Contamination of land surface due to human activities leading to degradation of earth’s surface and misuse of soil leading to alteration in the composition of soil making it unfit for use can be termed as land and soil pollution.
All developmental activities of man in the recent past following erratic planning has lead to land misuse. Environmental factors effecting air, water, noise has also led to soil pollution. All the factors are interlinked and soil erosion due to deforestation ,floods, lack of insufficient rains is a major hazard.
Reclaiming lost land is proving to be a costly and time consuming affair.. With respect to land the adage prevention is better than cure holds good. Farmers are losing cultivable land to urbanization which in turn is leading to encroachments . Use of pesticides and insecticides to augment production and shelf life of agricultural produce is fuelling the change in soil character. oil dumps, landfills and industrial waste wreak havoc on soil. Releasing waste, not using proper disposable methods to contain contamination from sewage, household waste, hospital wastes are major concerns.
Soil pollution control boards implementing laws to govern all these aspects can see results only with public awareness and participation. So soil which is considered as the foundation of the ecosystem needs to be spared from pollution by proper regulatory methods to save the earth .
This earth and the entire creation are based upon balance. This balance is a very delicate balance. There are various cyclic processes going on this earth to maintain this balance. Once this balance gets disturbed or either of these natural cycles gets affected life of all the creatures on this earth is endangered. As we know, there is a carbon cycle through which input and output of carbon based products especially carbon dioxide is managed by nature and through natural means like plants. Then, there is a Nitrogen cycle through which balance of nitrogen in the soil is maintained. Finally, we have the water cycle in which the water of the sea and oceans gets evaporated, forms clouds and shower rains on rest of the earth and sustain lives of innumerable creatures including human beings. It is this water cycle that leads to monsoon in our country and leads to snowfall on the Himalayas also through which during the non-monsoon period also a large portion of this country gets water for drinking and other activities.
But, now all of these natural cycles are getting disturbed and it is feared soon major changes in the world climate may take place endangering the existence of all forms of life upon this earth. What is the cause behind all this? It is not a natural calamity but a man-made problem- called pollution. Change in the composition of various facets of nature like air, water, soil and many other things come under this category. The beginning of pollution can be traced back to the industrial revolution of the west when people started making use of non-natural products and methods to produce those products. Before that most of the things human beings used to use were natural but after the industrial revolution people started making use of non-natural products. Initially, people were ignorant about the affects which these processes could cast on environment. Later on, when some knowledge was obtained about their impact, people did not take that seriously and now when serious consequences have started showing their effects people are in a fix as to what should be done. Everyone is now looking for means to get rid of this devil of pollution.
Except the noise pollution, most other forms of pollution are due to chemicals or gases. Air pollution is due to uncontrolled discharge of various gases in the atmosphere which mars the composition of natural air. For controlling this, first this discharge should be immediately reduced. Second, those processes which lead to production of such gases should be banned and products during manufacturing of which such gases are spit out should be taxed heavily so that these products become economically unviable. Third, the limits for discharging gases and other products into air should be re-examined and modified to maintain air purity and to prevent damage to ozone layer. Besides, in order to have strict on different industries gas-sensors should be fixed on different places like chimneys and gas storage areas and they should be linked to an on-line surveillance system so that any violation of the limits is immediately brought to light and strict and corrective measures can be taken. Fourth, promotion should be given to so called “green” processes which are in tune with nature. One of the major sources of air pollution is the automobiles which consume hydrocarbons. To prevent pollution from automobiles already stricter measures like Euro-4 and Bharat-III have been introduced. Though pollution check on automobiles is also there when they come on road but its enforcement should be made compulsory and if an environment compliance certificate is not produced annually, a fine should be imposed automatically on the vehicle owner.
Next comes ways to prevent water pollution. For this, the evil should be nipped in the bud itself, instead of spending crores of rupees in cleaning the rivers effulgent should not be allowed to mix with water of river and sea. Industries should process the waste inside their site campus and all efforts should be made to minimize the waste. Moreover, waste should be turned into useful by-products also. For example, instead of disposing sewerage into rivers, proper sewerage treatment should be done and the waste should be used for production of bio-gas and bio-fertilizers. This is being carried out but it should be made compulsory for all the municipal corporations. Moreover, this process should be made cost-effective also. Certain plants which have the capability to clean water to some extent should also be planted.
Soil-Pollution is not quite evident but it has also started affecting our lives. Excessive use of fertilizers has led to degradation of nutrients in soil. This has also cast an affect on the yield and also on the quality of the food grains. Now people are conducting research on the effect of fertilizers assisted crops on human health. For preventing it, natural or organic manure should be used. This will also solve the problem of organic waste disposal. Instead of using synthetic pesticides, natural pesticides should be used. Not only these inorganic fertilizers and pesticides are directly harmful to human being but also they do indirect harm when mixed with water.
Pollution to mother earth is happening in various levels due to several elements in a rapid pace. Air, water,noise and soil and land pollution being the major factors which are contributing to global warming ,ozone layer depletion, acid rains, famines, droughts, scarcity of fuel, firewood, and fodder. In addition to these factors are the hazardous chemicals, radiation effects caused due to rapid and unplanned urbanization and industrialization. Land degradation and deforestation add to the already existing woes. Population and poverty have been impediments that need to be addressed in developing countries.
40 years ago April 22nd was declared as earth day to save earth from further perils. Its main aim was to inspire awareness and instill a feeling of appreciation towards ones resourses on earth. Conservation of all our natural resourses started gaining importance .Today the three R’s that is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is being highlighted everywhere from primary schools to higher educational institutions. Many ngo’s ,corporations, corporates are holding awareness programs, projects and offering their services wherever and whenever required.
Importance of public participation to bring about change in outlook and to implement small changes in ways of living at local, national and international levels are being stressed.
Finally all the various aspects of pollution like air, water, noise or soil have to be individually handled by state and central authorities in a strict and defined timely manner to save the earth.
