Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances, toxin, which produces some kind of

harmful impact on the environment or living organisms.

Air pollution
Air pollution consists of substances present in the atmosphere in high enough
levels to harm humans, other animals, plants, or materials. Air pollution can
result from human activities such as driving cars. It can also come from
natural sources, such as smoke from forest fires caused by lightning or from
volcano eruptions

However, as the population increases, pollution problems also increase. A

combination of a rapidly multiplying population, and the growth of industries
and car use are the main causes of air pollution today.

Water pollution
Discharging untreated sewage and chemical wastes directly into rivers, lakes
and drains has become a traditional habit. Water bodies can no longer cope
with the increasing pollution load.
In Pakistan, water is mainly used for industrial, agricultural and domestic
purposes.

Water pollution is the contamination ofwater bodies

(e.g.lakes, rivers, oceans,aquifers andgroundwater). Water pollution occurs
whenpollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without
adequate treatmentto remove harmful compounds.

ndustrial wastewater contains toxic chemicals. It is alarming that most industries have been started
without proper planning and waste treatment plants. They just dispose of untreated toxic waste into
nearby drains, canals or rivers. Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Sialkot contribute major pollution loads
into their water bodies

What can be done?

Identify industrial units that are the biggest polluters of river water. If National
Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) regarding wastewater were strictly
enforced, these industries would have to reduce and treat their waste prior to
disposal.
A regular qualitative and quantitative monitoring of fresh water resources
Construct proper sanitary landfill sites
Investigate ground water quality
Provide Government help for waste management by industries
Throw refuse into garbage cans. Visitors who throw garbage into pools,
lakes, ponds, and even along the beaches pollute recreational sites on a daily
basis. This not only pollutes the water but also mars the beauty of the site
Dispose of unwanted paints or oils carefully. They should not be thrown into
drains or sewers
Participate in awareness raising activities. Students can be a great help in
this regard
Conserve water at home and at work, rather than wasting it
Boil or filter drinking water to eliminate disease-causing bacteria
Conducting epidemiological study in the areas close to contaminated water
bodies will help to assess the affect of polluted water on health of the
consumers.

Air pollution is primarily happening because of our industry and our vehicles. These sources release
harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and
particulate matter into air.
Increased industrial activity and the growing number of cars in our roads means that air pollution is
constantly growing, even despite the efforts from many countries and different legislation that aim to
reduce the global level of air pollution.
When thinking about air pollution most people will automatically turn to China. Chinese cities are
indeed the most negative examples of excessive air pollution but this doesn't mean they are the only
ones. There are several U.S. cities experiencing excessive levels of air pollution such as Los Angels
and Pittsburgh.
The best solution to tackle air pollution issue is to make our industry and vehicles cleaner. This means
shifting focus to renewable energy sources and using more hybrid/electric cars instead of
conventional gasoline powered cars.

The problem with these solutions is the fact that these technologies are yet to become costcompetitive with traditional technologies, and will certainly need plenty of time before reaching
maturity level needed to challenge currently dominant technologies.
The first step towards cleaner technologies is the adequate legislation. The companies need to be
legally forced to look for cleaner solutions by paying astronomical fines for continuous pollution of our
air, and environment in general.
The big polluters must be severely punished for the damage they are doing to our environment and
our health. Economic growth mustn't be used as a universal excuse to justify continuous deterioration
of our environment.
The air pollution (as well as other forms of pollution) will continue to grow as long we remain ignorant
about it. We must realize that air pollution is major issue that is also jeopardizing our own health and
not just the health of our environment.
Clean and healthy air does not only mean clean and healthy environment but also a healthy life for
our children, grandchildren and our future generations