Why Celebrate When the Cake Is Burning?
World Environment Day is here again, and like every year, we light a lamp, plant a sapling, and post a selfie with the hashtag #SaveTheEarth. Despite all the green posts, the real environment is getting away. Today, India is also a place where the air is polluted, many rivers are drying up, and forests are quickly shrinking. If this bores you in the beginning, keep an open mind. This article will show you the facts, point out the obvious and encourage you to take action because nature isn’t putting its troubles aside.
India is given an “F” on its environmental scorecard because things are worsening.
Let’s accept what’s happening for what it is. The report explains that India is struggling with weather hazards, public health problems, stagnant infrastructure development and economic pressures. All states in India have shown varying performance in caring for the environment. Even though Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Goa are considered “top” in India, they also face issues with pollution, handling waste and providing health care. In 2024, the amount of greenhouse gases that India released went up to a global share of 7.8%, which has been the highest since 1970, and the trend is moving upward.
More than five million people relocated within their own countries due to flooding, most of which occurred in Assam. Our groundwater imperilment is advancing so quickly that more districts in India are digging up water from nearly 20 metres below, an increase from just a couple of years back. More than 50% of our monitored river sites have toxic heavy metals. Rubbish, including plastic, grew to an unprecedented 4.14 million tonnes, i.e. 2022-, and e-waste volume jumped 147% over seven years. Forests? About 29,000 hectares were cleared in 2021, with most clearings happening in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The Air We Breathe: The Dark Side of Growth
The most significant environmental problem bewildering India is air pollution. In 2024, India came fifth among countries with the highest pollution levels at 50.6 micrograms of PM2.5 air per cubic metre, ten times more than the World Health Organisation considers healthy. Almost three-quarters of the world’s 100 most polluted cities are found in India.
A town called Byrnihat in the northeast was ranked highest, with its PM2.5 reading at 128 µg/m³. Close to 7% of the deaths that take place every day in India are connected to breathing such air. That year, air pollution was responsible for the deaths of 17 lakh people and a loss of about $36 billion to the economy, accounting for approximately 1.4% of our GDP.
Land and Water: There’s No Place Lush Everywhere
India’s land is also being significantly harmed. Land degradation in at least 30% of India in 2019 and states such as Delhi, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand experienced more than 60% degradation. Farmers get less from their crops, the economy suffers, and water sources are no longer safe. 10% of all our water bodies were safe to use in 2023, and water pollution continues to pose a significant concern.
Our rivers and lakes are being polluted by untreated sewage, rubbish that’s not managed, and chemicals in the water. Poor water safety is blamed for taking more than 300,000 lives every year. Groundwater is dropping at Earth’s highest speed, which is most evident in northern India. Villagers typically use wells and ponds, which are often contaminated with nitrates and arsenic.
Large cities usually have thinner streets and busier air than roads.
We will look into our metros and major cities today. Delhi is often known for its pollution and regularly has AQI levels that are described as “severe.” In January of 2025, when everything was completely foggy, the AQI reached the ‘severe’ level. All activities in construction sites were banned because the government stepped up to the third stage of its Emergency Response Plan. Many businesses are also cropping up in Ghaziabad, Kanpur, and Lucknow. India’s 10 most polluted cities are all cities, meaning it is difficult for people to breathe because of all the smog and construction dust being produced. No matter how prosperous a city is, it is not clean; it is “less dirty.”
Minor Cities and Towns Keep Moving Toward the Low Prices
If you wonder who suffers during the pandemic, it’s not just urban residents. Lesser known cities and towns are racing up to join the movement. Because waste is not managed well, there is too much use of biomass to cook, and the industry does not follow proper rules, these areas are experiencing high pollution levels. Despite owning fewer cars, burning waste, untreated drains, and a few sectors, the air and water in these areas are still unhealthy. Since the sewage is not treated correctly, it gets into the nearby rivers or the groundwater, and the drinking water becomes harmful.
Looking at life in villages as they move from green surroundings to urban grey,
Villages used to represent India’s natural beauty, but today, they deal with environmental problems. Planting enough crops to overuse groundwater, applying too many fertilisers and pesticides and cutting down forests to get firewood have both polluted the water and damaged the soil. Many villages still do not have effective ways to get rid of their trash, which means waste is commonly dumped or burned openly. In the monsoon season, garbage and dirt get into rivers and wetlands, worsening water pollution. The result? A drop in crop production, health issues and the move to cities for better life opportunities.
What Has Led to This State of Affairs? The reasons behind these problems
- With more people, the demand for resources increases, and our planet gets dirtier and uses more resources.
- Urban areas are expanding quicker than infrastructure construction, resulting in problems with planned development and the environment.
- Factories, power plants and vehicles are producing much more pollution than before.
- No proper systems result in waste being thrown out in the open and burned and pollutant rivers being in rivers. Polluted water is overdrawn, sewage is not treated, water from agricultural fields enters our system, and water becomes poisoned.
- Forests are being destroyed to make way for progress, resulting in nature’s decline of capacity to keep the air and water clean.
Solutions: Tackling the Problem Before We Are Swallowed by It
Let’s not just crib—let’s act! There are actions we can take, whether it’s as individuals or as a people:
- Make stricter laws for controlling pollution and guarantee they are put into practice.
- Rely more on clean energy, such as solar, wind, and hydro, making them our priority and not a lesser part. Even though renewable energy accounts for 45% of India’s installed capacity, it accounts for only 21% of the electricity generated.
- To help the environment, we must segregate, recycle, and compost our waste. We should also stop using one-time plastic items and encourage the recycling of obsolete devices.
- Preserving Water: Utilise rainwater, detect and fix water leaks and pollute sewage as little as possible before letting it into rivers.
- Green urban planning calls for more parks, green surroundings, and the development of public transport in the city. Cities require green spaces, not only shopping and vehicle routes.
- In the Villages: Encourage organic farming, save more wastewater and handle waste together as a community.
- Teaching about the environment must be part of schools, colleges and the media’s routine and not just for June 5.
- Companies must rely on cleaner production methods and take care of their waste before disposal.
- Use buses or trains, limit your use of plastic products, participate in tree planting, and try to use water and energy efficiently.
World Environment Day: Time to Open Your Eyes to the Benefits of Compost
World Environment Day is not just about speeches and saplings. We must understand that the natural environment is endangered and is waiting for us to solve the issue we created. Although India’s environmental problems are significant, they can be resolved. If we have the will of our leaders, engagement from citizens, and the ability to use sarcastic remarks to keep things real, we can improve. If you photograph yourself alongside a plant, remember that the real effort starts after pressing the shutter. We all need to make every day meaningful for the environment since Earth needs us to save it.
Also Read: Nest Man of India-Rakesh Khatri: Reviving The Nature
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