Highlight any two serious adverse environmental consequences of development in India. India's environmental problems pose a dichotomy—they are poverty induced and, at the same time, due to affluence in living standards—is this true?
Developmental activities in India have put immense pressure on its finite natural resources, besides creating impacts on human health and well-being. Two serious adverse environmental consequences are:
First, air pollution with special reference to vehicular pollution in urban cities. This has become a pressing environmental concern due to rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
Second, land degradation and biodiversity loss. Developmental activities have resulted in soil erosion, deforestation, and wildlife extinction, threatening the ecological balance.
Yes, this statement is true. India's environmental problems pose a dichotomy with two dimensions.
On one hand, there is the threat of poverty-induced environmental degradation. The poor, in their struggle for survival, overuse and misuse natural resources, leading to issues like deforestation and soil erosion.
On the other hand, there is the threat of pollution from affluence and a rapidly growing industrial sector. Affluent consumption and production patterns have placed huge stress on the environment through air pollution, water contamination, and solid waste generation.
Thus, India faces environmental challenges arising from both poverty and prosperity simultaneously.
Explanation
The answer draws directly from the textbook context which explicitly states that 'The threat to India's environment poses a dichotomy—threat of poverty-induced environmental degradation and, at the same time, threat of pollution from affluence and a rapidly growing industrial sector.' For part (i), the context lists air pollution, water contamination, soil erosion, deforestation, wildlife extinction, land degradation, and biodiversity loss as pressing concerns. The answer selects two major consequences (air pollution and land degradation/biodiversity loss) as required by the question.