Particulate Matter (PM) Air Pollution: How laws are controlling pollution?

How laws are controlling pollution ?

India’s 40% population is living in the seven states and UTs comprising the bulk of the Indo-Gangetic plain region of north India (Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, UP and west Bengal). The main cause behind this fact, is that these region’s population density is 3 times more than remaining states, which results into more pollution from vehicles, agricultural sources, residential areas.

As per the WHO guidelines, if we reduce the Particulate pollution, we can increase the national average life expectancy by 4.3 yrs.

Particulate matter

There are various types of air pollution, in which Particulate matter (PM) air pollution recognized as the deadliest one globally. The AQLI demonstrates that life expectancy loss makes particulate pollution more devastating than communicable diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, behavioral killers like cigarette smoking, and even war.[1] 

How much impact does this pollution causing on human health?

If we look into with this outlook, [2] first-hand cigarette smoke leads to a reduction in global average life expectancy of about 1.6 years; alcohol and drugs reduce life expectancy by 11 months; unsafe water and sanitation take off 7 months; and HIV/AIDS, 4 months. Conflict and terrorism take off 22 days. So, the impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy is comparable to that of smoking, twice that of alcohol and drug use, three times that of unsafe water, five times that of HIV/AIDS, and 29 times that of conflict and terrorism.

Is India being effected the most by the Particulate Matter, cutting life expectancy ?

In fact, India and China, which make up 36 percent of the world population, account for 73 percent of all years of life lost due to particulate pollution. On average, people in India would live 4.3 years longer if their country met the WHO guideline. Since life expectancy at birth is currently 69 years in India, this suggests that reducing particulate pollution to the WHO guideline throughout the country would raise the average life expectancy to 73. In comparison, eliminating tuberculosis, a well-known top killer in India, would raise the life expectancy to 70.[3]

What causes the particulate air pollution?

Primarily from coal power plants, as coal contains sulfur as well as industrial facilities generate sulfur dioxide gas. As there emission mixes in the air, and the gas may react with oxygen and subsequently with ammonia in the atmosphere results into sulfate particulates.

Then, combustion that occurs at high temperature mainly by power plants, vehicles which releases nitrogen dioxide, reacts with the other gases in air and form nitrate particulates.

Hence, there are tons of other usages, like diesel engines, household fuel, burning of coal, fossil fuel combustion participate in causing particulate air pollution.

How laws are controlling pollution?

 If you were also thinking, about this question then answer is here, there are various laws, policies aiming to reduce pollution, few of them are mentioned below:-

Air prevention and control of pollution act 1981

[4]As per the Sec.21 – There is a clear restriction on use of certain industrial plants.

No person shall, without the previous consent of the State Board, establish or operate any industrial plant in an air pollution control area. Every person, to whom consent has been granted by the State Board, shall comply with all the conditions.

[5]AS Per Sec.22- No person operating any industrial plant, in any air pollution control area shall discharge or cause or permit to be discharged the emission of any air pollutant in excess of the standards laid down by the State Board.

[6]PENALTY- SEC.37- whoever fails to comply with the provisions of section 21 or section 22 shall, in respect of each such failure, be punishable with imprisonment for a terms which shall not be less than one year and six months but which may extend to six years and with fine, and in case the failure continues, with an additional fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which such failure continues after the conviction for the first such failure.

Environment protection act 1986

[7]As per Sec.7- No person carrying on any industry, operation or process shall discharge or emit or permit to be discharged or emitted any environmental pollutants in excess of such standards as may be prescribed.

[8]PENALTY- SEC.15- Whoever fails to comply with or contravenes any of the provisions of this Act, or the rules made or orders or directions issued there under, shall, in respect of each such failure or contravention, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both, and in case the failure or contravention continues, with additional fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which such failure or contravention continues after the conviction for the first such failure or contravention.

If the failure or contravention referred above continues beyond a period of one year after the date of conviction, the offender shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years.

[11]

The Motor Vehicles Act 1988

[12] As per Sec. 190 -Using vehicle in unsafe condition-
(1) Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven in any public place a motor vehicle or trailer while the vehicle or trailer has any defect, which such person knows of or could have discovered by the exercise of ordinary care and which is calculated to render the driving of the vehicle a source of danger to person and vehicles using such place.

(2) Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven, in any public place a motor vehicle, which violates the standards prescribed in relation to road safety, control of noise and air-pollution.

 The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019

[13]PUNISHMENT SEC.72- Amendment in section 190 of the principal Act- If there is a violation of sec.190 (1) for the first offence shall be punishable with one thousand five hundred rupees which may extend to five thousand rupees.

For a subsequent offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine of ten thousand rupees for bodily injury or damage to property.

If there is violation of sec.190(2) shall be punishable for the first offence with a fine of imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both and he shall be disqualified for holding license for a period of three months” .

For any second or subsequent offence with a fine of “imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both”


Fact- Well, we all are aware of the fact that in a single inhaling, a normal adult takes 500ml air inside the body.
Viewing the present scenario, it's frigid that humans need to inhale the air for living.


Curiosity-

 Are humans ready to live in poisonous environment?
If not, do follow the rules sincerely

Kindly share this at large, so that everyone get to know, what we need to do https://shataxiamicuslex.blogspot.com/2019/11/particulate-matter-pm-air-pollution-how.html



[1] https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/pollution-facts/
[2] Global Burden of Disease. (2016). Retrieved from http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-2016
[3] https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/pollution-facts/#_ftn6
[4] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/air%20act%201981.pdf
[5] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/air%20act%201981.pdf
[6] http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/air%20act%201981.pdf
[7] https://www.iitr.ac.in/wfw/web_ua_water_for_welfare/environment/eprotect_act_1986.pdf
[8] https://www.iitr.ac.in/wfw/web_ua_water_for_welfare/environment/eprotect_act_1986.pdf
[9] http://chdtransport.gov.in/Forms/CMVR_1989.pdf
[10] http://chdtransport.gov.in/Forms/CMVR_1989.pdf
[11] http://chdtransport.gov.in/Forms/CMVR_1989.pdf
[12] http://as2.ori.nic.in:8080/web/cmvacts.jsp
[13] http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/210413.pdf