Composition & Essay Writing ( 92 ) Soil Pollution , Save Water Save Life

92 - ] Composition & Essay Writing 

Soil Pollution

                          Soil is a thin layer made up of organic as well as inorganic materials. These materials cover the rocky surfaces of Earth. Also, the organic portion, which is derived from the decayed remains of animals and plants. While the inorganic portion is made up of rock fragments. This portion was formed over a thousand years of chemical and physical weathering of bedrock. Productive soils are useful for agriculture in order to supply the world with the required food. So, the essay on soil pollution is guided to factors causing soil pollution and the adverse effects of soil pollution.

                           Soil pollution can be defined as persistent of chemicals, salts, toxic compounds, radioactive materials that have adverse effects on animal health and plant growth. There are many ways through which soils can get polluted. These are: 1 - ] Discharge of industrial waste into the Earth surfaces. Seepage through a landfill. 2 - ] Underground storage tanks getting ruptured. Formation of contaminated water into the soil. 3 - ] Solid waste seepage. Chemicals like heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, and pesticides.

                       A soil pollutant is a factor that is used for deterioration of soil due to texture, mineral, or quality content of soil being reduced. Also, this disturbs the biological balance of the organisms dependent on the soil. Additionally, there are adverse effects of soil pollution on the growth of plants. Usually, soil pollution is caused due to the presence of man-made applications like percolation of contaminated surface water, pesticides, fuel dumping, oil dumping, etc. There are other activities like leaching of wastes from landfills, direct discharge of industrial wastes into the soil, etc. Also, the most common chemicals involved here are solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, lead, pesticides, and various heavy metals. So, the phenomena occurring has a high correlation with the intensities and industrialization of chemical usage.

               Some of the main causes of soil pollution are:1 - ] Increasing use of fertilizers . 2- ] Indiscriminate use of insecticides, herbicides, and pesticides Dumping of solid wastes 3 - ] Deforestation.

               Some radioactive pollutants from sources such as nuclear reactors, explosions, hospitals, science labs, etc. go very deep into the soil, stay there for a long time and cause soil pollution. False agricultural practices using advanced agro--technology mean the use of enormous amounts of toxic fertilizers including herbicides, weedicides, pesticides, etc. increases soil fertility but gradually decreases soil physio-chemical and biological properties. Municipal trash heap, food processing waste, mining methods, and many more are other sources of soil pollution. Because toxic chemicals enter the body through the food chain and disturb the entire inner body system, soil pollution is very dangerous to health.

                      In order to decrease and limit soil pollution, the individuals particularly industrialists should follow all efficient control measures including environmental protection laws. People should promote the recycling and reuse of solid waste and maximum feasible tree plantation.

Save Water Save Life

                   Water is a basic necessity of life, and it may seem inconceivable to imagine living without it. Water has become a highly necessary part of human being’s existence on Earth. Thus, the importance of water can be compared to the importance of air. All living organisms whether it is human, animals, or plants cannot live without water. Everyone is completely depending on fresh and potable water. Water is perhaps the second most important substance on Earth after the air. Apart from drinking, there are other benefits of water as well. They include cooking, washing, cleaning, etc. Water is not only a vital part of the human being’s survival , but it is also important for the survival of trees and plants. Additionally, it is a precious element required for the agricultural as well as various other industrial sectors. But the stark reality is that many people around the world do. The availability of fresh water for drinking and sanitation poses an urgent and challenging problem, particularly in many developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in March 20101 that over 2.6 billion people, or about 39 per cent of the world's population, live without improved sanitation facilities; in other words, without a proper latrine. Furthermore, WHO estimated that about 1.1 billion people across the globe -- approximately 17 per cent of the world's population -- lacked access to safe and improved sources of drinking water. Seeing this, the water crisis in the future does seem inevitable. Also, it calls for an immediate action plan in order to conserve water so that precious resource can be saved for today as well for future generations.

                 The scarcity of potable water sources and the absence of adequate sanitation in many rural areas have led to a host of potentially fatal health problems such as dysentery, cholera, and other diarrhoeal diseases causing an average of 1.6 million deaths per year. Children under the age of five are especially vulnerable and account for about 90 per cent of these deaths.2 In fact, diarrhoeal diseases kill more children than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.3 Other problems from unsafe drinking water, such as trachoma-related blindness and intestinal parasitic worms, are rife in developing countries, totalling several hundred million cases annually.

                     According to the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 7, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation should be halved by 2015-  in numerical terms, 88.5 per cent of the world's population should have accessible drinking water by 2015. It bodes well that we are prepared to achieve this goal with sustained effort, but it must also be acknowledged that this progress is not uniform across the globe.

                       Currently, the biggest problem related to global warming is a huge water depreciation on Earth. This is mainly caused due to misuse of water happening at various places. In the current scenario, it is important to understand the formula for the conversation of water and thereby save water. Because pure water resources are the primary sources for all our necessities. And when it becomes depreciated, it can lead to huge catastrophic conditions for human beings. Currently, there are many regions in the world that are facing extreme water scarcity due to the decrease of groundwater and scanty rainfalls. Also, in some areas, the groundwater is contaminated or it has been overused. Thus, these factors have to lead to drought situations and in these areas it has led to water scarcity. Furthermore, urbanization and industrialization have added to the problems where groundwater has been overused to fulfill the increasing demands of the population.

                     The Save Water Initiative can help and promote the conservation of water. Also, it can be spread awareness among the people about the importance of water. Additionally, the save water campaign helps people realize that the sources of fresh and pure water are very limited. So, if it is overused that there are chances that they might not be able to fulfill the increasing demands of the population. Through this campaign, we can create awareness among the people about the benefits and preserving water and using it diligently. Our dependence on water underscores the need for conserving it, not just in terms of reducing wastage, but also in terms of saving our rivers, lakes, and seas from further harm. Throughout history, water scarcity has symbolized the ebb of life for many great civilizations. Water will always be a basic necessity of man, regardless of era and creed, and our collective future depends on its sustainability today. Water, in essence, represents life. By saving water, we save lives.