Vision
Statement on
Environment
and Human Health
1. PREAMBLE
Environmental
health comprises those aspects of human health including quality of life that
are determined by physical, biological, social and psychological factors in the
environment. The relationship between the environment and its impact on human
health is highly complex. Each of the effects is associated with a variety of
aspects of economic and social development. Moreover, there is no single best
way of organising and viewing the development-environment-health relationship
that reveals all important interactions and possible entry points for public
health interventions. Human beings are exposed to a variety of chemicals
including industrial chemicals, pesticides, air pollutants, natural and man
made toxicants etc in the environment through the skin, respiratory system and
gastrointestinal tract that can affect vital body systems such as pulmonary,
reproductive and nervous and immune system. Dysfunction of these systems could
have far-reaching consequences, which affect individuals and even their progeny
from serious health ailments. To investigate possible effects of environmental
pollutants on human health it is of prime importance that accurate exposure
assessment techniques and validated biomarkers are available. It is, therefore,
essential to have full fledged and accurate Environmental Health Impact
Assessment procedures in place, undertake application-oriented research such as
occupational and environmental cohort studies to define single or mixture of
pollutants and their impacts on health. This would help the implementing
agencies to revise the environmental and industry specific actions. It is also
very important to have collaborative approach among the industries and various
technical/research centers together with the implementing agencies of the
pollution control so as to deal with the Environment and Health issues
properly.
1.1 Children are more susceptible in contracting diseases due
to exposure to air pollutants and hazardous chemicals, ingesting contaminated
water, food and soil. These problems
are magnified due to lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation,
haphazard disposal of hazardous and bio-medical wastes. A growing number of
diseases in children have been linked to environmental exposures. These diseases range from traditional water
borne, food borne and vector borne ailments and acute respiratory infections to
asthma, cancer, arsenicosis, fluorosis, certain birth defects and developmental
disabilities. Children from the fetal stage through adolescence are in a
dynamic stage of growth as their immature nervous, respiratory, reproductive
and immune system develop. They are
more vulnerable to permanent and irreversible damage from toxicants than
adults.
1.2 Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) constituted a
Committee on Environment and Health in July, 1999 and the report was submitted
in May, 2000. The Report of the
“Committee on Environment and Health” has brought out issues requiring attention of various stakeholders. The
“Conference on Environmental Health” organized by Ministry of Environment and
Forests in November, 2002 has brought out thrust areas and action points that
need to be implemented for protection of public health.
2. THE
PROBLEM
The environment in which we live greatly influences
our health. The household, workplace, outdoor and indoor environments may pose
risks to health in a number of different ways. The poor quality of air which we
may breathe, the contaminated water we may drink and the surroundings in which
we live, determine our quality of life.
While the genetic factors may also be responsible for causing diseases
but the environmental factors play much more active role in contracting various
diseases.
2.1
Water
It
is estimated that 75 to 80% of water pollution by volume is caused by domestic
sewage. The remaining is industrial wastewater, which could be more toxic. The
major industries causing water pollution include: distilleries, sugar, textile,
electroplating, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, pulp & paper mills, tanneries,
dyes and dye intermediates, petro-chemicals, steel plants etc. Non-point pollution sources such as
fertilizer and pesticide run-offs in rural areas from the agricultural fields
are also emerging as a major cause of concern.
Only 60% of chemical fertilizers is utilised in soils and the balance is
leached into soil polluting ground water.
Excess phosphate run-off is leading to eutrophication in lakes and water
bodies.
Adverse health outcomes are associated with ingestion of contaminated water, lack of access to sanitation, contact
with unsafe water, and inadequate management of water resources and systems
including in agriculture. Infectious diarrhoea makes the largest single
contribution to the burden of disease associated with unsafe water, sanitation
and hygiene. Besides, the water borne diseases like cholera, jaundice and other
gastrointestinal track infections are quite significant amongst the
population. Certain diseases have also
been encountered amongst the affected persons coming in contact with toxic
effluent discharged in the water bodies by highly polluting industries.
2.2 Ground
Water Pollution
Due to
improper drainage and lack of proper disposal facilities, industries and local
bodies use large areas of land as mode of disposal of wastewater. Small-scale
industries located in clusters or industrial estates, not having proper
disposal facilities are also causing ground water pollution due to discharge of
industrial effluent on land. Several
incidents of ground water contamination due to industrial clusters are reported
specially due to electroplating units, tanneries, dyeing and printing units
etc. Heavy metals and other toxic
compounds present in the effluent may pose considerable health risks amongst
the population using such contaminated water.
2.2
Air
pollution
The main
sources of air pollution are from vehicles and industries and to some extent
from domestic sources. Urban air pollution is largely and increasingly the
result of the combustion of fossil fuels for transport, power generation and
other human activities. Combustion processes produce a complex mixture of
pollutants that comprises emissions, such as diesel soot particles and lead,
and the products of atmospheric transformation, such as ozone and sulfate
particles formed from the burning of sulfur-containing fuel. Air pollution from
combustion sources is associated with a broad spectrum of acute and chronic
health effects. Particulate air pollution
may cause the most serious
effects on lungs, including lung cancer and other cardiopulmonary mortality.
Other constituents, such as lead and ozone, are also associated with serious
health effects, and contribute to the burden of disease attributable to urban
air pollution. Air Polluting industries include: thermal power plants, iron and
steel plants, smelters, foundries, stone crushers, cement, refineries, lime
kilns chemicals & petro-chemical plants etc. Burning of low-grade fuel in
urban areas for various purposes is one of the causes of air pollution. In addition, tyre, rubber, plastic, garbage
etc. are also burnt. Such combustion
emits toxic pollutants including dioxins and furans, which are quite harmful to
the human beings.
2.3
Indoor air
pollution
Cooking and heating with solid fuels such as dung,
wood, agricultural residues or coal are
the largest source of indoor air pollution. When used in simple cooking
stoves, these fuels emit substantial amounts of pollutants, including respirable
particles, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur oxides. Studies have shown
reasonably consistent and strong relationships between the indoor use of solid
fuel and a number of diseases. The
poor people in the developing nations use unprocessed fuels in their
houses. It has been estimated that more than half of the world’s house-holds
cook their food on the unprocessed solid fuels that typically release about 50
times more noxious pollutants than gas. The stoves or chullah used as cooking stove are not energy efficient. The fuels
are not burned completely. The product of incomplete combustion of biomass
includes carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, suspended particulate matter and
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) etc. Indoor air pollution may manifest
respiratory ailments such as cough, dysponea and abnormal lung function, if
proper ventilation is not existing and the duration of exposure is quite
significant. The presence of mutagens in organic residues of smoke particles
also aggravate the respiratory ailments.
The women and children, particularly those of the rural sector using
agricultural residues as cooking fuel are the most vulnerable groups and may
get affected by the indoor air pollution.
2.5 Noise Pollution
Increase
in vehicular traffic and commercial activities are major cause of noise
pollution in urban areas. Use of loud speakers, diesel generator sets, high
pitched music systems, bursting crackers, etc are adding to noise levels in
cities. It has been reported that people living in noisy areas have been found
with impairment in their hearing system.
2.6 Bio-Medical
Waste
Bio-medical wastes comprise
of human tissues, blood soaked items, excreta, drugs, swabs, disposable
syringes, needles, sticky bandages, radioactive wastes etc. These wastes are potentially hazardous and
infectious. Indiscriminate disposal of
such wastes poses health risk to human population, especially to health care
personnel, sanitary workers, scavengers, rag pickers and also to intra-venous
drug users. It is of utmost importance
that the medical waste is managed in an environmentally sound manner which
requires proper understanding of risk associated with the disposal of such
wastes and methods for proper segregation, storage, handling, treatment and
disposal. The children and women are most vulnerable groups of society to
develop infectious diseases as they are basically engaged as rag pickers in the
dump sites. Incinerators, without
having proper combustion temperature and control system, used for burning of
bio-medical wastes, may also pose health risks to the population living close
to such incinerators.
2.7
Climate change and
allergens
Potential risks to human health from climate
change would arise from increased exposures to thermal extremes (cardiovascular
and respiratory mortality) and from increases in weather disasters (including
deaths and injuries associated with floods). Other risks may arise because of
the changing dynamics of disease vectors (such as malaria and dengue fever),
the seasonality and incidence of various food-related and waterborne
infections, the yields of agricultural crops, the range of plant and livestock,
pests and pathogens, the salination of coastal lands and freshwater supplies
resulting from rising sea-levels, the climatically related production of
photochemical air pollutants, and the
risk of conflict over depleted natural resources. Effects of climate change on
human health can be expected to be mediated through complex interactions of
physical, ecological, and social factors. These effects will undoubtedly have a
greater impact on societies or individuals with scarce resources, where
technologies are lacking, and where infrastructure and institutions (such as
the health sector) are least able to adapt. For this reason, a better
understanding of the role of socio-economic and technological factors in
shaping and mitigating these impacts is essential. Because of this complexity,
current estimates of the potential health impacts of climate change are based
on models with considerable uncertainty.
Besides, the spores, pollens, allergens produced by cats and dogs and
dust mites may pose health risks to human beings.
3. FUTURE
STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN
The key purpose of this Vision Statement on
Environment and Human Health is to
evolve a strategy for health risk reduction. It also offers a comprehensive
approach to the environmental health management plans, which would be a
systematic approach to estimate the
burden of disease and injury due to different environmental pollutants.
The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development states, inter alia,
“Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development, and that they are entitled to a healthy and productive life, in harmony with nature. The goals of sustainable development can only be achieved in the absence of a high prevalence of debilitating diseases, while obtaining health gains for the whole population requires poverty eradication.
There is an urgent need to address the causes of ill health, including environmental causes, and their impact on development, with particular emphasis on women and children, as well as vulnerable groups of society, such as people with disabilities, elderly persons and indigenous people”. The World Summit on Sustainable Development at Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August- 4 September 2002 states, inter alia:
“Integrate the health concerns into strategies, policies and programmes for poverty eradication and sustainable development, reduce respiratory diseases and other health impacts resulting from air pollution, with particular attention to women and children, by
strengthening regional and national programmes including through public-private partnerships with technical and financial assistance to developing countries, supporting the phasing out of lead in gasoline;
strengthening
and supporting efforts for the reduction of emissions through the use of
cleaner fuels and modern pollution control techniques ….”
International and national deliberations have made it evident that environment-and-health concerns are rising higher on the broad environment and development agenda and that public health issues are predominantly making a niche on the environmental agenda and vice-versa.
Environmental Health is an inter-disciplinary and
inter-agency subject and all the stakeholders are needed to be involved in the
process. To make environmental health a really potent force in the consorted
approach towards health for all and
sustainable development in the 21st Century, the role of the MoEF in
this transformation of environmental health is significant. Therefore, all the future studies pertaining to environmental health would accomplish the
following broad tasks:
Ø To provide scientific information and data on the
relationship between environmental factors and health in the process of
development.
Ø To develop health based criteria in preparation of
national standards/legislations.
Ø To build partnership with national, international and
non-governmental agencies etc.
Ø To promote the role of environmental health in the
policy, planning and decision making in
the matter of environment and development.
Therefore, the activities and programmes are required to be taken up for the protection of the public health due to environmental pollution as given in the following road map for action.
4. ROAD MAP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
The road map is broadly based on the recommendations
emerging out of the discussions held in
the Conference on Environmental Health organized by MoEF in New Delhi from 20th
to 21st November, 2002.
4.1 Air Pollution and Health Effects
4.1.1
Environmental health
risk assessment studies due to air pollution are required to be undertaken in
the polluted areas to establish the baseline data on health impacts/risks in
different parts of India taking into account the studies undertaken earlier by
different organizations. Possibilities to find out the manifestations of
various diseases attributable to air pollution may be explored. In particular,
the human settlements including children and elderly persons living close to
industrial complexes, metropolitan cities and taxi/bus drivers, traffic
policemen, road side vendors, shopkeepers etc. are required to be covered under
environmental health assessment studies. Such studies would assist in
establishing the disease burden in different areas in the country. Studies to develop bio-markers may also be
taken up. Toxico-genomics studies are also required to be taken up.
4.1.2
As Total Suspended
Particulate Matter (TSPM)/ Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM)
levels are generally exceeding in most of the cities/towns in India including
the metropolitan and large cities, it would be desirable to investigate the
health impacts due to particulates and gaseous pollutants including synergistic
effects so as to control the emissions from various sources e.g. industries,
automobiles, open burning of garbage, leaves, plastic, rubber materials
etc. Loose soil accumulated on road
sides or elsewhere due to natural or man-made activities becomes air borne and
gets re-suspended and as such may pose considerable respiratory diseases should
also be controlled and the concerned organisations should take suitable measures in this regard.
4.1.3
Stricter emission norms
for particulates and gaseous pollutants (e.g. limit for lead, mercury, benzene,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)) based on health impacts are required for
which Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)/Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB)/ State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) may review the existing
standards and notify the revised standards for control of emissions of
particulates and gaseous pollutants from different industries and power
plants. Ambient air quality standards
are also required to be reviewed and revised based on health criteria.
4.1.4
Open burning of
garbage, leaves, plastic, rubber and other synthetic materials should not be
allowed and necessary legal and enforcement machinery may be provided to check
the menace.
4.1.5
Strengthening and
modernization of air quality monitoring system specially covering Respirable
Particulate Matter having particulates of diameter not more than 10 and 2.5
microns respectively (PM10/PM2.5), Oxides of Nitrogen
(NOx), Oxides of Sulphur (SOx) and Carbon Mono Oxide (CO) are required to be
undertaken. Periodic monitoring of sulphates, nitrates, ground level ozone,
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and other toxins are also required to be
undertaken. In addition, inventorisation and source apportionment studies are
also required to be undertaken in different areas having air pollution problems.
4.1.6
Indoor Air Pollution
and Health Impact Studies should be undertaken specially covering women and
children.
4.1.7
Clean technologies are
required to be adopted by Thermal Power Plants to check gaseous and particulate
emissions.
4.2 Water
Pollution and Health Effects
4.2.1
Policy interventions
need to be taken up by the concerned departments engaged in water supply and
sanitation particularly in the rural and slum areas for checking water borne
diseases. Environmental epidemiological
studies are required to be undertaken to find out and evaluate the magnitude of
health impacts and to develop strategies to prevent and control water borne
diseases.
4.2.2
Industrial effluent
standards need to be reviewed and modified
based on health risks considerations.
4.2.3
Toxic effluents should
not be allowed to be discharged into the water bodies and emphasis should be
made on zero discharge by way of recycling and reuse by such industries to the
maximum extent possible.
4.2.4 The
uptake of heavy metals by vegetables, cereals, fruits, grains etc. have been
reported in certain areas and as such the consumption of such contaminated food
has to be checked by the concerned Department of the Central/State Governments.
Hence the irrigation of agricultural fields with the treated/untreated effluent
containing toxic chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals such as chromium, lead,
mercury, arsenic etc. should not be allowed.
Short term and long term health studies are required to be undertaken.
4.2.5 Health
Risk Studies due to naturally occurring arsenic and fluoride in the ground
water be undertaken in the areas affected by these contaminants. Policy
interventions in endemic areas are needed to supply treated water or alternate
drinking water and ensure health improvement of the community.
4.2.6
Adequate Monitoring and
Surveillance System is needed to be created by the regulatory authorities to
check surface and ground water contamination.
Food contamination due to Arsenic and Fluoride in the endemic areas are
also required to be checked by taking policy interventions including stopping
of irrigation of agricultural fields with contaminated water.
4.2.7
Studies regarding
vector diseases (Malaria etc.) are required to be taken up in the areas where
large quantities of impoundment of water have taken place due to construction
of hydro-electric projects, dams, reservoirs etc. Also in such areas, due to accumulation of pesticides in the
water bodies due to agricultural run-offs, the concentration of pesticide
residues in human beings might have gone up due to consumption of aquatic food
and as such health risk studies would be useful to find out the extent of
environmental problems posed to the population living in such areas.
4.3
Hazardous Wastes and Health Effects
4.3.1
Environmental
epidemiological studies are required to
be carried out near to industrial estates and hazardous waste disposal sites to
estimate the extent of health risks
including from asbestos. Alternatives to asbestos may be used to the extent
possible and use of asbestos may be phased out.
4.3.2
Untreated/partially
treated hazardous waste emanating from industries should not be disposed on
land, road sides, water bodies, municipal garbage dump sites etc. Industrial wastes should be handled, treated
and disposed of in secured landfill as per the provisions of the Hazardous
Waste Management Rules to avoid possibility of ground water contamination and
consequential health implications.
4.3.3 The
plastic wastes need to be properly treated for disposal. Public awareness for plastic recycling and
the R & D for degradable plastic
need to be intensified.
4.3.4 State
Industrial Development Authorities should adopt proactive approach to provide
necessary infrastructure for collection, treatment and disposal of hazardous
waste emanating from various industrial estates including secured landfill
site. Action plans based on appropriate technologies and control measures are
required to be taken for the treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes.
4.3.5 The regulatory authorities (CPCB/SPCBs/PCCs)
should ensure, through the consent mechanism that adequate steps are taken by
the industries for safe disposal of hazardous wastes. Inventorisation of
hazardous waste is needed and guidelines for treatment and disposal be evolved.
4.3.6 Heavy metals used in ayurvedic medicines may
pose health risks and as such toxicological studies may be taken up preferably
by the Industrial Toxicological Research Center (ITRC) to find out any adverse
health impacts due to use of such ayurvedic medicines.
4.3.7 Specifications and standards for incinerators
may be evolved based on health criteria and mechanisms to test and certify the
efficacy may be set up in the country.
4.4 Children's Environmental Health
4.4.1 Environmental
health risk assessment studies for children including those living in slums and
polluted areas with respect to water borne diseases, lead contamination and
respiratory ailments due to air pollution including asthma are required to be
undertaken. Also studies to find out impact on nervous system may be
undertaken. Standardisation of procedures for health risk evaluation are also
to be taken up including quality assurance.
Health risk studies due to disposal of hazardous wastes and bio-medical
wastes are also required to be undertaken to take mitigative measures.
4.4.2
Environmental Health
Studies (EHS) for children are also required to be undertaken in the areas
having arsenic, chromium, mercury, fluoride, and nitrate and pesticide
contamination including pre-natal ailments. Also, EHS are required to be
undertaken for endocrine disruptors.
4.4.3 Indoor
air pollution poses health risks to children and as such environmental health
studies are required to be commissioned to collect baseline data.
4.4.4 Environmental
Health awareness programmes amongst the children including those living in
rural and slum areas and belonging to lower strata of society are required to
be taken up including personal hygiene and sanitation aspects.
4.5 Radiation and
Health Effects
The
high frequency electromagnetic radiations have become a high risk to human
health, vegetation etc. The electromagnetic radiations are caused due to the
increased use of wireless communications across the world and also due to
radiations from the satellite towers and systems, which transmit high rates of
data for the intranet and internet. Radiation from cellular gazettes may also
pose threat to human health such as
adverse impact on brain and eye cancer, heart ailments, migraine, head and ear
pain, fatigue, energy loss, impotency and many other physical disorders. Environmental Health Impact Studies due to
electromagnetic radiations (non-ionising radiations) may be undertaken. Similarly, studies are also required to be
undertaken on health risks posed by exposure to ionizing radiations.
Use of loud speakers, diesel generator sets,
high pitched music systems, bursting crackers, increase in vehicular traffic
and commercial activities, etc are adding to noise levels in cities. The noise
pollution may affect the hearing system, increase blood pressures, induce
behavioral changes as also may cause adverse effect on the nervous system.
Environmental Health Impact Studies due to noise pollution may also therefore
be undertaken so as to have policy intervention for the protection of public
health..
4.7
Climate
change and health effects
The change in
climate would pose potential health risks (morbidity and mortality) due to rise
in temperature resulting in to cardiovascular and respiratory ailments due to
altered exposures to photo-chemical pollutants and allergens (spores, moulds
etc.). The Climate change may also give rise to vector borne diseases (malaria, dengue, fever, leishmamiasis etc)
as also water borne infections. Other impacts may include incidences of food
poisoning, water borne pathogens induced diseases etc. Effects of climate change on human health
can be expected to be mediated through complex interactions of physical,
ecological, and social factors. A better understanding of the role of
socio-economic and technological factors in shaping and mitigating these
impacts is essential. Besides, the studies on health risks to human beings from
the pollens, allergens produced by cats and dogs and dust mites are also
required to be undertaken.
4.8 Institutional
Strengthening and Information Systems
4.8.1
The Environment and
Human Health Cell (EHHC) created in MoEF needs to be strengthened. The EHHC in
MoEF will be the nodal agency for environmental health related issues including
collaboration and coordination with the National and International Agencies for
carrying out the programmes and activities pertaining to environmental health.
4.8.2
There is a need to have
a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) with regional
centers. This could be done, to start with, by strengthening one of the
existing institutions as a National Institute of Health Sciences (NIEHS) to
serve as the nodal Institution/laboratory in Environmental Health Sciences and
create a network of regional Environmental Health Centers in R&D
institutions, medical colleges and Universities. These will play vital role in
pursuing environmental health related studies (viz. dioxins, furans, Polychloro
Biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals, benzenes etc.), R & D technology and human
resource development.
4.8.3 Occupational
and environmental health issues are required to be looked into in an integrated
way so as to have holistic view regarding the occupational and environmental
hazards on human health. Interaction
and cooperation of the concerned institutions/organizations will be sought in
evolving programmes and activities in this regard.
4.8.4 Training
modules and programmes in environmental health are required to be developed for
professionals in different organisations dealing with public health,
environmental regulations and policy makers. Specific issues on environmental
health including antidotes for various toxic chemicals, gases and pesticides
may be documented and disseminated for public information and use by Primary
Health Care Units, nursing homes and hospitals.
4.8.5 Environmental
health education awareness programmes for communities including women and
children are required to be undertaken through media (TV channels etc.).
Environmental health related subjects are required to be added in curricula in
all the technical and medical institutions. Indian National Science Academy (INSA), University Grants
Commission (UGC), Indian Medical Association (IMA), Ministry of Education etc
may be involved in developing environmental health educational
programmes/subjects for inclusion in the respective formal and non-formal
education courses.
4.8.6 There is
a need to modify the existing record and registration systems in the medical
treatment in the hospitals and nursing homes by augmenting infrastructure and
including occupational and environmental history in the treatment of diseases
including compilation of morbidity & mortality data attributable to
environmental factors for protection of public health against environmental
pollution. Steps may be taken for codification of diseases and working out
National Burden of Disease (NBD).
4.8.7 National
Emergency preparedness and Response system including disaster management due to
terrorist activities should be in place involving concerned Central/State/Local
level departments and organisations so as to
have intersectoral and
inter-institutional approach.
4.8.8 Biological
threshold limits (BTLVs) for toxic chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals
(lead, mercury, chromium, arsenic etc.) and fluoride may be prescribed.
Besides, Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for benzene, benzopyrene, Poly Aromatic
Hydrocarbon (PAH) etc. may also be prescribed.
4.8.9
The Ministry of
Environment and Forests need to have cooperation and collaboration with the
national and international institutions/ agencies (e.g. WHO, UNEP, UNDP, USEPA,
CDC (USA), NIEH (USA), Universities etc) to develop specific strategies on
environmental health.
5.1
In order to protect the people – and help them protect
themselves – there is a need to assess accurately how greater the risks are.
Without some quantitative approach for gauging the importance of specific
risks, in terms of the likely magnitude of their impact on populations, government
policies might be driven exclusively by factors such as pressure groups or the
emotive weight of individual cases.
Policies for public awareness need to be initiated in order to ensure that
media and educational system play an active role in educating people about
various health impacts from polluted environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design, promote and
implement the best practices to be adopted for all the stakeholders.
5.2
Priority will be to
educate citizens about environmental risks, the economic and health dangers of
resource degradation and the adverse impacts on environment. Information about
the environment will be published periodically. Affected citizens and non-governmental organizations may also
play a role in environmental monitoring and therefore allowing them to
supplement the regulatory system and recognizing their expertise and
commitments and vigilance will also be very effective. Public access to environmental information should be provided.
5.3
Greater emphasis will be placed on promoting environmental health
awareness amongst the students in schools and colleges. Professional and non-governmental bodies
will be encouraged to be more active in imparting environmental health training
and building awareness. Use of media may also be encouraged for checking
reckless use of loudspeakers, dumping in water bodies, and scattering of
wastes.
6.1 Environment and Human Health Cell
(EHHC) will develop mechanism for
Inter-Ministerial and Inter-Departmental coordination so as to have periodic
interactions with the stakeholders such as line Ministries (e.g Health,
Industry, Labour, Urban Affairs, Human Resources Development, Agriculture
etc.), regulatory authorities (State Department of Environment/CPCB/SPCBs,
State Health Departments), R&D Institutions, major hospitals, etc.
including interaction with the international institutions for exchange of
information on prevention and control of environmental related health effects.
EHHC will coordinate with the CPCB/SPCBs/PCCs and the State Departments of
Environment, who may have similar
Environment and Human Health cells or earmark personnel, for
implementing the programmes on environmental health. An interdisciplinary and
inter-ministerial Committee including NGOs may be constituted by the MoEF to
have periodic interactions with all the stakeholders.
6.2 Activities and programmes as envisaged in the
road map will be implemented out of the funds allocated by the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, WHO and other resources made available under the
bilateral assistance or by the international funding agencies such as UNDP,
UNEP, USAID, DFID, CIDA, SIDA, NORAD, ADB, World Bank etc.
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