Environmental degradation mars India’s growth: WB

“India’s recent remarkable growth has been clouded by a degrading environment and growing scarcity of natural resources,” said World Bank’s Project Appraisal Document on National Ganga River Basin.

“A rapidly growing population and dynamic economic development have been accompanied by extensive and unplanned urbanization and industrialization,the expansion and intensification of agriculture,and the destruction of forests,” it said.

The report was made public a day after the government signed a $1 billion loan agreement with World Bank for cleaning the River Ganga.

The Bank said a 2009 State of the Environment Report for India stressed the major concerns and costs associated with serious land degradation,loss of biodiversity,deteriorating air quality in cities,increasing water scarcity,and generation of large quantities of hazardous waste from industries.

“The share of the most polluting sectors in India’s exports has increased dramatically during the last decade,and a growing pollution footprint is negatively impacting human health and development outcomes,” it said.