Our vedic scholars established the fact that the Nature is comprised of five elements viz: Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Antariksh(Space), Jal (Water), and Prithvi (Earth). All these five elements of the nature are regulated by certain rules to preserve their own characteristics for survival of living as well as non-living things in the environment. Ecology deals with all living creatures (plants and animals) and their healthy interaction among themselves along with non-living things which make essential part of the nature. But, human being started exploiting natural resources to make his materialistic life happy and enjoyable. This is obvious to say that anything created by nature is not waste and scrape. After the use by the living things, they considered to be waste is recycled in the nature and becomes useful for other creatures in different forms. But, the commodities made by the human being create waste which damage the lives of different living creatures and dump in the sea, space and/or on the earth. Such waste material do not support the laws of nature and ultimately starts damaging the ingredients of environment like water, air, soil, space, forest, rivers, seas. Proportionate dumping of such man-made wastage adversely affected the environment.
Pollution is the introduction or presence of contaminants that can have a damaging effect on the natural environment. The most two prominent forms of pollution are air and water pollution. Other forms are also existing such as sound, light, and soil pollution. Finally pollution is creating imbalance in the entire ecosystems.
Air pollution is one of the world’s largest health and environmental problems. Indoor air pollution is occurring due to burning of solid fuels such as firewood, crops, waste and dung which are being mostly used by the poor households for cooking and heating purposes. This is causing respiration problems. The WHO calls indoor air pollution “the world’s largest single environmental health risk’” The WHO puts 4.3 million deaths every year. Outdoor air pollution is also considered as world’s largest health and environmental problem due to industrialization and burning of fossil fuel oil and natural gas, and transition from low to middle income. This issue is responsible for 3.4 million deaths every year in the world.
Between 2030-50, climate change is expected to cause approximately 2,50,000 deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress alone. The direct damage costs to health is estimated to be between Rs. 1505 Cr. to Rs. 6020 Cr. (USD 2-4 billion) per year by 2030. Area with weak health infrastructure- mostly in developing countries- will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond WHO supports countries in building climate-resilient health systems and tracking national progress in protecting health from climate change.
Due to climate change, extreme weather events such as heat waves, storms and floods, the disruption of food system, increases in zoo noses and food, water and vector-borne diseases and mental illness are increasing every year. All these are causing increase in deaths and illness. 24% of total global deaths is taking place due to climate change.
The World Health Organization (WHO) target for air pollution is 0-10 µg/m³. IQ Air, which measures pollution in 109 countries around the globe, considers measurements above 35.5 to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, levels between 55.5 and 150.4 to be unhealthy for all, and anything higher is either very unhealthy (150.5-250.4) or hazardous (250.5 or higher). India with air pollution level at 51.90 is one among 10 top countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, magnolia, Afghanistan, Oman, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina) where air pollution is worst.
Water pollution is also a major threat of environment damage not in India but in the world too. It is because of agricultural runoff and unregulated small-scale industry. Most rivers, lakes and surface water in India are polluted due to industries; untreated sewage and solid wastes. India suffers from increased urbanization, unauthorized slums and the absence of pipe planning. In India, around 70% of waste water goes untreated and each day, more than 40 million liters of wastewater flows directly into India’s lakes, rivers and ocean. Eventually, contaminated water also enters the groundwater. Because of this, proper waste management and sewage pollution cannot occur, upsetting the irrigation system. The crops are not able to grow because of the infectious bacteria and disease in the water. Because of the poor infrastructure and absence of sewage control, 38 million Indians suffer from waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera and hepatitis every year. Over the last decade, the frequency of these illnesses remained at the same level.
Environment Management and Conservation have now become the most important global issue since 60 years. First conference on Environment was held on 5th June 1972 in Stockholm and discussed on 26 ecological issues in future including ozone layer depletion. This date was marked as Environment Day. Second conference on world climate was held in the year 1979 at Geneva to discuss the effect of climate change on the future of human society. The recent summit on climate change was held on 23rd September 2019 in New York to set goal on further climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the mean global temperature from rising by more than 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above preindustrial levels.
As responsible citizen we need to understand to take immediate suitable steps to protect environment and climate from further decay rather restoration of healthy one. Let us take pledge that we should be a part of movement to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food and energy-use choices. There is need to strengthen coordinating global efforts to promote healthy environments often through well established, cost-effective interventions. More research work are required to be carried out so that awareness on environment management and conservation could be generated in the society on how to establish relationship between environment and social-economic issues of human being. Environment workshops and forums may be formed for closer interaction among the people. Green technological development and modern management practices may focus on innovative and creative approach so that the community could be helped to understand the fragility of the environment and the importance of its protection for sustainable social and economic development. Projects may be designed and implemented with objective to involve common people on environmental issues.
