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Land pollution can mean the misuse of land by human beings. Using this
resource in the wrong way would lead to a fall in its value. A common
example is excessively farming on a piece of land without allowing time
for it to remain fallow and build up nutrients. It also refers to the
deterioration or degradation of land surfaces. When this happens, the
affected pieces of land become less productive and their maximum value
cannot be realized. Land pollution is also the process of introducing
pollutants or contaminants into the surface ecosystem. The natural
environment, including land, is affected or polluted by these impurities.
Any type of destruction that is done to the surface of the earth is basically
land pollution. This can come in different forms and can be caused by
various reasons.
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LAND POLLUTION IN GUJARAT
The major hotspots of waste generation may be found in the Bharuch and
Ahmadabad districts. They account for 46 percent of the total amount of
industrial hazardous waste generated in Gujarat. An inventory prepared
by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reveals that the total land
disposable hazardous waste generation in the state stands at 11,07,128
tone’s per annum (TPA) while the total treatment stabilization disposal
facilities (TSDF) capacity is at 4,47,401 TPA. It shows that TSDF
capacity has a deficit of 6,59,727 TPA. Immediate attention is called for
to lower this gap to reduce environmental and land degradation.
The rapid industrial growth in the state has created tremendous pressure
on land resources which are required to be converted into non-agricultural
land, particularly in the fringe areas of the urban centers and in the
neighborhood of industrial estates. Another dimension is the industrial
pollution. The toxic effluents from industries are causing damage to crops
and neighboring land resources. Tenth Five Year Plan of the Government
of India pointed out that relatively more industrialized states like Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh face problems relating to
toxic and hazardous wastes which include sludge contaminated with
heavy metals, wastes from paints, dyes and organic chemical units and
highly acidic and alkaline wastes.
Industries in Gujarat have been classified into Red, Orange and Green,
based on the total quantity and characteristics of different types of
hazardous wastes generated, and type of production in industrial units.
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These are:
There are 16,770 (red category) industrial units registered under highly
polluting industry category in Gujarat, which has increased by more than
three times during 2006 and 2012. Similarly the Orange category
industrial units have also increased three fold during the same period.
Green category of industries has increased from merely 828 units in 2006-
07 to 4654 units in 2011-12 indicating more than five times increase in a
period of five years duration, showing a positive sign of green
development trajectory.
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Causes of Land Pollution
There are several factors that can lead to the pollution of land. Some occur
naturally while others come about as a result of human activities. Here are
some of the common causes of land degradation:
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pieces of land being declared unsuitable for agriculture because of the soil
quality. Even when used for farming, the yield would be awfully low.
level of soil acidity plays a very important role in determining the quality
of soil and the type of crops that can thrive on it. An optimum level of pH
is required for any piece of land to be declared ideal for farming. Acidic
rain leads to the introduction of so many harmfully chemicals into the
ground and renders that surface of the earth useless. It also gives rise to
contaminated underground water that is unfit for human consumption and
not good for uptake by plants.
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(v) Poor Farming Techniques: A high crop yield can only be realized
through smart farming techniques. Poor farming methods cause soil
degradation. What are some of these methods? A common practice is
where a farmer uses the land continuously without allowing it time to lie
fallow and increase fertility. Non-stop farming means that minerals found
in a particular piece of land will all be used up. Another poor farming
method that causes land pollution is the lack of mixed farming. It is known
that legumes release nitrates into the soil and growing them together with
other crops such as corn can increase the fertility of the soil and lead to a
higher yield. Lack of crop rotation and use of chemical fertilizers also lead
to soil degradation.
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(vii) Accidental oil spills: This is another cause of land pollution. An
accidental collapse of an oil rig can cause spillage that affects a large
surface of land. It can take up to several years before the land is fit again
for agricultural activities. Crude oil makes land unable to support plant
life because of the chemicals that it contains. Reclaiming such a piece land
takes a lot of money and in most cases, it’s usually left to lie fallow.
(i) Lack of Land for Agriculture: Farming is one thing that greatly
depends on land fertility for higher yields. Land pollution thus leads to
less agriculture as most farmers find it increasingly difficult to realize any
meaningful harvest. Polluted land, like those with chemical wastes and oil
spills, can also not be used for farming unless they are first reclaimed.
Most of the foods eaten by humans are produced from the ground. Even
those aren’t are made with substances that have either been extracted from
plants or animals. The importance of agriculture can therefore not be
stressed enough. Countries that experience food insecurity mostly suffer
because of lack of ideal land for farming. Since many forests have been
massively destroyed, climate changes for the worst and soil quality falls.
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(ii) Loss of Biodiversity: Land pollution affects the ecosystem negatively
(iii) Health Problems: Eating crops harvested from polluted farms can
cause many health complications. Introducing these chemicals into the
body system can result into diseases such as cancer. Also coming into
contact with such materials when farming can cause irritation to the skin
as well as breathing complications. It’s necessary to watch the type of
food that we eat but that alone is not enough. One should also be aware of
where that particular food was grown because these chemicals are still
contained in the crop even after harvesting.
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Turning a polluted piece of land into a productive one will thus set you
back financially. That means that money that would have otherwise been
used elsewhere is channeled to this process. There is also no guarantee
that it will be as productive as it were before it was affected.
(v) Contaminated ground water: Most of the ground water comes from
rain. When rain falls, water drains into the ground and is stored within the
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(vi) The emergence of tough weeds: Pollution may weaken the growth
of food crops and result in the emergence of tough weeds that hamper
their growth and affect the overall yield. This happens when land cannot
sustain the growth of native plants and weeds take the opportunity to
thrive.
(vii) Related Pollution: The pollution of land can give rise to pollution
of other areas of the ecosystem. For example, contaminated dust can lead
to air pollution while acidic ground water can result in acidic rain. This
happens because several parts of the ecosystem are interdependent.
Pollution in one part, can, therefore, result in pollution of several other
components.
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Sources Methods
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How to Solve the Menace that is Land Pollution
Since most of the causes of land pollution are as a result of human
activities, a lot of the solutions should also be geared towards changing
the actions of people. These are some of the solutions to this problem:
that causes land pollution, it would be prudent to recycle them and make
new products. This reduces the degradation of land and also the pollution
of air and water bodies. It’s a practice that is very sustainable and great
for the environment. It would cut manufacturing costs and keep the
environment clean. The main focus should be on materials that are not
biodegradable because they are the ones that mostly pollute land.
Households can have separate waste collection bins that are specifically
meant for recyclable material. Industries should also make it a part of their
operations strategy to do recycling wherever possible.
(iv) Education and Awareness: What does the earth mean to you? How
much do you value your planet? Pollution affects everyone, even the
bystanders, so it’s much better when you take the initiative to do
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something about it. In your own small way, you can work towards having
a clean planet. Some people are just naturally environmentally conscious,
while others require a little prodding to do what is necessary. This is where
education comes in. Teaching people about the effects of land pollution
and what can be done to reduce it is a job that cannot be left to just the
government alone. Yes, the government can do its bit by introducing it
into the school curriculum and running media ads as well as organizing
for grassroots awareness campaigns, but the civil societies and families
can also play their parts in creating awareness. Family heads can impact
into their households good values so that environmental conservation
becomes their way of life. When people are knowledgeable enough, they
tend to do what is right. A change in mindset definitely goes a long way
in reducing land pollution.
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pollution from chemical spillage, spill-proof containers can be used.
These specially designed containers provide a safe way to store chemicals
and reducing the chances of land pollution.
(vii) Reforestation: This helps to increase forest cover and improve the
quality of soil. The restoration of forests is an important part of the process
of improving soil quality and the value of land. When we cut down trees
and fail to plant new ones, we are actually doing the environment much
disservice. It really doesn’t take much effort. Improving the forest cover
also increases biodiversity in the ecosystem and this has so many benefits.
plastic and printing out emails only when there is no other option. One
can always reuse some of these materials instead of throwing them away
after only using them once. A plastic bag, for example, can be used so
many times before being disposed of. Individuals can also consider using
biodegradable materials to avoid accumulation of waste matter on the
surface of the earth. The next time you see that simple statement at the
end of an email that says, “Do not print this email, conserve the
environment,” you should actually take it seriously. Every little action
counts because collectively, the impact is much bigger.
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Conclusion
Land is such an important part of this planet that we cannot afford to waste
or degrade it. We have seen that most of the causes of land pollution are
actually human activities. Some of them are deliberate while others
happen due to lack of information and others as accidents.
Many of the factors that cause land pollution could be avoided if only we
became proactive and realized that the conservation of the planet is every
human being’s responsibility. Sometimes we fall sick from diseases such
as cancer and begin to wonder what could have gone wrong. Maybe it’s
the food we eat or the air we breathe that is contaminated and making us
ill. Plants that have been harvested from contaminated land are likely to
affect our healthy because of the chemicals we ingest. The air we breathe
also contains dust particles from polluted pieces of land. It is something
that must be approached from every angle.
Land pollution has several ripple effects and sometimes with far much
worse consequences. The biggest question that everyone should be asking
him or herself should be, “How can I make the earth more habitable?”
When we answer this, we do what is right and reduce pollution. Some of
the natural disasters such as famine, drought, and floods occur as a result
of land degradation. Why then can’t we, as the inhabitants of this planet,
do what is necessary to keep it clean and make it better? The issue of land
conservation should be part and parcel of our daily activities. It is not an
event that happens once but a continuous process. When we adopt that
line of thinking, we will do what we must and reduce land degradation.
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