G L Khajuria
Air is a free gift of nature to the humankind. It is an elexier of our survival and next follows water and that too in the purest form. But both these lixers are sadly facing serious onslaught and the crises on both these fronts is worldwide looming large whereby putting life system to multihued hazards. The quality of air as well as of water becomes a matter of utmost importance in the presently prevailing scenario. It is a sad commentary that both these components are going to be degraded as a result of the pursuit of developmental processes. According to world health organization (WHO), air pollution can be described as substances put into the air by the activities of mankind. The main causes of pollution are automobiles, thermal power plants, agriculture, industries, quarrying and other multihued natural processes. During the process of combustion of fossil fuels, many oxides of carbon and there particulates are generated. Apart from various industries which generate other pollutants such as H2S, SO2, ammonia, oxides of nitrogen, Hydrocarbons and other toxic substance including ozone, lead and fluorides, All such pollutants and noxious gasses emit foul smells which aggravate the air pollution. The abnoxious emissions from various paper, leather industries similarly join the fray and give impetus to the already escalating pollution.
All these pollutants in a combined amalgamation which provide a plethoea of multihued diseases such as respiratory track infections (RTI) asthama and so many of their allied. The quality of air prevailing over Indian subcontinent and even across the globe has unambiguously been disgusting and discouraging. The basic reasons are obviously industrialization understandable to all environmentalists, policy planners and other stake holders. And now of recent smog which has very badly gripped the capital is the alarming challenge to the inhabiting Delhites and to those in and around the capital city. Here again, the industrialization coupled with ever eselating motor vehicles especially of poorly maintained vehicles with leaded fuel.
The various pollutients as have been observed by national environmental engineering research institute (NEERI), Nowdelhi is with dismal revelation with red signal to one and all inhaling the polluted air. All this brewing scenario has further been aggravated emanating from the burning of harvested crops of Punjab, Haryana and most of the other states whose impact has spreaded far and wide giving birth to a multihued respiratory dis eases to the extent of death. Though the apex Court has issued categorical orders to put a blanket over such obnoxious emissions of haze emanating from the burning of harvested crops. Even the state government have on their own passed strict orders to shutdown this hazardous practice which all in their manifestation putting the human as also of other bioforms on the brink of annihilation . the prominent politicians, environmentalists and policy planners are to take a big stride in combating the hazard engulfing humankind.
Earlier also such smog and haze has had gripped the capital and created a similar sort of situation. Now, the people are with the only option either to stay indoor and in view of exigency they come outside with mask of various dimension.
The scenario has reached such extent that the school going children and kids have been forced to remain indoor. This has therefore, an adverse impact on educational front. even the business front has closed to standstill and the daily bread earners are high and dry. As a consequences, it is to say that the daily life routines have suffered a big Jolt. After all who owns the responsibility, with oozing confidence, one can very conveniently and safely assume that man is the responsible for such an alarming impact on all sort of polluted air coupled with presently prevailing scenario and of haze and smog. How this polluted air with obnoxious gasses is to be plugged or averted is the biggest question of the day for which no easy solution is in sight.
The law enforcing authorities at the helm are helpless and are in a way failed to seek ways and means to ward off this health hazard. The only solution, therefore lies in general awareness and public sensitilization particularly, the farmers around the capital who are burning the left overs of harvested crops which is breading ground off shooting the obnoxious gasses in multihued forms whether we nomenclaturised it haze or smog.
And these obnoxious gases are giving birth to various respiratory diseases to the extent of asthama. It is therefore the ripe time to adopt all the possible measures by one and all to avert this malice before it engulfs our lives. Make Delhi and its adjoining areas smog free.
(The author is former Deputy Conservator of Forest).
