INTRODUCTION-
Urbanization is a great concept that is essential to the growth of every nation. It makes reference to the goal of urbanizing remote areas by building infrastructure in order to develop them. Although urbanization is generally viewed as a positive development, it is really one of the leading causes of pollution. Urbanization ushered in the start of industrialization. Pollution increased as a result. The most urgent issue we are currently dealing with is environmental contamination, and as a society, we must move rapidly to address it. The deterioration of the environment has become a significant issue for people. The pleasant lifestyles of the urban inhabitants have attracted more and more individuals from the countryside to the city throughout time. However, as of right now, we are unable to cope from issues such as the lack of basic facilities like education, medicine, electricity, communication in various regions of our nation.
THE UNDERLYING ISSUE- As a result of urbanization, businesses and factories are sprouting up all around, and there are more cars on the roadways. Various types of pollution are caused by the contaminated air and gases that come from industry and moving automobiles. The time when kids could play freely on the streets and birds could soar high in the skies has long since passed. Such enjoyable sceneries are less common in metropolitan settings now because of pollution brought on by development. Due to the hazardous gases and smoke that factories and automobiles emit, cities now have unhealthy air. Additionally, industrial and domestic trash are dumped into water bodies, making them unfit for human consumption and use. Also, trees are being cut even today in the name of housing and the area of cultivable land is decreasing.
The idea of an urban heat island is another issue that is having an impact on the temperature and ecology. 'Rapid urbanization' has fueled the expansion of blacktop highways and the concrete jungle. Concrete buildings and metal roadways make up over 85% of the urban area.
With a fast rise in population comes an alarming rise in pollution, which is causing a number of diseases to spread throughout the cities. The main issue facing cities today is environmental pollution, which has turned city life into a living hell. Urbanization is thought to indicate development, and hence, we believe it is best for us. But it is equally important to address the issues of pollution to truly enjoy the benefits of urbanization. It is indeed a really great step forward for any country, and it is and should be the main goal for every nation.
TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION: The majority of the energy used to run our contemporary infrastructure comes from fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels and other pollutants has a severe impact not just on the environment, but also on human health and wellness.
Most people can list the main sorts of pollution, including those in the air, water, soil, and noise, but are you aware of all the different ways we are poisoning the environment? The various pollutions and their effects on our environment are listed here.
Air pollution: Gases from burning fossil fuels, exhaust fumes from cars, factories, and power plants, as well as hazardous vapors from chemicals like paint, plastic, and toxic spills, constantly poison the air in cities. All of these components have a tendency to alter the air's natural makeup and make it hazardous to human health. One of the biggest issues that contemporary metropolitan towns face is maintaining healthy air quality.
Water pollution: Runoff from factories, farmlands, chemical spills, car exhaust, raw sewage, industrial waste, and domestic garbage is washed away by rain and mixed with water resources, contaminating lakes, rivers, groundwater, and seas.
High levels of hazardous substances in the soil can be very dangerous to both the ecosystem and human health. Soil contamination can be caused by a variety of organic and inorganic substances as well as trash from businesses, farms, building sites, vehicles, and homes.
Noise pollution: Many of us are aware of the serious health risks that can result from living in noisy environments. High levels of unwanted noise can be bothersome, resulting in headaches, sleeplessness, and hearing loss, in addition to the immediate repercussions of disrupting peace and degrading quality of life in the afflicted region.
Although radioactivity in chemicals is very uncommon, it could have a disastrous impact on our health. Radiation exposure can be fatal. Nuclear power plant accidents, leakage, and improper practices such as improper nuclear waste disposal and uranium mining are the main causes of radioactive pollution. There are strict government regulations to control radioactive pollution, and you should take extra precautions when coming across such areas where a nuclear power plant project is located.
Visual pollution: Signs, ads, and excessively lit billboards litter our cities with unsightly lights that are often an eyesore. Additionally, visual pollution can diminish or worsen lifestyle standards, property prices, and living standards.
Thermal pollution can harm our ecosystem if there is an excessive amount of heat or heat that is trapped in the earth's atmosphere. There is frequently an increase in forest fires, melting of the polar ice caps, and changes in sea level when the earth's normal temperature cycles are disturbed over an extended period of time. Additionally, it may have an impact on wind and ocean currents, which could pose additional risks to our ecology and health.
Finally, urbanization is a key factor in achieving the objective of providing all people with access to quality healthcare, education, sanitation, nutrition, and safety. While working toward this objective, we must not lose sight of the fact that pollution brought on by urbanization burdens our environment even more and poses a long-term threat to the Earth and all life forms that call it home.
There are many bad sides of urbanization, however, the issues it causes can be resolved by the government creating particular regulations or policies that will stop the issues brought on by the growth in urbanization.
For instance, expanding the availability of affordable, clean public transit can increase public transportation use. Besides, the fuel consumption, noise and air pollution may be controlled this way. Also, traffic congestion may be solved by developing the infrastructure of transportation facilities. Now days we also have substitutes like electric vehicles, so we can work upon something similar.
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