Types of Pollution

Every advance in technology means yet one more potential poison in our environment. The simplest definition of pollution may perhaps be’right thing in the wrong place’ e.g. salt in the sea is not pollution whereas salt in river is pollution. Pollution is disturbance or breach in the balance of nature.

The following are the types of pollution generally recognized-
1.Water Pollution:The presence, in concentration higher than normal, in natural waterways (lakes, streams, rivers and oceans) of dissolved or suspended foreign materials such as silt, chemicals, fecal matter, metallic elements organic material or nutrients.

2.Air pollution:The presence in the atmosphere of solid particles, liquid droplets or gaseous compounds which are not normally present or present in a concentration substantially greater than normal.

3.Waste pollution:The presence on land or water of solid material, organic or inorganic, which has no beneficial qualities.

4.Chemical pollution:The presence in plants and animal tissues including feed or foodstuffs, of adulterant chemicals which have no beneficial effect.

5.Thermal pollution:The discharge into the environment of stream of air or water which is at a different temperature from that of the environment at the point of discharge or downpour of this point.

6.Land pollution:Deforestation, industrialization, urbanization and indiscriminate use of fertilizers causes alarming degradation of earth and environment.

7.Oil pollution:Crude oil is another major pollutant particularly of the sea’s.

8.Noise pollution:Yes , it is also a type of pollution.The presence in the open atmosphere or in a confines space is considered undesirable, except by the people responsible for it.

The Story of a Farmer

Hari Bahadur who lives in one of the remote villages in Nepal.Nepal is a poor,agriculture –based hilly country.Hari Bahadur is one of the many farmers whose livelihood is solely based on the crops he grows in his small farm.He is a hard working farmer and supports his wife and children through his labour.

One day a team of International Non-Governmental Organisers come to his village.They teach the village farmers new things about farming and crop fertilizers.They tell them about how to increase the growth of crops by putting different chemical fertilizers .The INGO officers distribute various seeds to the farmers and give instructions how to plant and grow them.The villagers are overjoyed and happy .They thank the officers and take the seeds home.

In time they plant them in their fields including Hari Bahadur. When the harvesting comes the yield is almost double. Hari Bahadur is very happy and thanks the INGO officers from abroad again.The chemical fertilizers have really worked. He just waits eagerly to plant next seasonal crops.But this time the result is not as expected. The yield is less than before.Nevertheless, he does not lose heart and still next season season the crops grew minimal.Now ,he is a bit worried as his and his family’s livelihood is being apparently threatned. He wonders now what the chemical fertilizers contained.They had ruined the normal soil consistency as to make it infertile.He had no knowledge before that right quantity and quality of safely tested fertilizers only were good for crop and soil.The strong experimental fertilizers had ruined soil composition of the whole village.

The small amount of crops now grew in Hari Bahadur’s land and even that could not be irrigated properly.The rivers nearby had all dried due to global climate change.There was no more snow to melt down into the river.Hari Bahadur was not actually familiar with the concept of global warming or climate change and yet at the same time , he was being affected by it.

Now, Hari Bahadur must find an alternative source of income to support himself and his family as the land does not suffice.He enters the nearby forest and begins cutting down trees.Some he would sell and little he would take home to use.It’s not easy though cause forest rangers are on the watch for villagers cutting down trees.Little does he know about the implications of felling of trees on the planet or would be little bothered if someone explained it to him.He had bigger problems of his and his family to worry about.

This is not just about one Hari Bahadur but the story is true about many like him living in different places in many underdeveloped countries.