These days, we are too much obsessed with the economic growth of India and everything else seems to have taken a backseat- at least concern for environment pollution has hardly any importance to the people and the media. If India could have an economic growth of 10% then I guess that thousands of newspapers, websites, TV channels and blogs would cover and analyze this story but I feel this news item (millions of Indians are now breathing extremely polluted air) is like just another news item on the environment pollution. Community Environmental Monitors (CEM) conducted a study about India and this organization has stated that millions of people are breathing air which is many times pouted and dangerous than the danger level even. I am quoting some sentences from a website:
" Millions of Indians are exposed to dangerous levels of highly toxic gases, including Volatile Organic Compounds and Sulphur gases, through the air they breathe, according to a report released by Chennai-based Community Environmental Monitoring. Titled “Smokescreen: Ambient Air Quality in India,” the report documents at least 45 chemicals, including 13 carcinogens, that were found in 21 air samples taken from 13 locations around the country between 2004 and 2006. Twenty-eight chemicals were found at levels up to 32,000 times higher than levels considered safe in residential air by US environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The samples have been taken from residential areas and public thoroughfares in or near industrial areas, effluent discharge channels, smoldering garbage dumps and toxic waste facilities that include landfills and incinerators. The chemicals found target virtually every system in the human body – eyes, central nervous system, skin and respiratory system, liver, kidneys, blood, cardiovascular system, reproductive system."
Unfortunately, very few people care about this terrible condition. With the rising economic growth, the environment is getting more polluted. Well, I am one of those people who believe that you can never have sustainable development by polluting air. I feel that if workers have to breathe extremely polluted air naturally they will become sick and weak and they cannot give their best level of productivity.
I believe that Indian government, private companies, media and the people should give more importance to alternative energies.
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At first my heartiest thanks is just for for pointing out an important issue. Workers are the yardstick for a company and business. So, a pollution free environment should be ensured for the workers that will gradualy ensure the better productivity. Government can figure out some way to get out of this problem.
Posted by: Biplob Kishore Deb | June 3, 2006 9:57 AM | Permalink to Comment