Pollution is a crime committed against the environment. It is a serious crime and a serious deserves a severe punishment. We need a watchful system that can implement the punishment. For this, we need the cooperation of the general public and the non-governmental organizations, to insist on control of pollution. The responsibility of protecting the environment is not limited to the government alone. It involves local organizations, quasi-governmental institutions, industries and individuals.

To take steps to control pollution, we need economically efficient technical knowledge. Industries need to continuously upgrade their machinery to produce more efficiently while reducing the release of pollutants.

It is more profitable to prevent pollution rather than deal with it after it has spread. To stop pollution before it is caused is the best course. Hence continuous modernization is equipment of environment management in also important.

Where there is awareness among the people, the pressure on the government to control pollution is more. Even here, it is difficult to change the situation overnight.

In order to address the problem before it arises, adoption of preventive measures is required. Whenever a developmental project is taken up, the proposed pollution control measures need to be incorporated into the environment impact assessment reports. Any developmental activity is bound to cause some damage to the environment. So the public must be informed about it before the work is taken up. The developmental projects must be strictly implemented as per the agreed environmental management terms.

Under the environment Act, the state and central governments have developed an implementation mechanism with the help of the state and central pollution control Boards and the forest Department. The salient points to tackle environmental pollution at the community level are as follows-

1) From early childhood, children need to be taught about public health and sanitation, about citizens’ right and duties towards natural resources. They should be encouraged to participate in activities addressing these issues.

2) The people in an area must learn to measure and estimate the amount of pollution in the surroundings, and at their own expense. Only then will determination and dedication to preserve the environment will arise. For this must be trained and helped the local pollution control board officials.

3) Every department of the government that supervises activities, which are likely of affect the environment and public health, should collect details on the effect of their activities on the public health, the environmental conditions, and the effects of pollution on various life forms. The departmental role in improving the environment must be clearly specified in every sector. Based on these details, the departments should develop and implement programs.

4) Where pollution is severe, the authorities should conduct continuous inspections, move out polluting industries or encourage them to modernize with latest technology. The region between industries and residential areas should be covered with thick green belt.

5) To prevent migration from villages to cities, small cities and towns should be developed with clear foresight and commitment. Healthy living conditions need to be provided in the villages protecting the lakes, trees and pastures. Zoning and town planning regulations pertaining to residential, commercial and industrial areas need to be made and the restrictions must be strictly enforced.

6) In cities and villages, solid waste is being thrown into the lakes. This mixes with the water and pollutes it. That is why waste needs to be separated into dry and wet wastes. The wet waste needs to be composted for agricultural use.

7) Domestic waste should kept separate from hospital and industrial wastes.

8) The wet waste from the cities should be turned into compost and must be retuned to the farms through agricultural markets, Rythu bazaars and with the help of market committees.

9) Environmental protection is a joint effort. That is why universities, scientific institutions, governmental organizations, and colleges need to work together. They should test the purity of air, water and land in their areas. Special attention should be paid to biodiversity in the area.

10) Knowledge on biodiversity should be acquired and steps should be taken to protect it.

11) Near catchments of the rivers and hill slopes, trees need to be planted on watershed areas to promote greenery. They need to use groundwater and surface water carefully.

12) In coastal areas, unregulated and indiscriminate aquaculture and prawn cultivation should be stopped. To prevent the saltwater from the sea entering the land. Fresh water lakes should be constructed along the coast.

13) The quality and quantity of water used for agriculture needs to be monitored along with drinking water. The number and quality of water sources must be improved. Water user Associations to protect drinking water need to be formed.

14) Every year industry must produce a report on the state of the government around them. They should not spare any effort to improve the surroundings and must be ready to incur the necessary expenditure.

15) We must explore the possibility of recycling even hazardous wastes as raw material in another process.

16) Cleaner raw materials must be used and cleaner production processes need to be followed and encouraged. Pollution during the process of production should be reduced production must be carried on generating minimum wastes. Even after the end of live of a product or material, it should not damage the environment around us. We must encourage the production of such materials.

17) To reduce air pollution in our cities, we must reduce vehicular pollution. This can be achieved only through an efficient railway system.

18) Sewage water needs to be treated and used or irrigation. It should not be allowed to enter into water bodies.

19) Drinking water, storm water and sewage are getting mixed up in our villages and cities. We should stop this and divert the used water away from the drini9ng water sources.

20) Every farmer needs to be encouraged to construct a small farm pond in the field to store rainwater and to use it for agriculture. Synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers are entering the rivers and lakes and polluting them. These contaminants are entering the food chain. We need to replace synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic fertilizers and pesticides to protect our food from contamination.