Everything around and above us makes our environment. It
comprises soils, tree, forests, hills, water, air, human, beings, animals,
birds and other small living things, etc. All maintain ecological balance.
Healthy and fine environment is essential for the existence of all living
things. But the balance is seriously disturbed because of human activities
chiefly. And environmental pollution now-a days is growing into a global
problem. Developed and developing countries are very much concerned about it.
So is NUO. Environmental imbalance occurs in two ways - natural process and
human activities. We have nothing to do with natural occurrences like
earthquakes, sea salt spray, forest fire and volcano. It is true, of course,
that technological at the present time may help us to check them.
The following are the contaminated areas we can do many things.
Air is polluted by poisonous gases which emit from the industries, water borne
transports and road transports. We import lead mixed fuel, our old engines
cannot exhaust fuel properly. According to environment Ministry (2001) air
pollution causes 1500 deaths and loss of about $15000 every year. And our
children are the most vulnerable group of air pollution including the lead
pollution. Many of our vehicles and brick fields give out black smock which
contain CFC, carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. It is largely controlled
in the capital but the brick field owners are not following the directives to
use coal instead of wood. Industrial revolution, which caused the world to move
faster towards industrialization, has not been an unmixed blessing. More
industries need more land, produced more smoke and more wastes which in turn
contaminate air and water more and more. Nuclear explosion/tests/warfare pollute
the air as well. developed and developing countries have come forward to tackle
the problem. USA Bangladesh Asia (UNO Weather Agency,
July, 2007). Global warming is due to Greenhouse effect. The increase of carbon
dioxide gas which contributes almost half of the global warming, sulfur dioxide
gas and CFC in the environment cause the GHGS. It is feared that temperature
will increase 3-4% over 50 years. Then, the low land will be under water by
melting icecap. It is also apprehended that the low lying areas of Bangladesh Maldives
This kind of environmental pollution can be avoided by using the
filters in the industries and in the vehicles. The filters away the unwanted
and harmful particles. Industrial laws should be made for all factories and
industries. Plying of transports, road or water borne is needed to be checked
and strictly controlled by the Government. Wide spread plantation of trees in
the country is the best way of keeping the air pure and healthy. We may use
natural power like wind, water, sunlight and heat. We have to make windmill,
water turbine, solar cell, solar ponds to keep air free from pollution.
Government is planning to convert all petrol driven vehicles into CNG
(Compressed Natural Gas) driven. It is also endeavoring to halt the use of two
stroke engines as per call of the World Bank to check urban air pollution. Air
quality monitoring stations, a common practice in many countries including India
Water pollution is the second sphere. it is being made impure
besides bad smell, by excreta from near the river or ponds and unfixed places
where bowls are cleared. Such wastes from water borne transports make water
dirty. Chemical, poisonous or nuclear wastes or wastes from industries and
tanneries too pollute water. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides used by
farmers are washed away by rainfall and floods over the fields, into the
rivers, canals and ponds cause water and soil contamination. Arsenic poisoning
is polluting the underground water. It causes skin pigmentation, destruction of
bones and teeth. Chemicals and oils from ship hamper the normal living and
growth of fishes in the water. We should use surface water in place of ground
water. Kachcha latrines should be replaced by pakka ones far away from water.
Arrangement is necessry to remove toxic wastes in a planned way. Chittagong
Port Authority (CPA) reduced, to a great extent, the discharge of pollutants by
strong surveillance and continuous drive.
The CPA also penalized till 2002 fifty foreign vessels for air
and water pollution in Chittagong 31 May 2010 . Govt's survey
accordingly identified 5165 grabbers, 14041 structures causing poor navigation
and unabated pollution.
Soil pollution is the next very dangerous happening. For it
affects adversely food and plantation. In-discriminant use of chemical
fertilizers, and pesticides makes our land lose its normal fertility. Radiation
from them is transferred to man animals eating food and grass from the fields.
Farmers need to find a use for biogas or green fertilizers like cow dung and
other decomposed plants. The minimum utilization of them is avoided and
industries on the banks or rivers like Karnaphuli, Buriganga, Sitalakhya
pollution the river - waqters with there huge quantity of industrial wastes
should set up effluent treatment plant to keep river waters free from
contamination. govt's directives must be enforced strictly as only 20% (2007)
of 40,000 industries and factories on the banks of Karnophuli have followed the
directives.
Slums, garbage and filth contaminate soil and ground water too.
Plants cannot take easily their food nutrient when polyethene or plastic is put
under the soil. Production of such, synthetic materials is necessary to be
regulated. Recently it is almost entirely controlled in the capital. And jute
may be used for such products. Plan removal of garbage and rehabilitation of slum.
There is another situation that is needed to be under control.
The use of high pitch horns of bus, truck and other vehicles, of loud speakers
by the shopkeepers, canvassers or in meetings and rallies, the sound from the
reckless movements of heavy transports, from the industries, construction
works, cassette players demonstrate the heavy pressure to the hearing of the
city dwellers and their living condition in urban areas. Experts hold the view
that the tolerable limit of human being for sound is 45 decibel. So it calls
for regulation. The withdrawal of two-stroke auto rickshaw in the capital from
January 2003 has decreased slightly noise pollution. Still other sources of
noise pollution are very much annoying. A study of early 2004, reveals that 97%
of school students in the city cannot concentrate fully on their studies.
Our attention is required for taking urgent measures in respect
of population, urbanization and deforestation. Owing to large world population
say about 600 crore there are much urbanization, industrialization, etc.
Deforestation and desertification are among many consequences which have
disturbed seriously the ecological balance of our environment. Our country is
small but its population is huge. We have taken population control measures
countrywide, We have 9% of forests in contrast to the required 25% forests of
our total land. So widespread plantation is essential. We have started holding
plantation day/week to make it a social movement. We have made laws to stop
killing or hunting animals or birds. Our Sundarbans have been declared by the
UNO as the World Heritage Site.
The UNO's concern is amply shown when it declared 5th June as
World Environment Day. "Our world our future" was the motto of 5th June, 1999 . Under the auspices of the UNO, developed and
developing countries met in Rio De Janeiro Montreal , Canada
As pollution of environment has become a serious global concern,
we all should make all-out efforts to keep our environment safe from pollution.
We should keep in mind that environment pollution is mainly man-made and we are
to remedy it. We all are, therefore, to be made conscious of the problem. We
are observing World Environment Day (5th June) every year. Electronic and press
media can play a vital role in this regard. We also observe "International
Earth Day" on 23rd April, as a wake-up call to preserve and protect our
forests, wild life, rivers and wetlands for maintaining the bounty and
environmental balance of the earth.
