India marks National Pollution Control Day on December 2 in the honour of people who lost their lives during the horrific 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The gas leak accident led to the loss of lives of thousands of people, exposing lakhs to harmful toxic effects in the time to come. While pollution has always been a major concern, the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy acted as an alarm for authorities to be more careful and avoid such accidents in the future.
National Pollution Control Day 2020: What is 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy, or known as the Bhopal disaster, took place on the night of December 2-3 in the year 1984. The Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, led to the accidental gas leak, releasing methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. The toxic gas spread to small towns and nearby villages. In the days to follow, as many as 5 lakh people were exposed to the gas, and more than 3700 people died due to the disaster. Till date, it is considered to be one of the world’s worst industrial disasters. There were aftereffects, such as increased cases of cancer and birth defects, which were reported in years to come.
National Pollution Control Day 2020: Significance
While the Bhopal Gas Tragedy was an alarming situation for India, the pollution level and the release of harmful substances in the environment has been increasing each year. The National Pollution Control Day is marked to make people aware about the many ways in which one can manage and control industrial disasters. It also focuses on encouraging people to avoid pollution caused due to industrial processes or human negligence. One should also learn about the importance of different pollution control acts.
The theme for National Pollution Control Day 2020 sheds light on the goal to raise awareness towards the cause of pollution, and to remind people about the different ways to reduce pollution.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here
Comments
0 comment