what was the need for legal provisions for the environmental management?
Answers
legal provisions plays an important role in environmental management. The conservations and protection of environment is controlled through several national and international laws. Such laws bring awareness among people.
Need for such legislation arose because of the increasing exploitation of environment. Japan has world's strictest standards for the control of water and air pollution.
Every country enacts its own laws for environmental protection and pollution control. In India there are three clauses in the constitution for the protection of the environment i.e., 47, 48A, and 51A. Important Acts on the environmental are:
- The Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
- Prevention of Air and Water Pollution Act, 1974.
- The Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1981.
- The Environmental Protection Act, 1986.
Government of India has adopted a national forest policy in 1952. It aimed at one third forest coverage of this country but this has not been achieved so far. The revised forest policy was finalized with following features:
- Maintaining Environmental Stability,
- Conservation of Natural Heritage,
- Meeting the basic needs of people,
- Maintaining relationship between forests and the tribal.
Following legal provisions have been laid down by the Government of India for Environmental Conservations:
1) Ministry of Environment and Forest issued an 'Environmental Impact Assessment Notification' on 27th of January 1994. It imposes restrictions on any modernization activity and environment clearance has been made compulsory for such activities.
2) As per the hazardous Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989/2000 and 2003, all hazardous waste must be treated and disposed off properly. In the absence of disposal facilities, permission has been granted to the hazardous waste generating units in the small scale sector, for sorting their wastes temporarily in a secure, lined pit/facility within their premises.
3) The Biomedical Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules were notified in 1998 to regulate the management of wastes generated by Health Care Establishments(HCE). Under these rules, the wastes generated by HCEs are categorized into 10 categories and disposal methods for all the categories of wastes are also specified.
4) In 1999, Ministry of Capital and forest issued "Recycled Plastic Manufacture and usage Rules" with the objective to regulate the manufacture and the use of recycled plastics, carry bags and containers.
5) In the year 2000, Ministry of Environment and Forests issued "The Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulations) Rules" to regulate the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances. The Ozone Depleting Dubstances are not to be imported from and exported to countries which are not mentioned in Schedule VI.
6) Government of India launched the eco labelling scheme known as "Eco Mark" in 1991 for easy identification of environment-friendly products. For example: Bharat Vehicle Emission Standards and ISO 14000. The ISO is the international organisation for Standardization is a body that lays down Industrial and Commercial Standards known as ISO Standards.