Read the following passage and answer the question 116-120 :
The word ‘environment’ is derived from the French word ‘environner’, which means ‘to encircle’ or to surround. It is a combination of living and non-living things and their mutual interaction with each other which leads to an ecosystem. The term ‘pollution’ refers to unfavorable alteration to our surroundings, wholly or largely as a by- product of human’s action through direct and indirect effects of changes in energy pattern, chemical and physical construction and abundance of organisms. Industrialization, poverty, population, explosion, urbanization, over- exploitation of resources, etc., are some of the factors which have contributed to environmental deterioration. The most common air pollutants in urban areas include Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen oxide, Carbon monoxide, etc. Apart from this, the gases discharged from refrigerators, air conditioners etc., are responsible for depletion of the Ozone layer. Deforestation, release of toxic substances on the land, throwing unhygienic waste on earth, dumping of garbage, biomedical waste etc., causes land pollution. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal agency of environmental protection in India. It coordinates the environmental policies and programmes. It was the Bhopal Gas Tragedy which necessitated the Government of India to enact a comprehensive environmental legislation, including rules relating to storing, handling and use of hazardous waste.
I. Right to a wholesome environment is a facet of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India | 1. Research Foundation for Science Technology and Natural Resource Policy v. Union of India (2005) 10 SCC 510 |
II. Right to information and community participation for protection of environment and human health is also a right which flows from Article 21 | 2. Orissa Mining Corpn Ltd v. Ministry of Environment and Forests (2013) 6 SCC 476 |
III. Precautionary principle and polluter pays principle are part of law of the land | 3. Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar AIR 1991 SC 420 |
IV. Role of gram sabha in safeguarding the customary and religious rights of scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act | 4. Vellore Citizen Welfare Forum v. Union of India (1996) 5 SCC 647 |