World environment day 2020  

It is one of the biggest events celebrated across the world on 5th June every year One of the main environmental issues is air pollution. This has become a global emergency. Life expectancy in India has gone down by 2.6 years. Every year approximately 12.4 lakh people die in our country due to air pollution. These premature deaths are due to various diseases such as lung cancer, asthma. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, heart disease, loss of bone mass and allergic diseases. We know that lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Around 1.6 million people die due to lung cancer. Tobacco smoking is the most common cause of cancer of the lung. But, in recent years a large number of people is being diagnosed with lung cancer, in whom there is no such history of tobacco smoking. Studies have found the most common cause of lung cancer in non-smokers is air pollution both outdoor and indoor. Air pollution was classified as a cancer-causing agent in 2013 by the WHO. 

 Contamination of water by pollutants such as disinfection by-products (eg: chlorination by-products), nitrites and arsenic in drinking water increases the risk of cancers ( e.g. bladder cancer, food pipe and stomach cancers). Besides, soil contamination by injudicious use of fertilizers, industrial waste, arsenic, heavy metals (eg: lead,), mineral oils, and aromatic hydrocarbons increase the risk of various cancers. 

 So we should be conscious about our health and demand clean air, water and soil as a matter of our right. The food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink decide the health of our people and our society.