Fighting pollution means restoring the environs
A lot of damage has been done. Now, there is need to safeguard what we have destroyed
Syed Mustafa Ahmad
Environmental pollution can be defined as the addition of some unwanted substances in the environment, which are harmful for both living and non living creatures. It can also be defined as the decrease in the level of the life supporting environs resulting in the rise of other unwanted pollutants. It is not a recent phenomenon. But it is the process being in the making for centuries.
In recent years, it has maintained a brisk pace. The previous decade witnessed some of the hottest years of the century. It is visible in the decreasing of the ground water level in India, flooding of many areas, the bushfires of Australia, the melting of glaciers in the fragile Himalayan region, the thinning of the ice in Antarctica, the extinction of species, the vulnerability of species, the huge storms, the spreading of deadly diseases, etc.
There are many other examples that only suggest that the situation is going from bad to worse. But the point I want to discuss is that if a man is the crown of humanity, why can’t he solve this problem? And more importantly what are the causes responsible for this global problem. Let us try to know more about this.
The first cause is the industrialization. The heavy machinery creates havoc for the environment. The chimneys produce toxic gases. The effluents or the hot waters from the industries go into the seas. They destroy the ecosystem of the marine life, which eventually disturb the ecological stability or balance of the environment. Moreover, the other wastes produced by the industries are dumped without any scientific watch. It also plays with the delicate ecosystems in our environment.
Delhi is a good example of this. The dumping site is as big as a mountain. It kills animals, human beings, spreads diseases, wastes energy, litters the landscape, etc. In our valley, we also witness the same situation. There is no planning on the part of the government to decompose the wastes in a scientific manner. In Israel, the majority of the wastes is decomposed in a scientific manner. But we can’t do it?
The second cause responsible for this is deforestation. Deforestation results in rain deficiency on the one hand and droughts on the other hand. It is being reported that a large part of the Amazon forests is cleared due to continuous felling of trees.
In our valley, the smugglers are hand in glove with the government in looting our precious resources. Every day we come across the news that smugglers were caught red-handed in various parts of the valley. It has given rise to the loss of the habitats for the wild animals. The end result is the human-wild conflict.
Recently, many wild animals were seen in the human habitations due to our greed and narrow-minded approach. Overall, the continuous felling of trees has brought a lot of harm to the environment. Trees keep the ecological balance of the environment. When they are cut ruthlessly, there are cent percent chances of environmental pollution.
The third cause responsible for this is the continuous rise in the plying of vehicles on the already narrow roads. Every day new vehicles appear on the already over congested roads. First, the roads are not so wide to drive comfortably. The result is that many lives are lost. The fuel used in the majority of vehicles is non-renewable. It means that it won’t last forever. Moreover, these vehicles produce toxic gases that disturb the environment on a large scale. Acid rain is a good example of this. Slowly and steadily, the ground is prepared for the environmental pollution.
The fourth cause responsible for this is the wastage of energy. The bulbs are on without any purpose. The taps drip throughout the day and night. The vehicles are washed with potable water. The engines of the vehicles are not stopped at red lights. Food is wasted on most of the functions. Mobile phones are on without any purpose. The televisions and radios are talking throughout the day and night without any listeners. Refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc., are on without any real purpose. There are many examples like this which suggest that there is some leniency on our part. In short, the above discussion has one thing in common that is all the things destroy the environment in one way or other.
The fifth and the last cause in my opinion is that we are unaware about the importance of the environment. We take things for granted. We don’t have such kind of a mindset that may help us to ponder over the diversities in the environment. We never bother to respect the endowments bestowed upon us by the Creator of the universe.
We come to senses only when it is too late. This approach of ungratefulness is very dangerous. It is necessary to have compassion towards the environment. It pays and will pay if we remain little bit diligent.
A lot of damage has been done. Now, there is need to carry out a mission….mission to get things back on track. We have to remain careful in not destroying the environment further. There is an urgent need of this mindset. We can’t be so complacent. Let us pledge that every person at his or her individual level, tries his or best to protect the environment.
KV Network
