Industrial pollution and environmental degradation in IndiaKarishma Mili DhimanX

Industrial pollution Although industries contribute significantly to

India’s economic growth and development, the increase in pollution caused cannot be overlooked. Industries are responsible for these types of pollution:

a) Noiseb) Air c) Water d) Land e) Environmental degradation.

Noise pollution “unwanted sound.” Any type sound will be treated as unwanted due

to the following facts. Annoying / unpleasant Loud Distracting / Intrusive

Essentially noise pollution is the kind of pollution that is caused by several different audio sources that is causing the feel of irritation, distraction to our living environment.

This not pollution is not only disturbing the environment but it also produces harm to our mankind.

Industrial and construction activities, machinery, factory equipment, generators, saws and electric drills etc…

Air pollution Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of

chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural environment or built environment.

Pollutants: A substance in the air that can cause harm to humans and the environment is known as an air pollutant. Pollutants can be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases. In addition, they may be natural or man-made.

The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was passed in 1981 to regulate air pollution

The 2012 Environmental Performance Index ranked India as having the poorest relative air quality out of 132 countries.

Industries create a lot of air pollution as and when they manufacture things.

Water pollution Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies.

Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities.

Industries release their waste in rivers as they think that it is easy way to throw away their waste but at the same time they forget that it creates a fatal condition for many living things.

The Hindon River, which flows through the city of Ghaziabad, highly polluted and groundwater of this city has colored and poisoned by industrial effluents, Hindon Vahini is strongly opposing of water pollution activities.

Land pollution Land pollution, also part of environmental pollution has

become a major problem since the industrial age. Land pollution is the deterioration (destruction) of the

earth’s land surfaces, often directly or indirectly as a result of man’s activities and their misuse of land resources.

It occurs when waste is not disposed off properly, or can occur when humans throw chemicals unto the soil in the form of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers during agricultural practices. Exploitation of minerals (mining activities) has also contributed to the destruction of the earth’s surface.

For example, in open cast mining, huge holes are dug in the ground and these form dangerously deep mining pools. Heaps of mining waste are left behind and these waste often contain several poisonous substances that will contaminate the soil.

Environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the

environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable

Environmental degradation describes the erosion of the natural environment through the depletion of resources, the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of plant and animal species.

It is caused by direct or indirect human activity, and has increased significantly since the Industrial Revolution.

How to control environmental degradation? Every litre of waste water discharged by

our industry pollutes eight times the quantity of freshwater. How can the industrial pollution of freshwater be reduced? Some suggestion are-

i. Minimizing use water for processing by reusing and recycling it in two or morw successive stages

ii. Harvesting of rainwater to meet water requirements

The end