Class 12 student suggests measures to reduce pollution

Here are are some ways to combat pollution in and around Delhi. (source: PTI)

Maintaining a clean and green environment is vital in any nation. Measures recommended by the Central Pollution Control Board must be adhered to, else citizens will suffer the consequences or will be required to find effective solutions to combat the same.

With the increasing pollution levels causing Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to be blinded by thick smog, the urgency to find solutions has increased. Here are are some ways to combat pollution in and around Delhi.

Waste Treatment:

The regular fires in the landfills in and around Delhi, particularly in Bhalswa landfill, is the most concerning issue. Besides contributing to the rise in air pollution, it has also affected people’s health drastically. Despite living in the outskirts of Bulandshahr— a place quite far from Delhi or Noida— I can now feel how pollution is affecting me. It gives me a constant headache and I have irritation in my eyes.

The government should establish waste treating companies, such as those that exist in Sweden, in every state. This initiative will not only trash the ‘trash’ in a non-polluting manner but also provide employment opportunities.

Transparency:

The government has been successful so far in shifting heavy industries from Delhi to Ghaziabad. But air pollution is indiscriminate. It knows no boundaries.

There should be a law to ask factories to monitor their emissions so that this can be tracked. This can be done via sensors that can then collate and share data with the relevant authorities in real-time. The data can be put online so that it is available to everyone to see how companies are conforming to these emission standards and also identify those who are not. This will take time but will help reduce air pollution to a great extent. In addition, the government should provide licenses to industries only when they promise to treat their waste in an ecologically safe way.

Ideas and implementation:

Our country has great minds full of innovative and viable ideas to resolve the problem of pollution. The need of the hour is to bring these ideas into being. The emphasis should be on effective, sustainable and cost-effective implementation of these measures along with the conviction to eradicate it for good.

Another way to address this issue is through car-pooling. It needs to be implemented properly however so that it benefits rather than hinders office-goers. Teenagers on the other hand, should only be allowed to ride bicycles. Such measures can reduce accidents, traffic and pollution.

I found that the ban on the use of crackers on Diwali futile. If the government was so concerned, it should have imposed ban on the production and import of the crackers.

To reiterate, there are many measures but their effective execution is either flawed or non-existent. We need to change our mindset as well as our approach – that is the only solution. What is the benefit of the fantastic solutions if they are applied only on the paper?

India is suffering from the dreadful scourge of pollution. It will continue to suffer until its people decide to wake up and do something constructive before this nightmare engulfs us completely.

 

~ Authored by Sudeeksha (class 12), VidyaGyan Bulandshahr