Environmental Pollution

Environmental Pollution

"It is paradoxical that the man who needs the healthy environmen most, is destroying its sanctity and purity for present monetary gains and endanger its own coming generation."

 

Never before in history, the environment pollution has drawn suc  attention of policymakers, academicians and the court, at least in India as a  present. A lot of research has been done during the last few years to find out   suitable linkage between economic activities and the environment and a nee  for new technologies has been felt in order save the environment from th  ever increasing pollution.

  Because of the rapid industrial growth the most precious heritage o  mankind, the natural environment is in danger of becoming polluted. Earlie  most of the economic activities, development policies, were centered toward  the motive of benefits or gain, but for the last few years it has been sincerel  realised that investment on environmental conservation and pollution contro  measures enhance and improve the productivity. It is necessary to save th  mankind from revenge of the nature, if pollution continues as in the past.

  Environmental pollution causes global warming-a threat to the whol  civilisation. In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climat  Change (UNFCCC) was adopted. It recognized that industrialized countrie  were most responsible for increased greenhouse gases concentration in th  Earth'  atmosphere and should be th  first to act against climate change .

 In 1997, United Nation's Conference on global warming was held in th  ancient Japanese Capital of Kyoto for ten days. The climate change meet laye.esesee.elysrf.edaths"t climate change meet lay    deadlocked, as none was ready to take initiative to check further damage to the  planet Earth. The USA and 37 other industrial nations agreed to a binding  per cent below 1990 levels. The next meeting was held at Buenous Aires, where  reduction in their greenhouse gas emission by 2012, setting out a target of five  it was agreed on 14 November, 1998, to set a time table for discussing by 2000 the many issues that still needed to be settled. 

 Actually, the USA and Europe want that other developing countries like,  India, China, should act as per the accord signed at Kyoto, but India and China  have their own reasons as in these countries industrialization has just began,  while developed countries who are actually responsible for the global warming  must act fast to have some remedial measures. 

 The present concern for preservation and conservation of environment  arises from the hazardous impact on the environment due to human actions,  Human demands are increasing day by day, with the growth of population and  modernization, and to meet such increased demands the resources are limited  Reckless and regular exploitation of natural resources is causing serious  impact on the purity of environment. The spread of many diseases like dengue,  viral fevers, endemics, soil erosion, floods, droughts, earthquakes, urban  congestion and threat of extinction of many species of plants, birds and  animals are the visible impact of environmental pollution. 

 It is paradoxical that the man who needs the environment most is  destroying its sanctity and purity for present monetary gains and endangers  his own future generations. Indiscriminate and unplanned industrialization  has affected the environment to a great extent. It pollutes the air by releasing  gases, smoke, fumes and dust. It pollutes the water by discharging wastes in  rivers and the wetlands. It also causes ruinous effects on the forests. The  indiscriminate mining in forest areas has ruined many surrounding forests in  Alwar, Makrana, Kishangarh, Raj-Samandh, areas of Rajasthan, Dehradun in  Uttarakhand and several other places which has disturbed the natural  eco-balance seriously, Environmental pollution has become a serious health  hazard. 

 India has been quick to realise the hazards of environmental pollution. The  Government of India for the first time asserted its concern in the Fourth Five  Year Plan (1969-74). A department of environment was established at the  centre in 1980, to act as nodal agency for conservation and its protection. The  successive plans also emphasized the necessity and importance of  environmental protection. In 1982, International Conference on environmental  education was held in New Delhi which emphasized the need for a massive  programme of environmental education, research and monitoring. The  conference specifically emphasized that environmental education must start  from primary classes. The World Charter on Nature, adopted by the UN  General Assembly on 28th October, 1982, declared that nature shall be  respected and its essentials shall not be impaired Conservation of nature  should be a part of all economie planning. National Environment Advisory  aces and measures for the implementation of environment policy, and to  Committee was constituted in 1983 to identify and highlight the environmental  organise public debate on national issues of environmental importance. In  1992, the Central Government has made the Environmental Audit compulsory      Industries are now required to submit Environmental Audit Report from the fiscal year 1993 .

 In our country, the Supreme Court has played very crucial role in  preventing the pollution in the cities and preserving the forests. The various  decisions forced the government to stop mining in forest areas. The Supreme  Court also forced the government to adopt strict vehicular emission norms in  the principal metropolitan cities. The Apex Court has also insisted on the use  of preferred technologies and fuels such as CNG for buses and autos, in order  to reduce the pollution levels. It is a good news that the government has given  green signal for the development of hydrogen fuelled vehicles that have zero  pollution capabilities. A High Power Committee was established in June 2003,  to draw up a blue print for developing hydrogen as an alternative fuel in India.  The focus of present day policies is to use emission free technologies to be used  in preserving and conserving the precious natural environment. More such  measures could be taken by government like imposing Green Tax or Carbon  Tax on emmissions, increasing duties on non-environment friendly vehicles  such as diesel cars, starting afforestation compaigns, spending more on  research and development of renewable sources of energy etc. 

 Though government is quite serious in protecting the environment yet it is  the duty of every industrialist, every citizen to understand well the necessity of  preserving the nature and purity of environment not only for ourselves but  also for future generations. It is the environment from where we get the first  basic requirements such as oxygen and water for our existence and if we are  bent upon to pollute it, isn't it like committing suicide ! We should make up our  mind and take a pledge to gift a pollution free environment to our future  coming generations.