National Pollution Control Day 2022: History, Significance, Objectives and Key Facts

National Pollution Control Day 2022: As per the National Health Portal of India, around 7 million people across the world die due to air pollution every year. The day is celebrated every year on 2 December to bring awareness about the dangers caused due to polluted water, land, and air. Also, to highlight how to avert industrial disasters like the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Environmental pollution affects the quality of life and health. Also, the role that we are playing in the growing rate of pollution.

Pollution is a major problem that India is not only facing, but the whole world is battling with it. It is also known as environmental pollution. We can define pollution as the addition of any substance, whether solid, liquid, gas, or any form of energy like heat, sound, etc. to the environment.

National Pollution Control Day is observed in memory of those who lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas tragedy on 2nd December 1984. 

There are several factors that are responsible for causing pollution like the bursting of crackers, vehicles running on the roads, bomb blasts, leakage of gases via industries, etc. Nowadays the problem of pollution is increasing day by day and it is the duty of the respective government and also the people to reduce the level of pollution. We should generate ideas and plans to control pollution.

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Objectives of National Pollution Control Day

The main objective is to make people aware, and spread awareness in the industries that cause various pollution like water, air, soil, and noise and affect the environment and obviously health. We can't forget, the Bhopal gas tragedy in which the leakage of poisonous gas ‘Methyl Isocyanate (MIC)’ is the worst tragedy happened in the world so far.

It is also important to give knowledge to the people regarding pollution so that a better or clean environment can be formed. The Government in India had made various laws to combat pollution like in Delhi decreasing vehicles running on the road, and implementing odd and even. National Pollution Control Board (NPCB) is the main governing body, that regularly conducts checks on industries to know whether they are following environmental regulations or not.

Why is National Pollution Control Day celebrated?
The main reason as discussed above is to control the Industrial disaster and to reduce the level of pollution. Various laws are made by Governments all over the world to control and prevent pollution.

What happened in Bhopal Gas Tragedy?

Source: www. riseforindia.com
On 2nd and 3rd December 1984, the Bhopal Gas tragedy in which a poisonous chemical MIC (Methyl Isocyanate) and some other chemicals were released from a pesticide plant UCIL (Union Carbide India Limited) in Bhopal, MP. More than 500,000 people were exposed to MIC poisonous gas. Around 2259 died immediately and later MP government declared that around 25,000 died. In history worldwide it was identified as the biggest industrial disaster.

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Preventive measures are taken by the Indian Government

The Indian government has launched various acts and rules for controlling and preventing pollution in India.

- Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act of 1974
- Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Cess Act of 1977
- Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act of 1981
- Environment (Protection) Rules of 1986
- Environment (Protection) Act of 1986
- Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules of1989
- Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules of 1989
- Manufacture, Storage, Import, Export & Storage of Hazardous Micro- Organisms Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells Rules of 1989
- The National Environment Tribunal Act 1995
- Chemical Accidents (Emergency, Planning, Preparedness, and Response) Rules of 1996
- Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules of 1998
- Recycled Plastics Manufacture & Usage Rules of 1999
- Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation) Rules of 2000
- Noise Pollution (Regulation & Control) Rules of 2000
- Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules of 2000
- Batteries (Management & Handling) Rules of 2001.
- Maharashtra Bio-Degradable Garbage (Control) Ordinance of 2006
- Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006

Various ways to reduce Pollution
- Pollution can be reduced by treating and managing solid waste.
- By the facility of Biochemical waste, the reuse of waste pollution can be reduced.
- By the treatment of Electronic waste, pollution can be reduced.
- Pollution in Urban areas can be reduced by the Clean Development Mechanism Project.

Therefore, it is necessary to control pollution and it is not the Government's duty we should also participate and make the environment clean and live disease-free. A clean environment helps people to do their tasks in a better way and live life happily.