The National Pollution Control Day or National Pollution Prevention Day is observed in India on December 2 every year. The main objective of this day is to raise awareness about pollution control measures and the prevention of industrial disasters. The day is especially observed in the memory of people who lost their lives in the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984.

History

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy is regarded as one of the worst industrial environmental catastrophes in the history of India. On the night of December 2 and 3, 1984, methyl isocyanate leaked from Union Carbide India Limited’s pesticide facility in Madhya Pradesh. This leak resulted in the death of over 3,700 persons and over 5 lakh people were exposed to the deadly gas.

ALSO READ: Climate change, river pollution and water scarcity: Why India is in crises

Since then, December 2 has been designated as the National Pollution Control Day to raise awareness about the prevention of industrial disasters and measures to control pollution.

Significance

The National Pollution Control Day aims to raise awareness about growing pollution levels in the air, water, as well as soil, promote the usage of renewable resources, and recycled goods, reduce the emission of harmful pollutants, and avoid the wastage of electricity and natural resources.

As per the National Health Portal of India, every year around 7 million people globally die due to diseases caused by air pollution.

The pollutants present in the air are minute particles that they can pass through the mucus membrane and other protective barriers of the body to damage the lungs, heart, and brain.

ALSO READ: How to protect yourself from Delhi's air pollution

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)