India is the second most populous country in the World and home to over 1.3 trillion people. It is a land of gorgeous and spectacular landscapes, abundant natural resources, and one of the most sought after holiday destination. But the biggest concern of today’s time is the grave challenge of large-scale environmental pollution faced by the country. Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) has stated India as the world’s second most polluted country in the world. The horrendous condition of environmental pollution in the country has resulted in the shortening the life of an average Indian’s by over four years. The Indian government has declared a state of emergency for environmental pollution in the urban areas.
Scientists from India’s most renowned cancer institute unconcealed awful statistics that approximately half of the school going children in Delhi are growing up with the irreversible lung impairment condition. The level of dangerous and toxic pollutants in the air, water and soil has gone way above the safe limit. Heavy industrialization, urbanization and some age old practices like burning agricultural waste have equally contributed to the miserable environment condition in India.
Factors of Environmental Pollution:
1. Air pollution:
New Delhi, the capital of India, made global headlines recently when it turned up in the top 10 most-polluted places on earth. Supreme Court of India has imposed a ban on old petrol and diesel vehicles in Delhi. Despite numerous efforts by the government to manage polluting emissions from the industries and use alternate traffic mechanisms, the air condition continues to deteriorate. The major sources of air pollution are traffic, power plants, industry, burning waste, cooking using wood and charcoal. Emission of greenhouse gasses poses a real time threat to the concentration of toxic elements in the air.
2. Soil pollution:
As the industrial sector in India is witnessing a prolific growth. As a result soil pollution is becoming a major concern in all parts of the country. Soil pollution poses an alarming threat to agricultural productivity, food safety, and human health. The area of fertile land is deteriorating every passing day by the use of chemicals for gaining better produce. The growth of cities in India has used soil as a sink for perpetually greater amounts of municipal waste. Cities like Bangalore & Chennai, famously called the IT hubs of the country are facing a grave issue of large amount of e-waste piled in the dump yards. Large amount of land is wasted as dumping grounds both within and at the outskirts of cities. These dumping grounds can be seen treated as pastures for cattle which can result in numerous health hazards.
3. Water pollution:
In India, we are not new to water pollution. Agriculture is the prime necessity for the country and apparently environmental impact on the climate has hugely affected the monsoons. Huge amount of waste, including metals like lead, toxic chemicals coming from Industries is dumped in rivers and water-bodies. The largest source of water pollution in India is the untreated sewage water. Some villages in India still practice defecation in the open which further pollutes the nearby water bodies. Ganga and Yamuna are ranked amongst the top 10 the most polluted rivers in the world.
4. Noise pollution:
Noise pollution is another burning issue of Modern India. Traffic congestion on roads, maddening sounds of honking horns, factory sirens, shuddering sound of the running of machines and loud sound of loudspeakers majorly contribute to the tremendous increase in noise pollution. Environmental pollution has resulted in the outbreak of so many health issues for an average Indian.
Measures taken
India signed the historic Paris climate agreement on 24th November 2017 along with 170 Nations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. India has committed itself to the effective implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change. Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated Uttar Pradesh’s biggest solar power plant in Mirzapur district on 12th March 2018. India has also signed an agreement with Germany on technical cooperation under the Indo-German Energy Program – Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC). The Indian government is taking serious steps to restore the sanctity of Ganga and Yamuna rivers by implementing the ‘Clean Ganga’, ‘Namami Gange’ and ‘Yamuna Cleaning Program’.
As plastic is a major pollutant, the State Government of Maharashtra has compete ban on plastics bags from 23rd June 2018. The notification issued by the Maharashtra state government banned manufacturing, usage, sale, circulation and storage of plastic materials such as bags, spoons, plates and other disposable items. The ban also includes packaging material and thermocol. However the plastic used for packaging of medicines and drugs, milk and treatment of solid waste is exempted from the ban. Stringent laws are enforced to control Noise pollution.
Various NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) are working day and night to educate the average Indians about the ill-effects of pollution on their mental and physical health. The Government is running rigorous campaigns through television, movies, print-media and other such outlets to encourage people to practice environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Conclusion
One cannot deny that the polluted environment in urban India is a ticking time bomb. Prolific industrialization for growth of the National economy has apparently put at risk even a breath of fresh air in the Indian cities. Lack of public participation in the implementation of stringent laws to fight environmental pollution is another huge concern. The public health in India is at serious risk. The Indian government is working to implement the solutions on a larger canvas, for example, switching to clean energy, regulations to reduce the emissions of harmful pollutants, and campaigning to spread acquaintance about the adverse effects of environmental pollution. The most significant aspect is encouraging the Indian people to give away their age-old practices which are by and large hazardous to the environment. The Sanskrit phrase “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” which means that ‘the world is like a family’, must come alive in the minds and hearts of each one of us to save this beautiful and serene land of traditions.
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Essay on Hazards of Environmental Pollution.
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