Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

A PERSPECTIVE ON SECURING THE RIGHT TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR IN INDIA

V. Gopi Ranganath

Abstract

Clean air is the birthright of every citizen in the country. Clean air facilitates the citizen to breathe clean air. Air is one of the Panchabhutas as mentioned in the sacred text Bhagavadgita. Since time immemorial, people across the world have always made efforts to preserve and protect natural resources like air, water, plants, flora, and fauna. The right to a clean and healthy environment is within the ambit of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. An adverse impact on the right to breathe clean air can have disastrous consequences for this generation and generations to come. Clean air is very important for human life and well-being. Scientific research reveals the greatest health effects of air pollution ever. It has now been disputed that inhaling dirty air can cause respiratory illnesses, heart disease, stroke and lung cancer, but new evidence suggests that premature births, diabetes, and brain damage may also happen. It also increases the risk of dying from COVID-19, causing underlying health conditions to make people more likely to develop respiratory illness, early research suggests. It is primarily for the governments concerned to consider the importance of public projects for the betterment of the conditions of living of the people in one hand and the necessity for the preservation of social and ecological balances, avoidance of deforestation, and maintenance of purity of the atmosphere and water free from pollution on the other in the light of various factual, technical and other aspects that may be brought to its notice by various bodies of laymen, experts and public workers and strike a just balance between these two conflicting objectives to secure the right to breathe clean air. All the environment-related development objectives should benefit more people while maintaining the environmental balance ensuring the right to breathe clean air. This could be ensured only by strict adherence to sustainable development without which the life of the coming generations will be in jeopardy. The Indian Government has prepared a Clean Air Programme for 102 cities which is the birthright of all the citizens and committed to protect the 5 elements of nature. In this research paper, the author analyses various aspects of governmental policies, judicial response, and the role of mechanism to administer the right to breathe clean air.