In 1992, prior to the Earth Summit, Gallup International, asking respondents to name the most important problems facing their nation conducted a poll across various countries. What we are witnessing is a rapid rise in awareness and sensitivity to environmental problems. Till a few years back, interest in environmental issues was the domain of 'environmentalists'. Today this realm has expanded to include mainstream segments such as consumers, financiers, managers, and corporate entities.
Simple facts mandate it so.
Wastewater generation had grown from about 70 million litres a day in 1947 to 3000 million litres a day in 1997. Total sewage generation from urban centres in India grew from about 5 billion litres a day in 1947 to about 30 billion litres a day in 1997. There are over 10,000 environmental and development-oriented NGOs, citizen groups, pressure groups, etc., in India  a number that is almost 20 times that of the figure in 1985. This is also reflected in the rising instances of public interest litigation. Ordinary citizens are concerned about pollution linked health impacts, water shortages, and contamination of water and soil.