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Ashley Easter

May 18th, 2020

INTL 442

INDIA, THE ENVIRONMENT, & POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Introduction on India

Home to world-renowned bright and colorful festivals such as Holi and Diwali,

India has a darker side that is lesser known. India is currently facing an unprecedented, high number of interconnected environmental issues. The poorest in India are often affected most by these issues. India is the second largest country in the world and ​ home to over one billion people, and yet around 60% of its population live on less than

$3.10 per day (Basu, 2017). The environmental problems discussed in this paper are ​ associated with high death tolls and destruction of assets. These tragedies compel us to examine their effect on collective economic outcomes, such as poverty and inequality.

Environmental issues from intensifying weather conditions destroys homes, livelihoods, and the health of the people of India. Poverty and environmental issues are deeply interwoven in India, and both will be addressed in this paper. India’s top environmental issues that will be covered include:

● Waste Management Systems

● Water Pollution

● Air Pollution

● Water Scarcity Easter 2

● Forest Fires and Forest Preservation

“Climate change is not just an environmental issue, it’s also an issue of climate ​ justice”(Chandramouli, 2020). The poor are being affected disproportionately. In ​ ​ ​ connection with these issues, this report will also include India’s poverty crisis, and its efforts to alleviate poverty within its borders.

Top Environmental Issues in India

Waste Management Systems

Waste generation and disposal have created major environmental obstacles for

India. The issues are exacerbated by India’s civic infrastructure, which is incredibly limited. Dr. Kumar, Senior Scientist at the largest research and development ​ organization in India (CSIR-NEERI), says “the major problems affecting solid waste management are unscientific treatment, improper collection of waste, and ethical problems” (Kshourad, 2017). Additionally, increased population growth in urban areas is ​ generating waste at levels India cannot cope with at present (Kumar, Sunil, et al., 2017). ​ ​ If India is to truly become a global leader, it must first significantly improve its civil infrastructure and waste management systems. Not only will these improvements begin to protect and heal the environment, they will also make progress for public health in

India.

Social Impacts Easter 3

India’s current waste management collection system uses a community bin method, which is then transported to low-lying landfills where it is then sorted for

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (Kshourad, 2017). Workers, such as waste collectors, street sweepers, and rag collectors, at these facilities face hazardous exposure risks. In

Himachal Pradesh, for example, an average of 350 tons of waste is generated per day, and workers are only given protective equipment twice a year, if at all (Thakur, Prannoy, et al., 2018). Many of these workers are illiterate and unaware of necessary protections, which can put them even more at risk for external injuries (Thakur, Prannoy, et al.,

2018). Even with the most generous estimates, India cannot keep up with the waste generated from rapid urbanization and cannot ensure protection to its vulnerable workers.

Solutions and interventions

Multiple approaches and strategies must be implemented for India to get its waste management under control. India should implement an at-the-source waste separation system, meaning that when garbage is being removed from homes, it is separated into non-reusable material and recyclables. Because of the high rates of waste produced daily, if India were to implement a strategy such as this many economic and employment opportunities could be generated (Thakur, Prannoy, et al., 2018).

India’s waste could become an opportunity for economic growth through employing workers to sort at the source of the waste, creating safely regulated landfills and facilities, and by creating a national waste management system (Fiksel and Lal, 2018)

In this approach, a “circular economy” is created using “reverse logistics” that retrieves Easter 4 industrial waste and recyclables for reuse before they collect in a landfill (Fiksel and Lal,

2018). Agricultural waste can be collected and reused as biofuels, and manufacturing waste can be repurposed into cement and steel (Fiksel and Lal, 2018). Natural processes are harmonized with economic processes creating a more environmentally safer waste generating process.

Water Pollution

Social Impacts

Waste management in India cannot be discussed without also discussing water pollution. Rivers in India are a source of drinking water, power generation, and river-transport of industrial goods. Unfortunately, untreated sewage has leaked into the waterways like the Ganges River, the largest and most sacred in India, at hazardous levels that are unsanitary for human consumption (Chaudhary, Mohit, et al., 2016). ​ ​ Furthermore, some agricultural crops are now grown and irrigated with contaminated water (Chavhan and Khan, 2019). Flora and fauna virtually disappear when river ​ ​ contamination reaches such toxicity (Chavhan and Khan, 2019). These issues and ​ ​ more compound health risks to the most vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those in poverty. Runoff from agricultural and industries sites also contributes to the pollution of India’s waterways (Kumar, et al., 2017). Similar to waste ​ ​ management issues, the single biggest contributing factor to water pollution is unregulated, explosive urban development (Chavhan and Khan, 2019). ​ ​ Solutions and interventions Easter 5

To combat the rising pollution levels within India’s waterways, the solution seems obvious: India must prioritize, strategize, and significantly improve its waste management systems. Some non-governmental organizations such as Jal Biradari, a ​ water conservation group, and Vanashakti, an environmental organization based out of

Mumbai, have made efforts to fight for river restorations, but they cannot operate alone ​ (Chandrashekhar, 2018). From sewage to industrial waste to agricultural runoff, each contribution to polluted waterways needs to be addressed by India’s government with urgency.

Air Pollution

Social Impacts

Air pollution has long been associated with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (Brunekreef and Holgate, 2002). Diseases such as asthma, ​ ​ atherosclerosis, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, and stroke have been linked to air pollution (Kunzli and Tager, 2005). In 2002 alone, more than 7 million people died from ​ ​ ​ air pollution related health complications, according to the World Health Organization, with 1.5 million of those deaths occurring in India (Chatterjee, 2018). Delhi, Mumbai,

Kolkata, and Chennai are among the top most affected cities (Guttikunda, et al., 2014).

For India, many sources contribute to air pollution such as indoor cooking stoves, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning, power plants, diesel generators, and more

(Chatterjee, 2018, Guttikunda, 2017). Even with low exposure to the pollutants, chronic health issues can persist (Brunekreef and Holgate, 2002). Easter 6

The impacts of air pollution in India are not limited to health issues, however. The monetary impacts of air pollution-related illnesses results in individuals paying high out-of-pocket expenses for care, government expenditure for healthcare facilities, and societal costs for loss of worker productivity (Patankar and Trivedi, 2011). The seriousness of air pollution must be addressed on a societal and policy level immediately to prevent premature deaths.

Solutions and interventions

In 2015, the Steering Committee on Air Pollution and Health-Related Issues, set up by India's federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, offered a report to the federal government addressing the catastrophic effects of air pollution on the people’s health (Chatterjee, 2018). The report included proposals to switch India’s cookstoves, public transport and industry to clean, renewable energy sources, as well as measures to decrease road traffic by increasing fuel taxes and parking fees, imposing congestion charges, and creating vehicle-free zones and cycle paths (Guttikunda, 2017).

According to Veerabhadran Ramanathan, professor of Atmospheric and Climate

Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San

Diego, by giving clean energy cooking stoves to all of its villagers, India could cut its total air pollution by one-third overnight (Guttikunda, 2017). Both rural and urban areas need to come together on a governmental level to combat air pollution.

Water Scarcity

Social Impacts Easter 7

Water scarcity is perhaps the most serious of environmental issues across the globe and is distinctively felt by those in India. “From the northern Himalayas to the ​ sandy, palm-fringed beaches in the south, 600 million people - nearly half India’s population - face acute water shortage, with close to 200,000 dying each year from polluted water” (Banerji, 2018). With urbanization on the rise and fresh water access on ​ the decline, India’s future water supply is uncertain. In Mumbai’s poorest areas such as the slums of Dharavi, some families live without clean drinking water for multiple days at a time (Laukaitis, 2018). Access to clean drinking water is a key factor in alleviating poverty. Because of India’s inadequate supply of clean drinking water, it is possible that conflict over the precious resource will arise (Mehta, 2007).

Solutions and interventions

India is anticipating continuous increased rates of growth in its urban development and will need solutions for its rising demand for drinking water. Efforts aimed at equitably distributing clean drinking water will be complex and require collective effort. One strategy aimed at increasing India’s fresh water supply is desalination paired with renewable resources (Manju and Sagar, 2017). Utilizing India’s coastline, water can be extracted from the ocean and converted into drinking water.

Another approach is offering rural dwellers devices called water seers. Water seers pull moisture from the air and collect the water underground where it can then be pumped.

These devices can generate up to 10 gallons of clean drinking water per day

(Chandwani, 2019). Additionally, low cost, multistep water filtration systems can not only Easter 8 purify polluted water for human consumption, but also have the added benefit of reducing clean water transportation, therefore potentially reducing air pollution.

Forest Fires and Forest Preservation

Social Impacts

“Nearly 88 million tribal and indigenous people depend heavily on forests for food, fuel and fodder” (Mukhopadhyay, 2009). Historically, India has had a record of major forest fires since 1911 (Hussain, Negi, Todaria, 2018). Annually, around 86 million acres of forest are affected by forest fires in India (Hussain, Negi, Todaria, 2018).

While around 80% of forest fires around the world are caused by humans

(Mukhopadhyay, 2009), India has seen a significant decrease in rainwater which in turn decreases soil moisture (Mukhopadhyay, 2009). Dry soil and reduced rainwater is detrimental to vegetation, and India’s forests become increasingly susceptible to fires.

Uncontrolled forest fires can also add to air pollution through CO2 emissions generated ​ ​ from the burning.

Solutions and interventions

Systematic forest and land management strategies are essential if India is to reduce fires and restore biodiversity. Because many wildfires can be started by humans, increasing education, especially in rural areas, will likely help to lessen unwanted forest burning. Both children and adults should be taught about the dangers of accidental fire-starting. Additionally, sectioning off portions of forest to be clear cut as a break in forest density is another strategy that will aid in reducing wildfires (Hussain, Negi, ​ Easter 9

Todaria, 2018). Early fire detection and increased fire equipment across at-risk areas is ​ yet another opportunity toward controlling the rise in wildfires of India.

Environmental Issues in Relation to Poverty

The environmental crisis India faces has another aspect in that it increasingly

“normalizes” pollution. Acceptance and apathy toward pollution has become generational. This could be because generations now do not know what it looks like to live within India without smelling burning plastic or foul-smelling water. The health and well-being, both physical and mental, of the poorest individuals in India are most likely to suffer from the conditions of extreme environmental issues because they have the least economic resources to protect themselves.

Moving Forward/Conclusion

India's poverty crisis has not been all downhill, however, as India’s government has made efforts since 2005 to improve nutrition, sanitation, and asset ownership for the lowest class (Srinivas, 2018). However, if India is going to combat the climate crisis while reducing poverty within its borders, policies and programs to protect poor, vulnerable citizens, and the environment they live within, must be swiftly implemented.

India’s government policies and programs must integrate concerns of ecology, economy, society, culture, religion, and knowledge of local people if it wants to make effective change. India has a long way to go in reversing the detrimental effects of Easter 10 environmental issues, but for those with the least economic resources, the effort will be life-changing.

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