Sugam Gautam

A few weeks back, a friend on Facebook had asked me if I could attend an event. I asked what it was about. He told me it was an awareness programme on sanitation, and I ended up participating in it. I don't like attending programmes and seminars, but I thought the awareness programme would be worth attending.

I found the programme very useful. It focused mainly on land pollution and ways to cope with the problem. Though I knew the pollution was surging with every passing year, I was not conscious of its consequences. Every now and then, while walking along the road, we avoid stepping onto a heap of garbage. We even know that it is our fault, but we advance towards our destination without giving it a second thought.

We have a habit of spitting when we see garbage. But we ignore to think about the source from where the garbage comes. While walking across the bridge, we can see the banks of the river covered with a thick layer of rubbish. It’s not just the banks of rivers and streets; the scene of plastic bottles and wrappers of noodles scattered everywhere is so common in this part of the world.

Keeping the surrounding clean is a basic thing, but humans have complicated it by utterly ignoring the importance of sanitation. And at the same time, no one but humans is paying the cost for it. It doesn’t require a sea of knowledge but basic ideas to keep the environment clean. It is just a minor effort that helps humans achieve a clean surrounding. Here are some tips one needs to follow.
When we cut down on our purchases and buy only those things that are a must, we will produce less wastage. In every household, we can find materials that will never come to use. One or other day, while cleaning the house, we will throw them away. And it causes pollution. If we carefully purchase the supplies, the wastage will automatically reduce.

It is necessary to buy things with less packaging. Nowadays, everything from milk to vegetables comes wrapped up in plastic. Even the vegetable shops are selling wrapped up items. If we cut down on buying things that use more plastics, we will definitely produce less amount of wastage. Reusing products can also help reduce pollution. If we rely on using the same product for a long time instead of buying a new one, we will have less wastage around us. Suppose, if we use the same water bottle instead of buying it daily, we’ll have less to throw away.

Recycle products can equally be beneficial for us. This not only helps us keep our surrounding neat and clean but also save money. Once the material serves the purpose and can’t function more, we throw it away. Before throwing anything away, one needs to think if it can be used for any other purpose.

Besides, every community must be engaged in awareness of sanitation on a regular basis. Only when one is aware of the importance of sanitation, s/he will start taking care of the environment. It is important to keep the environment clean for all of us to stay healthy.