Importance Of Environment Protection

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India has always been cognizant about the environment and it has been framing laws to protect the environment even before it got independence. The development of Indian laws relating to environment protection is divided into two aspects i.e. Pre 1972 Development and Post 1972 Development. Before 1972, the main laws concerning environment protection were tort laws, laws regarding water, criminal law, easement laws, forest laws and special laws regarding hazardous substances. The Indian Constitution does not directly talk about the Environment Protection, but gives fundamental right to life i.e. Article 21 to its citizen, which is treated as the right to enjoy from wholesome environment. In the Constitution of India it is clearly declared that it is the duty of the state to ‘protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country’ and to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture. It imposes a sense of duty on every citizen ‘to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and have compassion for living creatures’. Reference to the environment has also been made in the Directive Principles of State Policy as well as the Fundamental Rights. In 1980 the Department of Environment was established in India to make sure a healthy environment for the country, which later became the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1985.

Objective of EPA (Environment Protection Act) is to

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