Sahil Manzoor
Environment is a broad term; it needs a number of books to describe every single component of it. Briefly, the environment can be defined as our surroundings, like plants, trees, herbs, shrubs, birds, water bodies, soil, hills, mountains, and small water bodies like ponds and canals, etc. It means everything surrounding us is included in the environment. Our environment must be neat, clean, and free from all types of pollutants. Nature is kind; be kind to it. Nature bestows us unlimited blessings in different forms; it includes living as well as non-living things.
There are two main components of the environment: biotic and abiotic components.
Biotic components include all living things like plants, trees, animals, microorganisms, fish, grass, etc.
Abiotic components: it includes non-living things like water, soil, and air, which are abiotic components of the environment.
One thing that is quite awesome is that abiotic and biotic components are interrelated. Every micro- to macro-object in this universe is beneficial, and none is unwanted or harmful until any human interference takes place and disturbs nature.
Today, the whole world is concerned about the environment. Every year on the 5th of June, World Environment Day is observed. I think instead of celebration, we should observe, as there is nothing special that humanity has given to this environment. Humans are the main culprits who pollute the environment in different ways. I will mention this in this article at the end. World Environment Day can be brief, as’’ the United Assembly established World Environment Day in 1972, which was the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. World Environment Day is observed every year with a specific theme and slogan that reflect the environmental issues of that time. The theme of 2024 is land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.
How can our environment cause pollution?
Environmental pollution is caused by human interference and can occur naturally.
How the environment gets polluted naturally, due to intensive earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruption etc.
How humans can pollute the environment: Human play an immense role in polluting the environment, like the construction of giant buildings, roads, bridges, railway networks, etc. Where there is the presence of humans, there is pollution. Humans are not adopting and implementing scientific techniques to tackle environmental-related issues.
In my district, Budgam brick kilns are the main source of air pollution and cause desertification-like scenes. Villages like Panzan and Gutlibagh in the district of Budgam are looking deserted due to sterile land and dust. Brick kilns should be minimized, and alternatives should be found for the construction of buildings, houses, etc.
Types of pollution
Air pollution: the composition of the air consists of different gases like 78% nitrogen (N), 21% oxygen (O), 0.003% carbon dioxide, and CO2. The remaining gases are present in trace amounts in the air, like krypton, xenon, argon, etc. Air can be polluted due to harmful gases released from factories and vehicles. As we know today, transport is increasing rapidly. As we can consider the situation in Delhi during the winter, the air pollution makes the lives of people dreadful. The air should be pollution-free. Plantation drives are very important in cities along the roads. The government should provide fresh plants to residents annually during the peak season, or it should be mandatory for households to plant tees if they have available spaces in their lawns. Plants and trees play a great role in minimizing the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and providing us with fresh and healthy oxygen to survive.
Soil pollution: Every day we are experiencing new products on the market: packets with harmful polythene, plastic boxes, and chip wrappers. Solid waste is destroying the soil as it gets sterile, and harmful microorganisms are generated from unwanted solid waste in cities, towns, etc. Soil pollution can be minimized by keeping available garbage sheds in the village, and proper management should be taken into consideration.
Water pollution: water bodies are getting polluted due to household sewage, garbage, etc. and need the attention of vigilant individuals everywhere.
We have a number of pollutant-causing agents, and every pollution-causing agent should be taken into consideration and should be redressed on a priority basis.
Polythene is one of the major causes of soil pollution, and it stops the growth of plants as its presence under the soil stops the roots from getting important nutrients from beneath the soil. Polythene takes 700 years to decompose.
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