With the dawning of a National and Global realization of the need for cleanliness, pollution control assumes a sharp focus in individual and corporate agendas. The disastrous effects of pollution can be curbed and prevented by taking a few key conscious and educated steps by individuals as well as corporations. The concept of pollution prevention revolves around the focal point of eliminating or doing away with the creation of pollutants. It broadly translates into either not creating waste which is a challenging and tall ask or refining our actions to create minimal waste. We could also limit energy consumption. It is an acknowledged fact that industries, commerce, and institutions create a majority of pollutants.
So, what then are a few key pointers that we as individuals and corporations need to pay heed to? The list below enumerates a few critical ones:
- Education, and guidance on the basics of reducing air, land, and water pollution can be imparted to prepare people on how to address the challenges effectively.
- Drive your car on a need-based basis, since vehicle exhaust is a major source of air pollution. Keep your vehicles well maintained to reduce pollution.
- Turn off your engine when it is idling.
- Don’t burn your garbage since it is risky for your health and the environment.
- Backyard fires like campfires, burning wood, etc. should be limited and controlled.
- Plant trees
- Avoid using fossil fuels
- Turn off electrical appliances not in use.
- Reduce your energy consumption.
- Champion the cause of clean air and green surroundings
- Choose products with recyclable packaging or less packaging to help reduce waste.
- Enquire with your local recycling site to understand which plastics and other recyclables are accepted
- Reduce landfill space and pollution by composting food waste.
- Prevent Mercury pollution by choosing mercury-free products such as digital thermometers and so on. Mercury is a bioaccumulating toxin that hurts the brain and neurological health. The bioaccumulation process can cause mercury or any other persistent pollutant to accumulate in fatty tissues of plants and animals and increase the concentration in the food change with extremely harmful effects. Contact the local waste management authorities to understand how to dispose of products that contain mercury.
- Choose chemical-free products. Chemical compounds are known to pollute groundwater and aquatic organisms. Chemicals are generally present in degreasers, cleaning products, paints, and so on. Care must be taken to avoid these and seek better and safer options and replacements.
Companies apart from incorporating most of the above, can also additionally incorporate the:
- Good Housekeeping, that can help them rethink their daily operations and maintenance activities to identify and eliminate waste.
- Undertake rethinking day-to-day operations and maintenance activities to help identify waste.
- Good inventory management
- Incorporate changes in process
- Substitute Materials
- Reuse Materials.
- Use of resources efficiently.
- Train employees to go green
- Choose efficient appliances
- Keep switches and power supply off of electrical equipment when not in use.
- Use a carpool to minimize vehicular and engine pollution
- Try and walk or use a bicycle to commute if the distance is not much
- Purchase water-efficient appliances in addition to energy-efficient and saving appliances.
- As a corporation encourage green infrastructure by supporting amendments, laws, and initiatives that prevent pollution.
- Improve waste reduction
- Decrease air pollution emissions
- Limit use of pesticide
- Prevent groundwater pollution in the areas and locations where the company is operating
- Create opportunities for using alternative sources of energy like wind or solar
The March 15, 2023, released pollution index of India shows it as the eighth in rank in the world’s most polluted cities list. In 2022 there was a little drop in ranking as it was mentioned as the fifth most polluted.
Let us move away from pollution to the list of cities in India as per the 2023 data that have the best air quality. To name the first 6 starting with the highest and the best air quality, it is:
- Impahal
- Madikeri
- Mysuru
- Mangalore
- Amravati
- Haldia
- Gorakhpur
- Bagalkot
A look at the data about industries, reveals that water pollution can be attributed to 77 % of industries, whereas the contributors to air pollution are 15% and the remaining 8% contribute to both water and air pollution.
It would be pertinent to mention the launch of the National Clean Air Programme, the first-ever effort in India to create a national framework for the management of air quality and a reduction target that was time-bound. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified 132 nonattainment cities or cities that have been unable to maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for more than five years. These 132 cities termed as the non-attainment cities are also covered in the National Air Programme that was launched by the MoEFCC or the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in January 2019. Making concentrated and dedicated efforts by individuals and corporations will go a long way in penetrating the blanket of pollution that shrouded the planet earth.
