SATISH HANDA
According to World Air Quality 2020 Report, seven towns Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, Hisar Fatehabad, Jind and Yamunanagar in Haryana state have been identified among 50 highly polluted cities in the world. Among those seven polluted towns include Gurugram prominent IT hub in the world tops, followed by biggest industrial town in the state Faridabad ranking second position. According to health experts, increasing pollution is a matter of concern causing adverse effect on the health of residents in the area causing asthma, allergy, heart and lungs diseases. According to health experts, a person consumes nearly three litre oxygen with the help of respiration 22000 times in a day.
Information reveals, as regard pollution Gurugram hold 7th position, Faridabad hold 11th position, Jind hold 13th position and Hisar hold14th position in the world. Drop in pollution was recorded during first phase of COVID-19 in the state last year which witnessed rise during second phase of KOVID-19 this year. According to scientists, pollution spreads by smoke released from automobiles, municipal solid waste, industrial chimneys, brick kilns, thermal plants and during crop harvesting season when farmers burn crop remains in open.
Cutting trees is another prominent reason for increasing pollution in the state. A fully developed tree on an average consumes nearly 5000 polluted particles According to National Forest Policy there should be minimum one third forest area in every district in the state for a healthy and pollution free environments. During year 2006, State government Haryana had constituted a policy to have nearly 20% forest area in every district but Forest Survey of India specified that hardly between 1.5 to 2% area in most of the towns in the state have greenery.
Expressing deep concern, Independent MLA in Gurugram district Rakesh Daulatbad also Chairman Haryana State Agro Industries Corporation expressed deep concern over fast increasing pollution in most of the towns in the state and suggested Urban Development Department in the state to cultivate minimum 10 lakh plants in Gurugram district declared highly polluted town the state in coming three years.
According to information, Government of Haryana had plans to cultivate two crore plants in Haryana state every year during rainy season in coming three years in order to make state pollution free. It is generally seen, political leaders of ruling government announce plantation programmes every rainy season to attract publicity on newspapers headlines but in the absence of care maximum number of these plants die and none of the political leader or bureaucrat has ever tried to find out the reason for collapsing of plants and take action against those responsible for neglect. Daulatbad said, in past two years more than six lakh plants were cultivated at Gurugram, whereas the town is having nearly two crore automobile vehicles and population over 40 lakh in the district which will have hardly any effect to control increasing pollution.
