Causes: The causes for environment movement are as follows:
(a) To protect the environmental degradation: The Government of India has taken measures for economic development including industrial and technological development . This has led to industrialization, urbanization and their adverse effects like loss of cultivable land and on the fertility of the soil.
(b) To protect biodiversity: Deforestation for fuel and construction purposes has left the wild life and birds to become orphan. Hence Chipko, Appiko and save Western Ghats Movements started.
(c) Environment education and consciousness: Living amidst environment, formal education in schools, colleges and nongovernmental organisations have created awareness and consciousness among human beings. Programmes, Rallies and Jathas have gone a long way in this direction.
(d) To curb environment decay: The greadiness of the people to excavate and exploit resources have resuited in soil erosion, drying up of rivers and reservoirs, pollution of water, air. sound, etc. To maintain equilibrium and to pressurize the people in power to take measures, these movements emerged.
Political Implications: Matters related to environment protections are inserted through 421,d Constitutional Amendment in Part IV of the Constitution. The Government of India established the National Committee for Environmental Planning.
Following are some of the measures to control the pollution and save the environment.
(a) Ganga Water Cleaning Plan: Sri M.C. Mehta, Environmentalist filed an affidavit in Supreme Court with regard to cleaning of the ganga water. The committee appointed by the Union Government recommended to establish a processing unit to clean the drainage water near the river and to stop throwing dead bodies to the river and suggested to construct 28 crematoriums.
(b) Committee Report: Sri S.K. Ghosh and R.C. Trivedi conducted a study on the factors responsible for the pollution in and around Taj Mahal. It submitted its report stating that suitable measures are to be taken to protect the Taj Mahal.
