State any four pressing environmental concerns of India.
India's environment faces a dual threat from poverty-induced degradation and pollution from affluence and rapid industrialisation. Developmental activities have placed immense pressure on finite natural resources, creating impacts on human health and well-being.
Four pressing environmental concerns of India are:
- Air pollution: This is a major concern, particularly vehicular pollution in urban cities.
- Water contamination: Issues regarding the management of fresh water and water contamination are critical.
- Land degradation: This includes problems like soil erosion which affect the quality of land.
- Biodiversity loss: This concern covers the reduction of forest coverage and wildlife extinction.
Explanation
The textbook explicitly lists 'Air pollution, water contamination, soil erosion, deforestation and wildlife extinction' as pressing concerns. It further details 'priority issues' identified as land degradation, biodiversity loss, air pollution, management of fresh water, and solid waste management. The answer combines these specific points to list four distinct concerns as required by the question.