Shortly after midnight on the 2nd of December 1982, there was an explosion in a chemical factory on the outskirts of Bhopal.
For the residents of the nearby JP Nagar, who were exposed to the poisonous fumes emanating from the factory that night, it was absolute Hell. For them, there’s no escaping the ghosts of that terrible tragedy.
The ‘Bhopal Gas Tragedy’, as we more commonly know it.
On the second of December each year in India, National Pollution Control Day is observed. In commemoration of the lives that were lost to this senseless tragedy, all those years ago.
This article is an attempt to shine a light on this significant day. A day that is itself a ‘Beacon of Light’, vis a vis spreading awareness about the perils of air pollution in modern times.
The following section is an Essay on National Pollution Control Day, that we hope will inspire everyone that reads it, to take the matter of Air Pollution far more seriously.
An Essay on National Pollution Control Day
For those unfamiliar with National Pollution Control Day, this essay is an endeavour to showcase the day’s significance.
We hope that at the end of reading it, you will be empowered to make a difference yourself, in the fight against Air Pollution.
National Pollution Control Day: Significance
There are several reasons why National Pollution Control Day is celebrated.
First and foremost, as touched upon in the introduction, it marks a tribute to the martyrs of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
It’s only natural, then, that it be a day that serves as a means of prevention of future industrial disasters. To encourage industrialists to do their bit, by adopting pollution control measures, and help create awareness about environmental pollution.
People who lose their lives to Air Pollution each year: The harsh numbers
If statistics are to be believed, there are 7 million people that die each year in our country, on account of Air Pollution. If you thought that people might avoid crowded, polluted places in the outdoors to be safe, think again. Out of that number, a whopping 4 million lose their lives to ‘Indoor’ Air Pollution!
Note: What makes Air Pollution especially threatening, is the fact that Air Pollutants are extremely small. They find it easy to sneak into our mucous membranes, and can wreak havoc with our lungs, hearts and brains, too.
National Pollution Control Day: Its Objectives
As you can see, National Pollution Control Day is a day of great significance. However, it’s not enough to merely ‘Observe the day’, without taking some sort of tangible Action to reduce Air Pollution.
Apart from educating Industrialists, there are other ways this day seeks to create an impact.
The idea, really, is to highlight the negative effects of Air Pollution on our Health and Planet, to the populace at large. After all, people will only wake up when they see the true extent of the damage that Air Pollution can cause. They have to know that they must do their own bit, to keep that Air Pollution in check.
If you’ve ever been to the ocean for a swim and seen some plastic bottles floating amidst the waves, that’s one of the saddest sights you will ever see.
Besides reducing their carbon footprint by using less gas and electricity, people must be educated on the significance of steering away from the use of Plastic. In fact, the incessant use of plastic has led to the degradation of the Earth’s soils, and even the huge loss of marine lives.
Mahatma Gandhi once famously said, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’
It’s true. All of us have the power to change the world. We need to stop blaming industrialists and companies for the rising pollution levels. Instead, we must take a look at our own lives, and examine what we can do to make a difference.
Perhaps if we succeed, our children will be able to breathe fresher air. Isn’t that what every parent wants?
National Pollution Control Day: Activities
The following are some of the key activities we can undertake, this upcoming National Pollution Control Day.
- Planting trees. Even if every single person out there planted only ‘one’ tree, it would make a huge difference.
- Spreading awareness to reduce the use of plastics. No matter how many times they have been told of the dangers of plastic, people have to be constantly reminded of the same.
- Sharing quotes. Never underestimate the power of words, where it comes to getting people to act. Share the quotes in the following section with people, and you just might get them to take Air Pollution seriously!
National Pollution Control Day Quotes
Are you inspired already, to make some tangible changes to your lifestyle, and thereby reduce Air Pollution?
Presenting some National Pollution Control Day Quotes, that are sure to take that newfound sense of inspiration, several notches higher!
- ‘There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.’
~ M.K. Gandhi
- ‘Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.’
~ William Ruckelshaus
- ‘The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans the river.’
~ Ross Perot
- ‘Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.’
~ Jacques-Yves Cousteau
- ‘It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.’
~ Ansel Adams
- ‘The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take their revenge; for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future.’
~ Marya Mannes
At EuroKids, we believe it is never too late to make a concerted effort to curb the ever-increasing levels of Air Pollution. The best way to begin, is by highlighting the significance of National Pollution Control Day, to our little ones. After all, it is they who are the future custodians of our Planet Earth.
