Hyderabad: Every year National Pollution Control Day is observed on December 2 to instil awareness among people about environmental pollution and its disastrous consequences in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas tragedy when the deadly gas methyl isocyanate leaked out of the Union Carbide plant in the intervening night of December 2-3 in 1984.
The effects of that disaster are felt even now after more than 35 years. More than five lakh people got exposed to the toxic gases and at least 4,000 were killed in the following days. Thousands more died due to the effects of the gas leak in subsequent years. The survivors have increased rates of cancer and birth defects, and suffer from a compromised immune system.
National Pollution day 2021
This year the theme for National Pollution Control Day 2021 will be to make people aware of the things that we can do in order to prevent pollution and control the pollution of the world, that is making this earth dirty every day.
Significance
The main objectives of the day are to spread awareness on managing and controlling industrial disasters, prevent the pollution produced by industrial processes or human negligence, to make people and industries aware of the importance of pollution control acts. The day also aims to bring awareness to people about the prevention of air, soil, noise, and water pollution. As many as 9 Indian cities are on the list of 10 most polluted cities in the world, with levels of Particulate Matter (PM) exceeding 200 in some places. The day aims to bring awareness to people about the prevention of air, soil, noise, and water pollution. The National Health Portal of India data reveals that around 7 million people die every year due to air pollution. The data also reveals that nine out of ten people globally do not have access to clean and safe air.
Over the past few years, the discussion on matters of pollution, particularly air pollution, has gained prominence. Every winter, scenes of the national capital Delhi and other big Indian cities wrapped in a thick blanket of smog flash on TV screens and newspapers. Dust, industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust gasses bring a sharp spike in air pollution levels. A lack of resources means local authorities cannot effectively clamp down on illegal industries and strictly enforce emission norms.
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In India, long-term exposure to outdoor and household air pollution contributed to over 1.67 million annual deaths, across all age groups, from stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases and neonatal diseases in India in 2019, according to a State of Global Air 2020 report.
The Coronavirus pandemic has worsened the situation. Evidence suggests that people with heart and lung conditions are vulnerable to a more severe form of Covid-19. Hence there is a growing concern that exposure to high levels of air pollution during the winter months could exacerbate the effects of Covid-19.
Combating pollution
The advancements made in the technology of pollution monitoring can be used to keep a tab on industrial units for emissions and effluents discharged into the environment. Targeted action through the use of data can be done to check industrial emissions. Better enforcement of environmental laws is needed to ensure no repeat of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
A robust push towards cleaner and greener technology in the fields of mobility, electricity generation and consumption, water supply, industrial manufacturing, etc. is another step in combating pollution.
National Pollution Control Day can be counted as an occasion for policymakers and the public to discuss the issue at large and explore new ideas in the fight against pollution.
Central Pollution Control Board
To combat pollution in the nation, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was constituted in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It provides technical guidance to the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India.
Functions
To promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution.
To improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.
World Bank Report
According to a report published by World Bank in August 2021, all of India’s 1.4 billion people (100% of the country’s population) are exposed to unhealthy levels of ambient PM 2.5 –the most harmful pollutant - emanating from multiple sources.
The health impacts of pollution also represent a heavy cost to the economy. Lost labour income due to fatal illness from PM 2.5 pollution in 2017 was in the range of $30-78 billion, equal in magnitude to about 0.3-0.9 per cent of the country’s GDP. The Government of India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is a powerful step in acknowledging and resolving the problem of deteriorating ambient air quality.
The World Bank program is introducing tools to support state and regional air quality management approaches. These initiatives will help formulate India’s first State Air Quality Action Plan and India’s first large Airshed Action Plan for the Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP), spanning seven union territories and states.
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World Air Quality Report 2021
According to the report, Bangladesh, China, India, and Pakistan share 49 of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide. India ranks third in the World ranking while India's capital Delhi ranks first in the World Capital city ranking. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh generally experience the worst air quality in this region, with 32%, 67%, and 80% of cities averaging a US AQI measurement of “Unhealthy” respectively.
Challenges
Despite widespread air quality improvements during 2019 and 2020, air pollution in India is still dangerously high. India continues to dominate annual PM2.5 rankings by city – 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities globally are located in India. Major sources of India’s air pollution include transportation, biomass burning for cooking, electricity generation, industry, construction, waste burning, and episodic agricultural burning. Transportation constitutes one of India’s leading PM2.5 emission sources, responsible for emitting pollutants and resuspending road dust.
