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Educational Quest: An Int. J. of Education and Applied Social Science: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 171-178, April 2017
DOI: 10.5958/2230-7311.2017.00025.3
©2017 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved
Environmental Pollution: Problems, Concerns and Initiatives
in the Context of Global Scenario with Special Reference to
India
Arpita Sarkar
Assistant Teacher in Education, Debinagar Promoda Sundari Balika Vidyapith (H.S), Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal, India
Corresponding author: arpisarkar09@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Pollution affects not only the human health but also affects on environment. National development is also
disrupted by the effect of environmental pollution. About one million people die each year because of
water pollution and this is still largely because of traditional form of pollution which results from human
dirt. It is estimated that at least 1 lakh people die each year from urban air pollution. Thus, at least one
million or more will continue to die from pollution each year in India. This figure will rise to probably
2-3 million in a year with increasing the number of population. India takes some valuable steps to control
the pollution. Some NGO are playing very crucial role in order to reduce the environmental pollution.
s
Along with these, few Educational institutions also have taken an important place through ensuring
various programmes in the field of reducing environmental pollution. The present paper attempts to
address the problems which originated due to the environmental pollution and also tries to focus on the
role of educational institutions, NGOs and government in order to control this problem.
Keywords: Environment, environmental pollution, national development, role of educational institutions,
NGOs and government
Now-a-days most of the countries give importance laws to not only regulate various types of pollution
in healthy living. Because of recently our human life but also the laws to mitigate the adverse effects of
has become full of stress, anxiety and depression. pollution. To keep the environment safe and healthy
Industrial activities, rapid growth of urbanization we should have to control the pollution levels every
and modernization affect the human life very time. Without proper pollution control mechanism,
badly. Due to this fact, human life faces various environment will become very unhealthy for
incurable diseases. If we analyze main basis of us as well as every living being in near future.
this problem sincerely we can find that ecosystem Preventing the emergence of pollutants into some
of the environment has greatly damaged due to environment is the best way to protect environment
the pollution. In single words many harmful or from pollution.
poisonous substance change the natural environment Objectives of the Study
or polluted the environment. Environmental
pollution is one of the biggest problems of the (i) To identify the bad effects of environmental
world facing today. It is an issue that troubles us pollution on human health and environment.
economically, physically and our everyday lives. (ii) To find out the role of NGOs to control the
Air and water pollution can cause death of many environmental pollution.
organisms in given ecosystem, including human
being. (iii) To identify the year wise establishment of
Many developed countries have introduced certain NGOs in India and West Bengal.
Sarkar
(iv) To highlight the different government plans The most appropriate definition of environment
and policies to control the environmental pollution would be the introduction of different
pollution in India. harmful pollutants into certain environment
(v) To find out exchequer of country on public that make this environment unhealthy, uneasy,
fund to reduce the bad effect of environmental unpleasant place to live in. The common pollutants
pollution. are usually chemicals, garbage, toxic and hazardous
waste disposal, bad odour, haze, sewage, waste
(vi) To identify the role of educational institution water etc. Actually, it is because of the natural
for the improvement of healthy environment. environment durability in the ecosystems are being
(vii) To list out the existing programmes for disturbed.
checking the environmental pollution in List of few Polluted Countries in the World
India. Environmental pollution is happening in many
Ecosystem parts of the world, especially in form of air, sound
and water pollution. The best example for air
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms pollution is some of China’s cities, including capital
in conjunction with the nonliving components of Beijing, and the best example for water pollution
their environment (things like air, water and mineral is India with its Ganges river pollution problem.
soil), interacting as a system. These biotic and Germany is the best example for sound pollution
abiotic components are regarded as linked together with its aircraft and traffic.
through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Table 1: Shows the name of some countries which are
Environment the best example of different type of pollutions (air,
water, sound, soil, etc.)
The sum total of all surroundings or conditions of a
living organism like a person, animal or plant lives Name of the Country Type of Pollution
or operates that is called environment. China Air
Pollution India Water
Germany Sound
The presence in or introduction into the environment China Soil
of a substance which has harmful or poisonous United State Thermal
effects is called pollution. In another word *Pollution Los Angeles Smog
is the introduction of contaminants into the natural Source: https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/smog and https//
environment that cause adverse change (Merriam- en.m.wikipedia.org>wiki>Thermal….
Webster Online Dictionary, 2010).
The word “Pollution” in dictionaries define as Table 2: Shows the 10 Most Polluted Cities in the
contamination; desecration; dirtying, soiling; World
spoiling, destruction. Contamination material can be Sl. No. Name of the Cities
explained as a component located where is naturally 1 Ahvaz Iran
it should not been there or its concentration is
higher than normal concentrations. Moreover, it 2 Ulan Bator, Mongalia
would have adverse and harmful effects on living 3 Sanandaj, Iran
organisms (Erfanmanesh, 2000). 4 Ludhiana, India; Quetta, Pakistan
Environmental Pollution 5 Kermanshah, Iran
6 Peshawar, Pakistan
The European Commission has defined pollution as- 7 Gaborone, Botswana
“The discharge by man of substance or energy into the 8 Yasuj, Iran
environment, the results which are such as to cause 9 Kanpur, India
hazards to human health, harm to living resources and to 10 Lahore, Pakistan
ecosystems, damage to amenities or interference with other
legitimate uses of natural resources” (Harrison, 1990). Source: www.wonderslists.com>10 –most-polluted
Print ISSN: 0976-7258 172 Online ISSN: 2230-7311
Environmental Pollution: Problems, Concerns and Initiatives in the Context of Global Scenario...
Globally speaking problem of environmental Light Light trespass, over-illumination,
pollution is much bigger than we think it is, even astronomical interference
in many our cities these are problems with dirty air, Noise Roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial
or sound pollution from traffic and different other noise, high-intensity sonar
disturbing noises. The most severe environmental Soil Hydrocarbons, heavy metal, MTBE,
pollution is happening in developing countries of herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated
the third world because not only to they lack any hydrocarbons
form of sustainable management but also lack even Radioactive Nuclear power generation and nuclear
the basic sanitation so you can imagine how bad weapons research, manufacture and
is the environmental condition in these countries. deployment
Pollution Effect on Eco-system Thermal Use of water as coolant in a power plant
Pollution of the environment is causing great Visual Overhead power lines, motorway
damage to ecosystem that depends upon the health billboards, scarred landforms (as from
of this environment. Air and water pollution can strip mining), open storage of trash,
cause death of many organisms in given ecosystem, municipal solid waste or space debris
including humans. Water pollution according to Water Wastewater from commercial, industrial
some estimates cause 14000 deaths each day in waste into surface waters, discharges of
the world, most of them in India. This is really no untreated domestic sewage, chemical
surprise when you look at the data that says that fertilizers, pesticides, waste disposal,
700 million Indians do not even have access to a leaching into groundwater, eutrophication,
proper toilet, whether alone clean water. littering
Background and Perspective of Environmental Plastic Accumulation of plastic products
Pollution Source: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/pollution
Pollution has always accompanied civilizations. How Environmental Pollution Effects on
Pollutions take a place in environment in prehistoric Human Health & Environment
times when man created the first fires. According to
a 1983 article in the journal Science, “stoop’’ found A. Effects on Human Health
on ceiling of prehistoric caves which provide a
spacious evidence of the high levels of pollution I. Effects of Air Pollution in Human Health
that was associated with inadequate ventilation
of open fires. In the prehistoric time the pollution (i) Reduced lung functioning
was comparatively small and could be handled by (ii) Irritation of eyes, nose, mouth and throat
nature (Spengler and Sexton, 1983). (iii) Asthma attacks, chest pain
Forms of Environmental Pollution (iv) Respiratory symptoms such as coughing, and
Environmental pollution refers to the introduction wheezing
of harmful pollutants into the environment. The (v) Increased respiratory disease such as
major types of environmental pollution are air bronchitis
pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, thermal (vi) Reduced energy levels
pollution, soil pollution and light pollution (On (vii) Headaches and dizziness
February 5, 2014 By Ankita Mitra Category : Blog, (viii) Disruption of endocrine, reproductive and
Environment). immune systems
Table 3: Shows the Major Forms of Pollution are (ix) Neurobehavioral disorders
listed below along with the Particular Contaminant (x) Cardiovascular problems
Relevant to Each of Them (xi) Premature death
Forms of Contaminants II. Effects of Water Pollution in Human Health
Pollution
Air Carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, (i) Typhoid, Amoebiasis, Giardiasi, Ascariasis,
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrogen Hookworm, Rashes, Earache, Pinkeye
oxides.
Print ISSN: 0976-7258 173 Online ISSN: 2230-7311
Sarkar
(ii) Respiratory infections Ozone can also decay plant cells directly by
(iii) Hepatitis, encephalitis, gastroenteritis, entering stomata.
diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach aches. Water pollution disrupt photosynthesis in
(iv) Cancer, incl. prostate cancer, and non- aquatic plants and thus affecting ecosystems.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Plant kills by herbicides in water.
(v) Hormonal problems that can disrupt Carbon dioxide emissions cause ocean
reproductive and developmental processes acidification, the ongoing decrease in the pH
of the Earth’s oceans as CO becomes dissolved.
(vi) Damage to the nervous system 2
(vii) Liver and kidney damage The emission of greenhouse gases leads to
(viii) Damage to the DNA global warming which affects ecosystems in
many ways.
III. Effects of Soil Pollution in Human Health Nitrogen oxides are removed from the air by
(i) Causes cancers including leukaemia rain and fertilise land which can change the
species composition of ecosystems.
(ii) Hazardous for young children causing, Smog and haze can reduce the amount of
developmental damage to the brain sunlight received by plants to carry out
(iii) Mercury can increase the risk of kidney photosynthesis and leads to the production
damage; cyclodiens can lead to liver toxicity. of tropospheric ozone which damages plants.
(iv) Causes neuromuscular blockage as well as Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for
depression of the central nervous system plants. This will affect other organism in the
(v) Also causes headaches, nausea, fatigue, eye food web.
irritation and skin rashes. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause
IV. Effects of Noise Pollution in Human Health acid rain which lowers the pH value of soil.
(i) Induces hearing loss Expenditure on controlling the Damage
(ii) High blood pressure Caused by Environmental Pollution
(iii) Stress Economic Cost
(iv) Sleep disturbance 1. A World Bank study shows that welfare costs
Lead and other heavy metals have been shown and lost labour income due to air pollution
to cause neurological problems. Chemical and amounted to 8.5% of India’s GDP in 2013, it
radioactive substances can cancer and as well as further aggravate poverty.
birth defects. 2. Total welfare losses between 1990 and
B. Effects on Environment 2013 because of premature deaths from air
pollution increased by 94%. We are second
Excessive ultraviolet radiation cause skin cancer in world after China it cost 7.69% of its gross
in wildlife. domestic product (GDP), in 2013.
Ozone in the lower atmosphere damage lung 3. The productive part of the population that
tissues of animals, prevent plant respiration by gets impacted from air pollution in cities,
blocking stomata. hence loss in working hours.
Acid rain destroys fish life in lakes and streams, 4. Burden on our health sector which is already
kills trees, and destroys the leaves of plants. in dire need to fund as presently India is
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)cause spending to 1.16% of GDP on health.
declines, deformities and death of fish life. 5. Big loss to company if any person with high
Too much sodium chloride in water may kill post died because of air pollution.
animals, plants.
Print ISSN: 0976-7258 174 Online ISSN: 2230-7311
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