News Highlights
The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, published Lancet report in The Lancet Planetary Health shows unchanged data about pollution.
Findings of Report
- Pollution caused nearly nine million deaths in 2019, or about one in six deaths worldwide. This number has remained effectively unchanged since the previous such analysis in 2015.
- Though the number of deaths from pollution sources associated with extreme poverty (such as indoor air pollution and water pollution) fell, these reductions are offset by increased deaths attributable to industrial pollution (such as ambient air pollution and chemical pollution).
- Focus on India
- A report by The Lancet in 2019 said that noxious air killed 1.67 million Indians in 2019, or 18% of all fatalities.
- Impacts of Pollution
- The health impacts of pollution remain enormous, and low- and middle-income countries bear the brunt of this burden. Despite its enormous health, social and economic impacts, pollution prevention is largely overlooked in the international development agenda.
- Recommendation Made by Report
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-style science/policy panel on pollution
- Increased funding for pollution control from governments and donors,
- Improved pollution monitoring
- Data collection
What is Pollution?
- The introduction of dangerous items into the ecosystem is known as pollution.
What are Pollutants?
- Pollutants are the term for these dangerous compounds. Pollutants can come from the environment, such as volcanic ash.
- They can also be caused by human activities, such as garbage or factory runoff. Pollutants degrade air, water, and land quality.
Major Pollution Prevalent
- Air Pollution
- Air pollution is defined as the presence of pollutants in the atmosphere that are harmful to human and other living beings’ health, as well as to the environment and materials.
- Gases (such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane, carbon dioxide, and chlorofluorocarbons), particles (both organic and inorganic), and living molecules are all examples of air pollution.
- Sources
- Burning of Fossil Fuels
- Agriculture and Allied Sources – Stubble burning
- Natural Sources – Dust storms
- Energy Sector – thermal power plant
- Effects
- Effects of Air Pollution On The Environment – Reduce crop yield , acid rain and accelerate global warming.
- Effect on humans – Birth defects , cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory impacts.
- Government Initiatives to Combat Air Pollution
- National Ambient Air Quality Standards – They are standards for air quality that are set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that are applicable all over the country.
- Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981– An Act to provide for the prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution, the establishing of Boards to carry out the aforesaid purposes, the conferring and assigning of powers and functions to such Boards, and other issues related thereto.
- National Air Quality Index (AQI) – Air Quality is measured using a metric called Air Quality Index (AQI). AQI will display the changes in air pollution in the atmosphere.
- National Clean Air Programme – It aims to reduce coarse (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometre or less, or PM10) and fine (particulate matter having a diameter of 2.5 micrometre or less, or PM2.5) particle concentrations by at least 20% in the following five years, using 2017 as a baseline.
- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) – The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a government-run organisation in charge of air and water quality monitoring, as well as any other pollution-related issues.
- Global Initiative
- Climate and Clean Air Coalition – It is a voluntary alliance of governments, multilateral organisations, corporations, scientific institutions, and civil society organisations dedicated to reducing short-lived climate pollutants and improving air quality. The coalition includes India as a member.
- Water Pollution
- Water pollution is defined as “the addition or presence of undesirable substances to/in water, such as organic, inorganic, biological, radiological, or thermal contaminants, which deteriorate the quality of water to the point where it is unfit for use.”
- Sources of Water Pollution –
- Sewage water
- Industrial wastes,
- Agricultural sources,
- Thermal and radiation pollution,
- Invasive species,
- Subsurface water pollution.
- Effects of Water Pollution –
- Destruction of biodiversity
- Contamination of the food chain,
- Lack of potable water
- Disease
- Infant mortality
- Government Efforts to Counter Water Pollution
- National River Rejuvenation Mechanism
- National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) – It is a programme by the Indian government to reduce river Ganga pollution by offering financial and technical help.
- National Water Policy (2012)
Way Forward
- As the report stated various forms of pollution are silent killers so concerned authorities and people should join hands to counter pollution by effective utilization of resources.
Content Source : The Hindu