National Pollution Control Day 2024: Date, History, Significance and Facts

National Pollution Control Day 2024: National Pollution Control Day is observed in memory of those who lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas tragedy on 2nd December 1984. The day aims to bring awareness about the fatalities 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.

Pollution is a major problem faced by the world.  As per the National Health Portal of India, around 7 million people across the world die due to air pollution every year. 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.

Various factors are responsible for causing pollution like the bursting of crackers, carbon emissions, 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.

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.

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.

About The Bhopal Gas Tragedy

On 2nd and 3rd December 1984 poisonous chemical MIC (Methyl Isocyanate) and some other chemicals were released from a pesticide plant UCIL (Union Carbide India Limited) in Bhopal, MP. The unfortunate accident affected More than 500,000 people. Around 2259 died immediately and later MP government declared that around 25,000 died. In history worldwide Bhopal Gas Tragedy is identified as one of the biggest industrial disaster.