Environment & Ecology GS Paper III Environmental Pollution by Rajvardhan Sir

Model Answer

Question #1. Since the industrial revolution, emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere have increased which are responsible for acid rain. Analyse the concerns associated and its impact on the environment, especially in  the context of India.

Approach:

1. Briefly introduce Acid rain and how does it occur ( 20 words)
2. Analyse the concerns associated with acid rain  and its impact on the environment- The recent examples of acid rain in India  ( 60 words)
3. Suggest measures or government initiatives to tackle with Acid rain ( 50 words)
4. Conclusion ( 20 words)

Hints:

India is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the world, contributing more than 15 percent of global anthropogenic emissions, according to a new report by Greenpeace released in August, 2019.  Recently the Supreme Court came down very heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government for its lackadaisical approach to the situation of turning the Taj Mahal from white to yellow due to environmental pollution and resulting Acid Rain.

How does acid rain occur?

Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide on oxidation followed by reaction with water forms sulphuric acid and nitric acid respectively. Sulphuric acid and nitric acid, so formed, are the major sources of protons in rain water, and finally result in acid rain. The above reaction takes place at an accelerated rate in the case of polluted air. This is because polluted air contains particulate matter which catalyses the reaction.

The recent examples of acid rain in India:

• India Meteorological Department has found increasing acidity in rain samples.
• Latest reports on acid rain are at Kalyan (pH=5.28), Chembur (pH=4.8), Sinhagad (pH=5.2), Delhi (pH<5.6), Panipat (pH<5.6) of NCR. (Normal water is 7 on the scale)
• In winter, when the wind blows from land to the oceans in South Asia, it carries effluents from India, China, and Japan. The alkaline dust suspension is heavy and not carried that far. So, the rains in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal have become acidic.
• The data also showed that pH levels in the Andaman Islands fluctuated between 5.6 and 8.9
• Acid rain reacted with the marble (calcium carbonate) of Taj Mahal and this causing damage to heritage structures.

Its impact on the environment

• Aquatic Animals and Oceans: Increased acidity affects marine life, which, in turn, affects humans and animals living off marine life. Acidity in water affects the egg-producing ability of fish and decomposition of organic matter slows down. Human beings who live by eating fish from these lakes are also affected
• Soil and Forest: Acid rain washes away nutrients needed for the growth of plants. Thus, acid rain causes great damage to plants.
• Human Health: It also causes respiratory disorders in humans. Bad smells, reduced visibility; irritation of the skin, eye, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema and cancer in humans.
• Infrastructure & Marble Eroding: It affects buildings and structures, especially those made of metal or stone.

Measures:

• Reducing Sulphur :- Reducing the amount of emission of So2 from power plants by burning less fossil fuels whereby also focussing on alternate energy sources like Tidal, Wind or Hydropower
• Decreasing NOx emissions from Power stations and Vehicles
• India has decided to adopt BS-VI norms from BS-IV norms, being commenced from 2020: BS-VI fuel is expected to bring around an 80% reduction in sulphur content from 50 parts per million (ppm) to 10 ppm. Also NOx emissions from diesel cars will come down by nearly 70% for diesel cars and by 25% for petrol cars.
• Also the vision statement of India’s Union Budget, 2019, have placed “Pollution-Free India with green mother earth and blue skies” above “Make in India” in the pecking order of vision goals.
• Gujarat has launched India’s first trading programme to combat particulate air pollution on World Environment Day 2019, which has air pollution as its theme. The programme is a market-based system where the government sets a cap on emissions and allows industries to buy and sell permits to stay below the cap. Globally, cap-and-trade systems have been used to reduce other forms of pollution, such as programmes that have successfully reduced sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the United States.
• To protect the Taj Mahal, the Government of India announced an action plan in 1995. The plan aims at clearing the air in 'Taj Trapezium'. Taj Trapezium refers to an area that includes towns of Agra, Mathura, Bharatpur and Firozabad. As a result of this plan, over 2000 industries situated inside the trapezium had switched over to the use of liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas in the place of coal or oil.

Conclusion

Acid rain is a very important issue that has bad effects in the environment. There would be many health problems that could be avoided, if acid rain became a little less of a problem. To prevent emission of sulphur and nitrogen oxides citizens must adopt and practise eco-friendly lifestyle and use transportation that is friendly to the environment.  Government is encouraging use of renewable energy sources which will prevent burning of fossil fuels which releases harmful gases and focusing on zero emissions initiative by up-scaling the electric-vehicle programme which will work for clean air too.

Question #2. India’s soil biodiversity is in grave peril. In this regard, discuss the factors responsible for soil pollution that causes harm to other living things and destroys soil and ecosystems.

Approach:

1.   Briefly introduce the  present condition of  the India’s soil biodiversity ( 20 words)
2.   Examine the factors of soil pollution that causes harm to other living things or destroys soil and ecosystem ( 70 words)
3.   Suggest measures ( 40 words)
4.   Conclusion ( 20 words)

Hints:

Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem. India’s soil biodiversity is in grave peril, according to the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas prepared by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Country’s high population makes it vulnerable to an ecological crisis. According to estimates, the demand for food grain is expected to increase from 192 million tonnes in 2000 to 355 million tonnes in 2030.

Factors that cause soil pollution

• Increasing burden on land: With rising population, availability of agricultural land is limiting. The increased demand for food has forced farmers to use fertilisers and pesticides that release toxins into the soil, killing useful microorganisms that are important in plant growth.
• Industrial waste: Industries are the worst polluters of the soil. Soil is contamination due to the disposal of industrial waste, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, dumping oil and fuel, etc. Chemical waste disposal from different types of industries cause contamination of soil which leads to acidification of soil.
• Deforestation: Clearing of trees leaves soil exposed to the elements so they are easily carried away by soil erosion. This leaves land barren and incapable of supporting vegetation.
• Garbage pollution: Garbage that cannot be recycled is disposed of carelessly and this is not only an eyesore but pollutes the land also. Some of this waste can literally take thousands of years to decompose.
• Mining activities involving the crushing and processing of raw materials, for instance, heavy metals, emitting toxic substances.
• Accidental spills and leaks during storage, transport or use of chemicals (e.g. leaks and spills of gasoline and diesel at gas stations).
• Acid rain: Acid rain is caused when pollutants present in the air mix up with the rain and fall back on the ground. The polluted water could dissolve away some of the important nutrients found in soil and change the structure of the soil.

Harmful Effects of soil pollution:

•   Impact on plants and animals: With damaged soil, the most drastic impact is that life on Earth may become unsustainable. Plants won’t grow and the animal and human lives that depend on them will vanish.
•   Climate change: Climate change leads to a disruption in ecosystems that causes harm to certain animal species .Deforestation causes a change in the rain cycle and this is a contributing factor to global warming and loss of ecosystems.
•   Loss of soil fertility: Decreased soil fertility and yield leads to a lack of nutrients and an increase in diseases.
•   Impact on human health: Crops and plants are grown on polluted soil absorb much of the pollution and then pass these on to us. Development of human diseases from contact with such polluted soil or water.
•   Ground water pollution: As the waste products may leak into groundwater or generate polluted vapors.

Measures:

• Soil Health Card has been launched by the government to take care of Soil Health and to evaluate the status of soil.  Soil Health Card contains the status of soils with respect to 12 parameters, namely – N, P, K (Macro-nutrients), S (Secondary-nutrients), Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, B (Micro-nutrients) and pH, EC, OC (Physical Parameters). It also provides crop wise fertiliser recommendations. It helps farmers to improve productivity by maintaining soil health.
• Soil washing is a water-based process for scrubbing contaminants off soils. It’s been proven to be effective on soils contaminated by heavy metals and organic contaminants.
• Reforestation: This is an effective measure to curb soil erosion. Governments should also take punitive action against those who cut down trees without a care.
• Controlled farming practices: Practices such as over cropping and overgrazing should be avoided since they increase soil erosion.
• Bioremediation: This is the introduction of microorganisms into the soil that break down contaminants. This is a perfectly environmental friendly approach since it allows nature to take its course thus restoring balance.
• Use biodegradable products: Biodegradable products easily get broken down to become part of the soil.
• Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers: Pesticides and fertilisers are major contributors to soil contamination so cutting down on their usage is good for soil.

Conclusion:

We have one earth and if we completely destroy its surface, we will be the first to starve or poison ourselves. Redeeming land to its original state is nearly an impossible task. It’ll require altering its properties which can be avoided if only we put our land into its proper and responsible use.