Like water and air, soil is also our basic need. Soil is the mother of plants, grains and trees. Clean soil is very important for the growth of plants, animals and humans. Land pollution is the imbalance any of the elements found in the land.
Contaminated land has a negative impact on crops and organisms. Land pollution is caused by solid waste. The problem is increasing day by day due to the increasing amount of waste products and lack of proper waste disposal options. Waste products from factories and homes are disposed of in open spaces causing land pollution.
Land pollution occurs due to various human activities and also due to natural factors. Some of the causes of land pollution include use of pesticides, lack of options for disposal of industrial and agricultural wastes, deforestation, increasing urbanization, acid rain and mining. All these factors hinder agricultural activities and are also the cause of various diseases in animals and humans.
Meaning of land pollution
Defining land pollution, we can say that – “Any unwanted change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of the land which has an effect on humans and other organisms or destroys the natural quality and utility of the land is called land pollution. "
One-fourth of the Earth's surface is land, but there is only 2.8 million square miles of land for human use. Proper and correct use of this land is the responsibility of the whole world today, but due to the increasing population in the world, there has been diversity and density in land use.
As a result it is being used inappropriately. As a result, the problem of 'land-pollution' has arisen which has become a major problem in many parts of the world today.
'Land' or 'Ground' is a broad term, which includes the entire surface of the earth, but basically the upper layer of land, on which agriculture is done and human beings perform various activities of livelihood, is of special importance. Is.
This layer or land is formed by different types of rocks, whose erosion gives birth to soil. It consists of a mixture of various organic and inorganic compounds. From there the land-pollution begins.
DUe to land pollution
Land pollution hinders the development of the entire animal world because the land itself is capable of producing food and other essential things for the survival of the animal world. But human beings are polluting the land by playing with their future for the fulfillment of their selfishness. Land pollution occurs due to various reasons –
(i) Plastic containers, cans, plastics, electronic goods, etc., in materials used in the home, hospital, school and market, come under the category of solid waste. Some of these are biodegradable and others are non-biodegradable and difficult to dispose of. It is non-biodegradable waste which causes major land pollution.
(ii) Forests are being cut at a rapid pace to meet the various needs of human beings. Trees are essential to the soil as they help to retain various essential nutrients. Cutting of trees due to mining, urbanization and other reasons are factors that promote land pollution.
(iii) Chemical waste is difficult to dispose of. Both liquid and solid waste obtained from pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers are dumped either in landfills or other places. This degrades the soil and creates another type of land pollution.
(iv) Many high-end farming techniques are being used by the farmers these days to ensure higher yield of crops. Overuse of these techniques such as overuse of pesticides and insecticides causes soil erosion. Fruits and vegetables grown in such land are also not considered healthy. It is considered a type of land pollution.
(v) Land pollution is also caused by broken glass, plastic, furniture and polythene etc. thrown from the houses.
(vi) Chemicals from industries also cause land pollution as heavy metals get deposited on the soil and contaminate the land.
(vii) During excavation to extract mineral oils from the land, the oil falls on the ground several times and contaminates the soil.
(viii) During rains, the contaminants present in the air come to the ground and pollute the land.
Sources of land pollution
Land pollution is the result of accumulation of various types of waste materials in the land. This waste material occurs in the form of domestic, public, industrial, mineral mining and agricultural waste. On the basis of this, the following categories of sources of land pollution can be done –
(i) Domestic waste
(ii) Industrial and Mining Wastes
(iii) Municipal waste
(iv) Agricultural waste
(i) Domestic waste –
A major part of land pollution is due to domestic waste. After cleaning the house every day, the dirt comes out. In this, where there is dust and soil on one side, on the other hand there are also pieces of paper, cloth, plastic, wood, metal etc.
Along with this, the remaining parts of vegetables, peels of fruits, tea leaves, other rotten things, dried flowers and leaves, spoiled foods etc. are also included. All these substances are collected at the time of cleaning from the houses and thrown at some place. In developed countries, there is a system of covering and disposal of this garbage.
But in India or other developing countries mostly due to lack of such system, this waste material keeps on decomposing, various bacteria keep growing in it which causes pollution and finally disease.
(ii) Industrial and Mining Wastes –
A large amount of garbage and waste material comes out from industrial establishments. This waste is taken out in every industry whether it is metallurgical industry or chemical industry and is left in the open near the industry. In this, many gases and chemical elements pollute not only the atmosphere but also the land.
Ashes are also produced in large quantities from many industries. Many toxic, acidic and alkaline substances make the land unusable. Sometimes these substances are buried near industries, which render the land unusable in the form of land pollution.
(iii) Municipal waste –
Municipal waste refers to the filth that is collected in public. This includes not only household waste which is collected in public, together with the collection of excreta and urine is prominent. Apart from this, garbage collected from various institutions, markets, roads, remains of dead animals, demolition of houses etc., etc. are also included in this.
In fact, the entire filth of the city or town comes under the category of municipal waste. This municipal waste is a major cause of land pollution.
(iv) Agricultural waste –
In the agricultural waste, after the agriculture, its straw, stalk, grass, leaves etc. are collected from one place or spread. When water falls on it, it starts rotting and due to biological action, it becomes a cause of pollution. Although this is not a more serious problem as compared to other sources because now most of the agricultural waste is used in some form or the other.
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