By Dr AK Srivastava
National Pollution Day is observed on Erase Personal Data2nd December and every year we, the people of India, take a pledge that we will take all possible initiatives to reduce pollution in our nation. First of all, we should try to comprehend what is ‘Pollution’? “Pollution” is the introduction of such substances or energy that causes a negative or adverse impact on the environment and living entities. Most of the pollution is man-made. But sometimes pollution can be the consequence of some natural disasters or activities; for example it may be the result of a volcano explosion, forest fire, flood in rivers and low or high tides in the sea.
There are different types of pollution—
- A) Air pollution
- B) Water Pollution
- C) Sound (Noise) Pollution
- D) Soil Pollution
These days air pollution is making headlines in newspapers. The air quality index has gone down to dangerous levels in the Capital City – New Delhi and the NCR region. Day-to-day life is becoming increasingly challenging as the pollution level is hindering common activities like morning walks, going to workplaces and schools and colleges. People are forced to cover their faces with a mask or handkerchief. White sheets of fog or smog cover the entire NCR region. Smoke from heavy traffic congestion, chemicals from factories and industries, noxious gases, mining operations, burning fuels and indiscriminate burning of agriculture waste (parali) are some of the prominent reasons for this unpleasant and horrible situation.
Air pollution is a dangerous phenomenon as it is a health hazard to both human and animal lives. Respiratory complications, cardiovascular diseases, skin problems, and risk of cancer, etc., bother us. Global warming, ozone depletion and acid rains are endangering the very existence of human and animal lives. During the winter season, visibility is very low on highways and it results in numerous accidents as people fail to see vehicles coming from opposite directions.
Water pollution is another lethal threat endangering our lives. Water is contaminated in various ways. Untreated city sewage, chemical waste from heavy industries and factories, discharge of electronic waste, floating dead bodies of animals in rivers and lakes and many other things pollute the fresh water of rivers and lakes. Local villagers and unaware people drink or swim in severely contaminated water and fall ill. Plastic contaminates the water, and many sea creatures are affected when they swallow it. Agriculture wastes like pesticides used in fields are indiscriminately thrown into rivers and lakes. Sea food gets contaminated and again it is eaten by human beings. The cycle goes on. Traditionally we use iron pipes for water supply in houses that get rusty after some years and the water supply is mixed with rust of iron. Numerous skin problems and stomach problems start troubling family members.
Sound pollution is another concern for ecological balance. Mostly, it is man-made. It refers to the stage when the sound or noise is so loud that our ears cannot bear it. It can be excessive noise from traffic, loudspeakers, processions, firecrackers, machines and mills. Humans cannot bear deafening noise for a long time. Both the duration and intensity of sound can be troublesome for all living creatures. In our daily life we notice that TV and other musical instruments are switched on from morning till evening and nobody bothers to switch them off. Elders and children find such things very irritating. Hypertension, hearing loss and sleeping disorders are some of the major consequences of sound pollution. Besides all this, the poor academic performance of students is also a cause of concern. In wedding functions, when relatives and friends wish to talk and know the welfare of one another, deafening music spoils the entire atmosphere.
In the case of agriculture, soil pollution is a great problem. The quality of soil is degraded or reduced by chemicals and pesticides used by farmers for better and quicker crops. Deforestation, indiscriminate disposal of untreated garbage, climate change and factory waste, etc., are major causes of soil pollution. All this makes soil less fertile, and the production of crops is adversely affected in quality and quantity. Flora and fauna lose their charm and quality. When we eat vegetables and food grains many chemicals go into our bodies causing a variety of health issues. Now this substandard food produced in chemically spoiled soil is causing health hazards all over the world. People are advocating for organic or pesticide-free crops. Right from cancer to skin problems, there are many diseases that bother thousands of people.
Pollution and poverty have been an uncontrollable menace since independence. Air, water, sound and soil pollution endanger our environment and the entire ecosystem. Our beloved planet is severely ill and we need to take up time-based sincere and massive planning to undo this grim situation.
The Government of India has taken many initiatives in this direction. In 1974, the central government constituted the Central Board for the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution. In 1988, this Board was given additional responsibility for air pollution control and it was renamed the Central Pollution Control Board. In addition to water pollution control, this Board is responsible for monitoring the Air Quality Index under the National Air Monitoring Program. It is vital to control water and air pollution in a country of 1.4 billion people. CPCB employs experts to train employees, makes awareness schemes to guide the common person and settles disputes between two states on issues related to pollution. It collects information, compiles reports and publishes technical and statistical data regarding prevention and control.
It is such a problem that every stakeholder—Government, Citizens, Industrialist and Farmers – has to make vigorous and combined efforts to get the best results. Beijing, the capital city of China, was considered to be one of the worst polluted cities. But China shifted maximum industries and business establishments to outside their capital city. Today, Beijing is a lovely and lively city.
Today, New Delhi is one of the worst places as its AQI is very bad most of the time. This spoils our prospects in different ventures. Many tourists avoid coming to our country. Investment is hampered as international companies prefer to invest in safer places as they are concerned about the health of their employees.
The government has to take up the issue of population control and strict laws are required in this direction. Public transport and odd and even policies can do a lot of good for our nation. We should learn to reuse and recycle many products instead of throwing them into the garbage. Also remember to switch off unwanted lights and music.
Massive incursions into cities from villages should be discouraged. It is important to provide basic needs and employment for the common person in villages. Today, everyone wants to settle in big cities as there are not adequate facilities in villages.
Sound and soil pollution are largely man-made. Hence, people have to be careful in this regard. No honking on roads, less chemicals and pesticides in the agriculture fields and no deforestation are some of the significant steps that should be encouraged.
In conclusion, we can say that we are heading towards a point of no return and severe and time bound measures should be taken by the government and public.
(Dr AK Srivastava is Principal, DAV Inter College)
