[Points: What is pollution—reasons behind pollution-pollution in atmosphere, water, food, and in agricultural products—nuclear pollution—danger to mankind—conclusion.]
Any abnormal change in chemical, physical and biological charac teristics of environment is called pollution. At present our civilization is getting polluted every moment. This is causing extensive damage to all sorts of life on earth. This damaging effect is now so extensive and increasing at such a rapid pace that, apart from politics, pollution is now the most widely discussed topic of the world today.
Environmental pollution is a direct consequence of industrial progress. It is more pronounced in large industrial belts. In these areas the air is getting polluted by the exhausts of automobiles, furnaces, industrial shoot, etc. Again there are other factors like decomposition of garbage and other refuse, which makes atmosphere heavy.
Indiscriminate burning of all sorts of conventional and uncon ventional fuels, and last but no least, random destruction of plant population are responsible for large accumulation of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other fumes in the air. These cause great damage to the health of .iving creatures. According to one survey, the residents of large industrial cities like Birmingham, Hongkong, Manchester, Calcutta, Chicago, etc. are subjected to bronchial injuries equivalent to smoking twenty cigarettes a day. In winter, the smoke cannot move quickly. It descends and causes burning sensation in eyes and also damages lungs, etc. In fact, these cities are choking-to death with their own fumes.
With the develop. nt of industries, large amount of municipal and industrial wastes are poured into rivers, lakes and bays, contaminat ing them with highly toxic chemicals resulting in death of marine lives. Polluted water is also dangerous to agricultural products. Even the sea is not free from pollution. Emissions from oil refineries float as sticky oily substance running over hundreds of miles in the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean destroying marine lives and even coastal vege tation where it strikes.
The latest addition to environmental pollution comes from nuclear explosions. Nuclear explosions and radio active wastes pollute the atmosphere to an extent beyond imagination.
So, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we take are not always absolutely pure or healthy. The price of pollution could be the death of mankind. Technically advanced countries have already taken steps to face the gravity of the situation. London, Paris, the Ruhr districts of W. Germany are now relatively free from the note rious smog; a combination of smoke and fog. The authorities has forced the citizens to use smokeless fuel. Effluent treatment of water is a must before its discharge in rivers or lakes. Scientists are now taking steps to isolate and destroy radio active elements which are a real danger to mankind.
To create ecological balance new plantations are on the way. Sensing danger, the United Nations Environmental Programme is sponsoring 5th June of every car as the World Environmental Day to evolve fruitful possibilities of International collaboration for this global problem. Seminars are being held regularly all over the world to apprise the people of the impending danger to mankind. We must follow the guidelines to create a better environment and save life on this beautiful planet.
