therefore, urban population of metropolitan
c~tie~ are increasing day-by-day. Slums are a major problem of big cities and
Signi_ficant contributors to environmental degradation. Slums' population is
continuously on the increase as shown in Table 1:

2 • Our Common Future Report of the World Commission on Environment and

Development (1987) 49.'
3. (1985) 3 sec 545.
22 POLLUTION: CAUSES AND KINDS

I
TABLE 1 Increasing slums' population In metropolitan cities I
I

Oty 1981 1991 2001 ----

Total Slums Total Slums Total Slums
Chennai 4.29 1.38 5.42 1.52 6.98 1,96- - - -
Delhi 5.72 1.80 8.42 2.25 12.22 3.26 ········-
Kolkata 9.19 3.03 11.02 3.63 13.11 4:'i.. -.. . ..
Mumbai 8 99 3.08 12.60 4.33 17.07 .............................- ........
• 5.85

Source: Anon, ACompendium ofIndian Slums (Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi 1996) 20. Puhr.~.,
in •state of India's Environment~ The Citizen's Fifth Report (1999) 11S. '"mi

The Centre for Science and Environment in its Fifth Report (19 99) has
observed:
India is facing a total collapse of urban environment. While industrial cities like
Ludhiana and Tiruppur are drawing in toxic wastes and industrial pollution
non-industrial towns like Aligarh and Bhagalpur are swamped with domesti~
waste. As water-supply agencies have failed in every single town to supply clean
and adequate water, people are turning more to the use of groundwater, deplet-
ing and polluting its reserve. Rivers and streams that pass through towns are
turning toxic ....4
Thus, there is callous disregard for· a once abundant natural resource
(water), careless disposal of wastes, particularly hazardous wastes, and
unwillingness to safeguard basic environmental rights of citizens.
The observations of Shri Nath on urbanisation and environment are very
relevant. 5 Some of them are as follows:
Environmental factors have been given too little consideration in the thinking
on urbanisation in India. Yet they are extremely important and their impor-
tance will increase with increasing urbanisation. The levels of water and air
pollution are already high in many cities, and they could increase to intolerable
levels with further increase in their populations.
Pollution of river waters, by discharges of untreated sewerage by cities and
towns, by industrial effluents and by chemicals dissolved in soil wash from the
fields is also increasing rapidly with urbanisation, industrial growth and mod-
ernisation and intensification of agriculture. .
Anyone familiar with large Indian cities is well aware of high level of af
pollution, caused by smoke from 'domestic fires, factories using coal as foe'
and by motor vehicle exhausts .... The high incidence of cough, breathlessness,
and problems such as asthma, bronchitis, sneezing, and nasal blocks a~~n:
0 1
people in Chembur area in Mumbai are attributed to constant exposure/ ~,
O
level of air pollution . . . . Fears have been expressed about the effect po:nt
plants and refinery emissions on targets ranging from human lungs to anc
monuments.

4. State of India's Environment, Citizen's Fifth Report (1999) 207 (CST). 86 339
S. Nath, "Urbanisation in India", Economic and Political Weekly, 22.-2.-1 9 • •
 \
\ CAUSES OF POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION 2.3
\
L.K. KJolwal v. State of Rajasthan6 highlighted the insanitary condition
prevailing in Jaipur city-known as the Pink City of the world. The court
gave six months time to dean up the city as it was the primary, manda-
tory and obligatory duty of the municipality to clean the city and remove
filth. The plea of poor finance and paucity of staff cannot be the reason for
non-performance of the statutory duty. It was observed by the court that
keeping the city unclean and non-removal of filth amounts to violation of
the right to life under Article 21, "as it amounts to slow poisoning and
reducing the life of the citizen because of the hazard created". Similarly, T.
Damodhar Rao v. Municipal Corpn. of Hyderabacf made it very clear that
unbridled right to the owner to enjoy his piece of land is not absolute-may
• the St;te be th~ o~~e; of the piece of° iand. This right of ownership IS sub-
ject to the law of ecology and environment-a s zoning laws. Any construc-
tion for residential purpose on the land allotted for a recreational park
would upset the environmental balance of the area. Though the residential
houses were constructed by the Income Tax Department (the State), but it is
the constitutional duty of the State to protect and improve the environment
and not to cause environ.mental imbalance. "Article 21 of the Constitution
embraces the protection and preservation of nature's gift without (which)
life cannot be enjoyed." It was a case of the city of Hyderabad. The Bombay
High Court also did not permit to disturb the development plan in which
a' plot was reserved for a garden. The State wanted to use that plot for the
construction of a 12-storey building for Ministers of the State. The court
directed the State not to proceed with the construction as the plot was
reserved for a garden in the draft development plan.8
In some cases, the plight of megapolitans like Delhi and Mumbai have
been highlighted in various Supreme Court pronouncements. The problem
of municipal solid waste has been discussed in B.L. Wadehra v. Union of
India 9 and Almitra H. Patel v. Union of India 10 by the Supreme Court. The
court observed:
Historic city of Delhi-the Capital of India-is one of the most polluted cities
in the world. The authorities responsible for pollution control and environment
protection have not been able to provide clean and healthy environment to the
residents of Delhi. The ambient air is so much polluted that it is difficult to
breathe .... River Yamuna-the main source of drinking-water supply-is the
•free dumping place for untreated sewage and industrial waste. Apart from air
and water pollution, the City is virtually an open dustbin. Garbage strewn all
over Delhi is a common sight . .. . It is no doubt correct that rapid industrial
• development, urbanisation and regular flow of persons from rural to urban
areas have made major contribution towards environmental degradation.

6. 1986 SCC Online Raj 43: AIR 1988 Raj 2..

7. 1987 SCC Online AP 6: AIR 1987 AP 171.
8. Maneck Davar v. State of Maharashtra, WP (OS) No. 2.032. of 1983, order dt. 3-10-1984
(Born).
9. (1996) 2. SCC--5-94.
10. (2.000) 2. sec 6 79.
 KIN DS
2.4 POL LUT ION : CAU SES AN D I [CI-1,4.p.
I
ic and pro per disposal of waste so
Th us, the cou rt ord ere d for scientif
rt also directed and authorised mi s _to
~ubserve the com mo n goo d. Th e cou nic-
sta tut ory authorities to levy and rec
ipa l cor por ati on officers and oth er r
erin g or thr ow ing rub bis h and cauo~e
cha rge s and cos ts fro m any per son litt vis :ng
public hea lth or violating pro
nui s~n ce so as to aff ect san itat ion and l:
tions relating to san itat ion and hea
~f div ers e Acts, bye-laws and regula
ana gem ent and Ha ndl ing ) Rules ' 1999.
hk e the Mu nic ipa l Solid Wastes (M

1.2 .4 Industrialisation
n
economy of a mo der n soc iet y-k now
Ind ust ry is the axi s to gea r up the side
and development. On the other
as the indispensable mo tor of gro wth of env iro nm ent al degradation and
rce
it has been identified as a ma jor sou le
wit hou t des tru ctio n" and "sustainab
pol lut ion . Therefore, "development
of the day.
dev elo pm ent " are the cry ing needs of rising
ke a bal anc e bet wee n the benefits
The pro ble m we face is how to stri phy sica l environ-
s of det erio rati on of the
sta nda rd of livi ng, and its cos t in term er and land
t the dan ger of pol iuti ng air, wat
me nt and qua lity of life. In the pas of grea t
the re is no dou bt tha t it is a ma tter
was not fuUy rec ogn ised , but now
con cer n.
"M ina ma ta dis eas e" ·in Jap an (I9 56) , Bh opa l Ga s Tragedy (1984),
Fam ous
Isla nd inc ide nt of the US (1979),
'M iles
Hir osh im a bom bin g of I94 5, Th ree
acc ide nt in. I98 6 hav e sho wn tha t indus-
Chernobyl (USSR) Ato mic Re act or
tio n has pos ed a ser iou s thr eat not onl y to hum an beings but also
tria lisa sa-
tion cover. On one han d, industriali
to ani ma ls, aqu atic life and vegeta
rd and qua lity of life, on the other it
tio n has helped us to rai se the sta nda
erio rate d the env iro nm ent . Th us, pol lut ant s ent er the environment
has det s of
oug h hum an act ivit y. "A cid rain "· is one of the wo rst possible form
thr
ria lisa tio n.
pol lut ion wh ich is a res ult of ind ust
and pol lut e it in the following ways:
Ind ust ries deg rad e the env iro nm ent
nature a~d
I. Use of nat ura l res our
ces •by ind ust rie s, as it des tro ys
ect s the nat ura l env iro nm ent . Co tto n, tex tile , pap er, iro n, coal,_oil,
aff
o, foo d pro ces sin g, packaging,
fodder, ply wo od, soa p, sug ar, tob acc
l pro duc ts as raw material. ThuJ
ray on, rub ber , etc ., all nee d nat ura
res ult ed in ove r exploitation an
inc rea sin g nee ds of ind ust rie s hav e d
stress on nat ura l res our ces . wate~f:~t-
2. Residu~s of ind ust rie s
kno wn as eff lue nts are rel eas ed in
lut es the wa ter and lan d, a
lan d wit hou t any tre atm ent wh ich pol Illic
wa ter .
ing the aqu atic life and und erg rou nd nd
sil fue l use d by ind ust rie s lik e coa l ker ose ne, diesel a . atorive
3· Fos
fo; m of sm oke and radioac
ene rgy als o pol lut es the air in the d cts,
par ticl es. ' • 1 pro u
• I · pro duc t of ind ust rie s and ind ust na
4• Noise, a so a ma 1or by-
causes noise poIIution.
 \ \

\ CAUSES OF POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION 15

\
. Industrial wastes-particularly hazardous waste and radioactive
5
waste-have also become a major environmental pollution problem.
The industries ,vhich made the ,vater of the holy river Ganga 11 and a river
in the South (Chennai) 12 toxic were found to be tanneries. In M.C. Mehta
v. Union of India 13 (Ganga pollution case), tanneries used to discharge
untreated effluents in the river's water, and near Kanpur the water of the
river Ganga was found highly toxic. In the other case, the Palar river of
the State of Tamil Nadu (South) became highly polluted because tanner-
ies were discharging chemicals used in treating leather which resulted in
non-availability of potable water. The Supreme Court14 ordered the closure
of industries or to shift them from the territory of the State of Delhi as their
untreated effluent and sludge was polluting the holy river Yamuna.15
It is a noticeable fact that nearly 35 litres of water is used for one kilo-
gram of finished leather, resulting in dangerously enormous quantities of
toxic effluents being let out in the open or in water resources.
Yellowing of a historical monument-the Taj Mahal at Agra-was also
found to be due to foundries, chemical and hazardous industries and an oil
refinery. The sulphur dioxide emitted by the Mathura Refinery combined
with oxygen-with the aid of moisture-in the atmosphere, forms sulphu-
ric acid called "acid rain" affecting the marble of the Taj Mahal. Therefore,
the Supreme Court issued orders for shifting of 292 industries from the Taj
trapezium or to close them.16
In Union Carbide Corpn. (2) v. Union of India 17, the leakage of MIC
(methyl isocyanate) gas from the Union Carbide Corporation, Bhopal gave
impetus to the development of environmental law and principles of quan-
tum of compensation.18 And leakage of oleum gas from Shriram Food and
Fertiliser Corporation gave an opportunity to propound the principle of
"no-fault liability" and "absolute liability and non-delegable duty of the
industry dealing in inherently dangerous and hazardous activity".19
Thus, industrial activity produces four kinds of stresses on the environ-
ment: 1) entropic, 2) exploitative, 3) disruptive substance, and 4) hazardous
material like lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, and others. 20 The use of
chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) by industries and industrial products has also

ll. M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, (1988) 1 sec 471.

l2. Vellore Citizens' Welfare Forum v. Union of India, (1996) s SCC 647.
13. (1988) 1 sec 47 1.
14• News Item, Hindustan Times;
A.Q.F.M. Yamuna v. Central Pollution Control
Board, (2.000) 9 sec 440; A.P. Industrial Components Ltd. v. CCE, (2.000) IO
sec 5.
!~· "SC Axe falls on all Delhi polluting units", The Times of India, 8-12.-2.000, 1.
• M.C. Mehta (Taj Trapezium Matter) v. Union of India, (1997) 2. SCC 353.
17• (1989) 2. sec 0.
54
18. Jbid.
!~· M.C. Meht~ v. Union 'of India (Shriram-Oleum Gas), (1987) 1 SCC 395.
• See, Shastn and Bakery, Industry, Environment and the Law (1997) 90.
 /
~·-,.~···~"-
. . .~
;:-i','·

/ :\
~6 POLLU TION: CAUSES AND KINDS
/ [C}f~P. ,

caused global warming and depletion of ozone layer. All this cll;tnulatively
polluted .the environment to a dangerous level. ;·

2. KINDS OF POLLUTION
Pollution is of two kinds:
1. Natur al pollution
2. Man-made pollution

2.1 Natural pollution

........... ····· ....... . ·- -·· .. , ... - ; .

Sometimes, nature also con~ributes to environment~l. deg.radation and P~i-

lution. Some may be mentioned as natura l calamities hke-e arthqu ak
flood, droug ht, cyclone, volcanic erupti on, salinisation, spreading ~f
swamps, bogs, epidemic, fog, marshes, fires in forests, etc.

2.2 Man-made pollution

Any pollution in which human activity is involved and which was not natu.
rally there, is man-made pollution. It may be categorised as follows:
1. Air pollution
2. Water pollut ion
3. Land pollution
4. Noise pollution
5. Radia tion and radioactive pollution

2.2.1 Air pollution

Air is a mixtu re of various gases, partic ulate matte r and moisture that forms
the earth's atmosphere. These gases consist of nitrog en, oxygen, argon, car-
bon dioxide and others. It also includes trace quanti ties of ozone and inert
gases21 , water vapou r, dust particles and plant spores. If the quantity of an_Y
of the gases and other things exceeds permissible limits, the atmosphere 15
affected adversely. For example, by cuttin g trees in excess, carbon dioxide
will be released, and burnin g of fossil fuel by industries releases sulphur
dioxide which in reactio n with atmos phere conve rts into acid rain. Thus,
too many dust particles or too much vapou r in the air, which works as a
catalyst, is hazard ous to health . Also we are aware that the "greenhousi
effect" is all because of the release of carbo n dioxide in the air as a r~suof
of deforestation. The yellowing of the histor ical Taj Maha l is the r~su t od
a substa ntial rise in the level of pollut ion of sulphu r dioxide (acid ra~n) :nd
partic ulate matte r which is the result of use of coal by the industri~oerY·
railways, use of diesel by the large numb er of vehicles and Mathura re

21. Inert gases are neon, helium, krypton , xenon, argon and radon.
191•=- ~----
\
\
KINDS OF POLLUTION 2.7

s· .1
\
ly air pollution in Delhi and Calcutta and creation of smog in met-
imi l~tra~
1 cities is due to burning of fossil fuel by industries and vehicles.
ropo
The substantial rise 1n• t he numb er o f veh'1c1es 1n
• b'1g c1t1es
• • h ave made t hem
22
choked cities. .
Air pollution affects adversely man and matenal, flora and fauna equally.
It gives birth to breathin~ trouble, blood diseases, eye problems and various
kinds of skin and lung diseases.

2.2.2 Water pollution

Water is known as the "elixir of life" and, therefore, is an important factor
in the life of an organism whether man, animal, plant or microorganism. It
is the main support system of human life on earth. Shortage and unwhole-
someness of water has, nowadays, become a major problem.
The water cycle has been affected by the change in climatic pattern which
is due to the "greenhouse effect". The places which were getting much water
from rainfall are no longer getting it as the rainfall areas have changed,
resulting in shortage of water, low water table, drought and at places floods,
etc. Cherrapunjee is now no longer the place of highest rainfall.
On the other hand, natural waterfalls, rivers and underground water
have been polluted and the water is no longer wholesome. It is due to release
of untreated effluents by industries in rivers and in open spaces, throwing
domestic and city wastes in the rivers, and disposal of sewage into nallahs
and rivers; the use of pesticides, fungicides, etc. in agriculture also contrib-
utes to water pollution problems. It has become clear from various cases
decided by courts23 that industrial and city toxic wastes have become a
health hazard problem affecting the life of human beings, vegetation cover
and aquatic life. Moreover, the highly toxic effluents destroy the potability
of water. 24
Most persons are suffering from water-borne diseases due to contamina-
tion, unwholesomeness of water. Indirectly, "Minamata disease", like some
~ther diseases, is also the result of toxic water. Cholera, infections, hepati-
tis, salmonellosis, amoebic dysentery, worms, Gastroenteritis, schistosomi-
asis are some of the main diseases caused by contaminated water. This is so
as the water is a carrier of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths. Even
swimming in polluted water causes various skin and intestinal diseases.
Freezing of water does not kill these disease organisms.

22
• "Calcutta Air Pollution 'Alarmingly High'", The Times of India, 9-9-2000, 7. (A joint
st udy by the National Cancer Institute
and the University of Calcutta has revealed that
smog or grossly polluted air of megapolis has caused ailments among school children
such as adverse lung reactions and genetic abnormalities in their exposed tissues.)
23
• M.~. Mehta v. Union of India (Shriram-Oleum Gas), (1987) 1 SCC 395; M.C. Mehta v.
Union of India, (1988) 1 SCC 471; Ve/lore Citizens• Welfare Forum v. Union of India,
(1996) s sec 647.
24 1nd
• ian Council for Enviro-Legal Action v. Union of India, (1996) 3 SCC 212•
2.8 POLLUTION : CAUSES AND KINDS

2.2.3 Land pollution

Land is the basis of flora and fauna, mankind and, as such, holds terrestr" 1
life. It is a finite and inelastic resource. It is the main basis of all hurn ia
activities -like agriculture, afforestation, mining, transporta tion, housi an
industry and commerce and it holds whatever is naturally present on it. ng,
Rising population, urbanisation, deforestation, unplanned mining a d
industrialisation have polluted this importan t natural resource. Land P:l.
lution here means to divest the earth from its natural landscape, deforest- '
ation, denudation, discharge of untreated toxic substances on the land
throwing unhygienic and toxic hazardous waste and contaminating th'
natural contents of earth. The contamin ation of land not only affects th: ,
natural environment on the earth but also affects the quality and whole-
someness of undergrou nd water. Land pollution causes the vegetation cover
to disappear, contamin ates aboveground and undergrou nd water, which
in turn affects the animal kingdom. Excessive and imprudent use of pes-
ticides, fungicides and rodenticides has disturbed the combination of soil
as sulphur dioxide, when it reacts with water, becomes sulphuric acid and
is highly toxic. Some industrial wastes, if discharged untreated, cause the
browning of undergrou nd water-af fecting the potability and quality of
water.
Unbridled mining operations in hilly areas have also caused
eco-imbalances, as became evident from Rural Litigation & Entitlement
Kendra v. State of U.P. 25 in which the mining operation damaged the nat-
ural streams and polluted the streams' water which rendered it unfit for
drinking and agricultur al purposes. Slums and unhygienic conditions also
contribut e to land pollution. •
Dumping of garbage, biomedical wastes, hazardou s wastes of industries,
and sludge are the biggest sources of land pollution. Thus, prevention and
control of land pollution is a must for a healthy environment.

2.2.4 Noise pollution

Noise pollution has been identified as a "slow killer". It is a gift of modern
26

industrial civilization which is invading environm ent in threatening propo~-

tion and is an invisible but insidious form of pollution. The Encyclopaed~a
Britannic a27 defines it as "any undesired sound" and Encyclopaedia
American a28 defines it as "unwante d sound". Tiffins defines it as "a soun~
which is disagreeable for individuals and which disturbs the normal wayhot
an individual". Various scientific studies have proved it beyond doubt t a
noise is a great health hazard.

25. (1985) 2. SCC 431. _ . . d Legal

26. See, Satish Shastri and Manju Trivedi, Noise Pollution- Its Scientific an
Perspectives (Divya Publication, Jodhpur 1988).
27. Vol 16 (1968) 558.
28. Vol. 2.1 (1969) 400.
 KINDS OF POLLUT ION 2.9
2,]

. not only causes irritati on or annoya nce but it also constricts the
N01se
. and increases the flow of adrena lin · and f
orces the heart to work
arteriesthereby accelerating the rate of cardiac ailments, the reason being
fa ster, nt•· nuous noise causes an increase in cholesterol level resulting in
that conent constri .
ction of blood vessels, ma k'ing one prone to heart attacks
perma h
and strokes. Healt expebrts akredof op!~1on
• • th
at excessi•ve noise
•
can a lso lead
eurosis and nervous rea own.
to Defectiv
n e births and someti•mes premat ure b'1rth s and a b orttons• are
used due to noise pollution. Thus, there is an urgent need to contain and
~~ntrol this lethal weapo n of pollution.
Causes of noise pollution can be divided into two categories:
r. Natural causes -includ es air, volcano, sea, rivers, exchanging voices
of living organisms including man and mamm als, rustling of trees,
etc.
2 Man-made noise- machi nes and modern equipment of various types,
.
automobiles, trains, aeroplanes, religious and social functions, con-
struction works, loudspeakers, household gadgets, type machines, etc.
Noise pollution affects human beings in many ways. Its known effects are
disturbance in sleep, communication, mental and physical health; it makes
a man restless. It also cumulatively affects the longevity and efficiency of
a man. Therefore, the Air (Prevention and Contro l of Pollution) Act, 1981
under Section 2(a) and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 have rec-
ognised it as one of the polluta nts which has to be dealt with all serious-
ness. Necessary and specific measures are required to curb this insidious
pollution.

2.2.5 Radiation and radioactive pollution

The Chernobyl (USSR) Atomic Reactor incident and Three Mile Island
(1979) incident have amply proved that radioactive30 fallouts affect man
and material, flora and fauna equally by damaging them. Exposu re to
x-ray radiation and atomic reactor plants is a big health hazard as it causes
somatic and genetic changes.
Nuclear energy which is, nowadays, a big source of energy has become
a big health hazard. Working in nuclear plants is hazard ous to human
health and its disposal of wastes is inherently hazard ous to soil, vegetation
c?ver and aquatic life. Thus, man-m ade ionising radiatio n has increased the
nsk to mankind. Some of the bad effects of radiati on are leukaemia and
ca~cerous growth amongst the workers in atomic reactors. There are two
main sources of radiatio n, excepting x-ray machines in hospitals. They are
29
• Bii~yananda Patra v. District Magistrate, Cuttack , 1999 SCC Online Ori 65: AIR 2.000
On 70.
30. Radio t' •
. .ac 1v1ty means "propert y exhibited by unstable isotopes of elements wh'1ch decay,
emitting radiation, principally alpha, beta and gamma particles".
30 POLLUT ION: CAUSES AND KINDS

I) nuclea r plants,. and 2.) testing of atom bombs. Both of them cause enV1-.
ronme nta1 po11ut10n.
Radioa ctive fallouts were studied in Japan which were created due
atomic bombs ' explosions at Nagasa ki and Hirosh ima. Similar stud_to
were also conduc ted during the Cherno byl incident, Three Mile Island in•~s
dent- the leakage from radioactive waste dumping. ci-

Lookin g to its somati c and genetic effects, various measures have bee
adopte d to deal with radiati on polluti on. In India, the Atomic Energy Ac;
I962. and the Radiat ion Protect ion Rules, 1971 deal with this type of pol~
lution. Under the Act, the Centra l Govern ment is require d to prevent radi-
ation hazard s, guaran tee public safety and safety of worker s who handle
radioactive substances. It also directs to ensure safe disposa l of radioactive
wastes. Some Supreme Court decisions indicat e that there is still uncer-
31
tainty as to the possible limits of radioac tivity in food produc ts.
In G. Sundarrajan v. Union of India , the court has dealt with, in detail
32
'
the safety and environ ment related aspects of the Atomic Power Plant pro-
jects with special reference to Kudan kulam Nuclea r Power Project of Tamil
Nadu. The court has discussed nationa l laws, rules and international con-
ventions, bilateral treaties, etc. relating to nuclea r power plants, nuclear
spent fuel, manag ement of nuclea r wastes, etc.
The above discussion amply proves that environ mental pollution is a
big hazard and threate ning the very existence of mankin d. It also tends
to destroy the gifts of nature so kindly bestowed on mankin d. Looking to
threate ning propor tions of environ mental polluti on, various measures have
been adopte d including myriad admini strative and legal measures from
time to time. The Centra l Govern ment and State Govern ments have passed
various statute s to contain and contro l the problem of environmental pollu-
tion and ecological imbalances. Some of the significant enactments· relating
to various aspects of environ ment are as follows:
1. Water polluti on
(a) Enviro nment (Protection) Act, 1986
(b) Northe rn India (;anal and Draina ge Act, 1873
(c) Ports Act, 1908
(d) River Boards Act, 1956
(e) Merch ant Shipping Act, 1958
(f) Water (Prevention and Contro l of Pollution) Act, 1974 1
(g) Water (Prevention and Contro l of Pollution) Cess Act, 977
2. Air polluti on
(a) Boilers Act, 1923
(b) Factories Act, 1948
t of Jrisb
31. Shivarao Shantaram Wagle (II) v. Union of India, (1988) 2 SCC II5 [JJ-orster]; and
· butter alleged to have been contami nated by Chernobyl (USSR) nuclea~ ,s;posure of
M.K. Sharma v. Bharat Electronics Ltd., (1987) 3 SCC 231, related to t e e
workers to radiation and their rights to protecti on against it.
32. (2.01 3) 6 sec 62.0.
 KINDS OF POLLUTION 3I

(c) Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951

(d) Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
(e) Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce,
Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003
3. Radiation
(a) Atomic Energy Act, 1962
(b) Radiation (Protection) Rules, 1971
(c) Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000
(d) Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010
4. Health laws
(a) Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
(b) Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques
(Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994
5. Forest and wildlife
(a) Forests Act, 1927
(b) Forests (Conservation) Act, 1980
(c) Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
(d) Biological Diversity Act, 2002
(e) Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
({) Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016
6. Others
(a) Poisons Act, 1919
(b) Factories Act, 1948 •
(c) Insecticides Act, 1968
(d) Fisheries Act, 1897
(e) Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
(f) Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains
Act, 1958
(g) Mines Act, 1952
(h) Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957
(i) Penal Code, 1860
(i) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973
(k) Explosives Act, 1884
(/) Easements Act, 1882
(m) Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
(n) National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
(o) Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
!he Environment (Prote~tion) Act, 1986 also includes seven schedules lay-
~~g down the standa_rds for quality of environment and for emission or
ischarge of environmental pollutants, and nine notified rules on handling
aud management of various hazardous substances.