G.L Khajuria
Air is a free gift of nature to the humankind. It is an elixir of our survival and next follows water on that too in the purest form. But both these elixirs 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 also generated other pollutants such as H2S, SO2, ammonia, oxides of nitrogen, Hydrocarbons and other toxic substance including ozone, lead and fluorides, besides, all such pollutants and odious gasses emit foul smells which aggravate the air pollution. The obnoxious 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 provide a plethora of multihued diseases such as Respiratory Tract Infections (RTI) asthama and so many their allied.
The quality of air prevailing over Indian subcontinent and even across the globe has unambiguously been disgusting and decorating. The basic reason 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 industrial action coupled with ever escalating motor vehicles especially of poorly maintained vehicles with loaded fuel. The various pollutants as have been observed by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) New Delhi 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 benign of harvested crops of Punjab, Haryana and most of the other states whose impact has spread far and wide giving birth to a multihued respiratory 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 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 indoors in view of exigency that come outside with mask of various dimension.
The scenario has reached such moments 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 closes to standstill and the daily bread earners are high and dry.
As a consequence, 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 owe the responsible for such as 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 in sight.
The law enforcing authorities at the helm are helpless and are in a way failed to seek ways and means to ward of 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 analyze undo cumentable lives. Make Delhi and its adjoining areas smog free.
(The author is Former Dy. Conservator of Forest, J&K)