1 " Environmental impact of development in India ” THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN DRAFTED BY: Prathamesh Halarnekar STUDENT, PCF Preface and Acknowledgement I , Prathamesh Halarnekar , the Author of this document , releases this on 20/09 /26 after a quite a research These efforts include: • Re searching for correct information • Cross - checking the sourced information • Designing the assignment, etc. ; Of - course, I would have never completed this document on my own, but it was possible due to the culminative of my parents for supporting me in times of my difficulty A big thank you to my Teacher, Sir. Newton , for entrusting in me and giving an opportunity for me to express my thoughts , through this EVS Assignment. And thus, compiles the document in such a way. _____________________ ________________ Prathamesh Halarnekar STAMP (Author, PCF) 2 INDEX Sr. No; TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION 2 KEY INDUSTRIAL, POLICY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MILESTONES 3 IS MODERN DEVELOPMENT LEADING TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN INDIA? 4 SOME EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT SUCH DEGRADATION? 5 PROS AND CONS OF EV IN ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION 6 GOA, SPECIFIC? 7 FAILED ATTEMPTS AT C E NTRAL AND GOA STATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 8 IMAGERY 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION India sits at a classic economic crossroads: balancing rapid industrial growth, urban expansion, and poverty reduction against severe ecological stress. Moving millions out of poverty requires energy, manufacturing, and modern infrastructure, but the envir onmental bill is coming due faster than expected. Core Tension: Growth currently experienced • Air Quality Crisis: Industrial emissions, vehicle growth, and seasonal crop burning make Indian cities consistently rank among the most polluted globally. • Water Stress & Degradation: Heavy agricultural demands (via inefficient flood irrigation), industrial runoff, and contamination of major river basins. 3 • Land Use & Biodiversity Loss: Expanding urban centres , infrastructure projects, and resource extraction exert immense pressure on ecology • Energy Transition Paradox: I mmediate baseline grid still relies heavily on coal to support industrial growth and cooling demand. The challenge for developing India isn't stopping development — it is shifting toward green growth. Solutions like decentralized renewable microgrids, circular waste management, micro - irrigation in agriculture, and strict EIA compliance are moving from optio nal ideas to basic necessities for long - term economic stability. KEY INDUSTRIAL, POLICY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MILESTONES • The Chipko Movement Begins - April 1973 Villagers of Uttarakhand hugged forest trees to block commercial logging. This led to a 15 - year ban on felling green trees in the region. • Bhopal Gas Tragedy - December 2 – 3, 1984 A catastrophic chemical gas leak occurred at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, exposing over 500,000 residents to toxic gas . I t reshaped environmental liability frameworks nationwide. • Enactment of the Environment Protection Act (EPA) - May 1986 Followin g the Bhopal Gas t ragedy, this legislation authorized the Central Government to set quality standards, control emissions, and manage hazardous substances. • EIA Notification Framework Established - January 1994 India mandated Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) under the EPA 1986, • National Green Tribunal (NGT) Established - October 2010 Creation of Judicial Body to expedite cases involving environmental protection, forest conservation and enforcement of legal rights related to the environment. • Kedarnath Flash Floods - June 2013 I ncident catalysed intense debate over rapid hydroelectric construction and unchecked road development in ecologically fragile Himalayan zones. • Vizag LG Polymers Gas Leak - May 7, 2020 A lethal styrene gas leak occurred near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, during a facility restart following lockdown operations , highlighting ongoing 4 compliance and safety audit vulnerabilities in rapidly expanding industrial parks. IS MODERN DEVELOPMENT LEADING TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN INDIA? M odern development in India is directly driving environmental degradation. While economic expansion, urbanization, and industrial growth have pulled millions out of poverty, the ecological cost has been high across air, water, land, and climate resilience. Primary Drivers of Degradation • Rapid Urbanization & Resource Strain: consumption of massive amounts of land, leading to deforestation, wetland destruction, and heat island effects. • Industrial Emissions & Energy Needs: Heavy reliance on coal - fired power plants to meet energy demands, combined with industrial manufacturing and vehicular growth • Agricultural Intensification: Modern agricultural practices lead to severe water table depletion in states like Punjab and Haryana. Excessive fertilizer use also causes soil degradation and run - off pollution in rivers. • Infrastructure & Eco - Fragile Zones: Highway expansion, mining, and hydroelectric projects in ecologically sensitive regions — such as the Western Ghats and the Himalayas — have accelerated forest fragmentation, soil erosion, and landslide risks. • SOME EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT SUCH DEGRADATION? • Energy Transition & Industrial Decarbonization • Clean Mobility & Transport Polic y • Circular Economy & Waste Management • Agricultural Reform & Water Conservation • Regulatory Enforcement & Eco - Sensitive Zoning PROS AND CONS OF EV IN ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION evaluating electric vehicles (EVs) through an environmental lens, it is crucial to look at their full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) — from raw 5 material extrac tion and manufacturing to vehicle operation and end - of - life disposal. Pros: How EVs Prevent Environmental Degradation • Zero Tailpipe Emissions: EVs emit no direct exhaust pollutants • Superior Energy Efficiency: Electric powertrains convert up to 80 – 85% of battery energy into vehicle movement, • Reduction in Noise Pollution: Electric motors operate silently, significantly mitigating urban acoustic pollution Cons: Hidden Environmental Footprints & Degradation • Intensive Mining & Habitat Destruction: Producing EV lithium - ion batteries requires critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements. • Higher Front - Loaded Carbon Footprint: Manufacturing an EV creates 1.5x to 2x higher carbon emissions during the production stage compared to a normal car • E - Waste & Battery Recycling Vulnerabilities: Spent EV batteries pose toxic waste risks if dumped in municipal landfills GOA, SPECIFIC? the environmental dilemma manifests as a delicate balance: managing a tiny geographical footprint (3,702 sq km) with fragile coastal and forest ecosystems against heavy pressures from tourism, mining, and major infrastructure. Coastal & Tourism Stress: With over 8 to 10 million annual visitors, intense commercial development along the coastal belt Linear Infrastructure vs. Bhagwan Mahaveer & Mollem: Infrastructure projects — such as highway expansions, high - tension power transmission lines, and railway double - tracking Hill - Cutting & Land Conversion: Rapid construction booms have led to unregulated hill - cutting and tree felling FAILED ATTEMPTS AT C E NTRAL AND GOA STATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 1. Ganga Action Plan - GAP I & II 6 Launched in 1985 (GAP I) and expanded in 1993, the government injected thousands of crores to install massive Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) CAUSE OF FAILURE: Capacity v/s Reality, Power surges and maint enance gaps, lack of prop er co - ordination and s upport. 2. Delhi Odd - Even Vehicle Rationing Experiment (2016) public emergency policy implemented by the Delhi government to curb severe winter air smog by restricting private vehicles based on odd/even license plate numbers CAUSE OF FAILURE: Loop holes and e xceptions, i mproper communication to the public. 3. Centralized Solid Waste Composting & Waste - to - Energy (WTE) Initiatives Municipalities across major metro cities partnered with private firms to build centralized mega Waste - to - Energy plants and composting facilities restricting private vehicles based on odd/even license plate numbers CAUSE OF FAILURE: Unsegregated wast e, rejection from the community 4. Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP): T o m ap sensitive coastal regions, protect sand dunes, safeguard traditional fishing villages, and restrict illegal construction within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). CAUSE OF FAILURE: improper map drafts, sluggish enforcement of law and order 5. Single - Use Plastic Bans & Garbage Management: T o e nforce strict municipal bans on single - use plastics, require door - to - door waste collection, and mandate waste segregation CAUSE OF FAILURE: Rural localities struggled for garbage collectio n and seg regation, inadequate processing infrastructure. 7 IMAGERY IMAGERY: With industrialisation and rapid urbanisation, the civilisation has to pay a huge sum in terms of human lives. IMAGERY: T he GCZMA and the TCP, constantly failing to control rapid deforestation and urbanisation in the state. IMAGERY: Though Swachh Bharat Mission emerged successful, the Ganga Action Plan was a total failure and waste of crores of rupees. 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY ➢ The Navhind Times ➢ India Toda y ➢ O Heraldo (E - COPY) ➢ Scribd (WEBPAGE) ➢ Google Gemini (AI LLM MODEL)