06 Jun 2016|Noida | Amity Campus Sector- 125 Noida
Amity Institute of Environmental Toxicology Safety and Management (AIETSM) and Amity Institute of Environmental Science (AIES) organised a day long Seminar on ‘World Environment Day’
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“Level of Mercury needs to be continuously monitored in air”, averexperts during World Environment Day celebrations at Amity
AmityInstitute of Environmental Toxicology Safety and Management (AIETSM) and Amity Institute of Environmental Science (AIES) organised a daylong Seminar on ‘Air Pollution: Causes and Prevention’, as a precursor to ‘WorldEnvironment Day’ celebrated every year on June 5, 2016.
Mr. S. K.Gupta, Chairman, Envirotech Instrumental Pvt. Ltd., Dr. David S. Boxer, Environment,Climate, & Scientific Affairs Unit Chief Embassy of the United States ofAmerica New Delhi; Dr. David S. Boxer, Environment, Climate, & ScientificAffairs Unit Chief Embassy of the United States of America New Delhi, Dr. M. P.Goerge- Scientist-D Delhi Pollution Control Committee; Mr. Sho Miura, SecondSecretary, Environment, Embassy of Japan; Dr. W. Selvamurthy- President, AmityScience Technology and Innovation shared their distinguished views with the gathering.
Welcomingthe distinguished gathering, Prof. (Dr.)Tanu Jindal- Director, AIETSM and AIES highlighted various events organisedby AIETSM and AIES to promote environmental sensitivity amongst the citizens ofthe country. She briefed audience with various research projects going on inAmity in the area of Environment, Toxicology and various kinds of Pollution.
Addressingthe gathering, Dr. David S. Boxer,Environment, Climate, & Scientific Affairs Unit Chief Embassy of the UnitedStates of America New Delhi said that promoting economic development andcombating air pollution are two sides of the same coin which cannot beseparated from each other, without destroying the coin. He pointed out thegrave side-effects of growing pollution in India on the health of the peopleincluding over 6, 30, 000 premature deaths every year. He suggested thatimproving air quality and economic development have to go hand in hand andconcerted efforts and sustained policy implementation is required to mitigateadverse effects of air pollution.
Sharinghis views, Mr. S. K. Gupta,Chairman, Envirotech Instrumental Pvt. Ltd outlined that first 200 metres ofAtmosphere is very polluted which leads to numerous diseases in human beingsincluding Asthma, Silicosis, Skin and Eye problems, Contamination of GroundWater and Discoloration of Monuments.
Sharing an important finding, he averred thatIndian coal is found to have substantial traces of Mercury in it and combustionof coal leads to leaching out of Mercury in groundwater and its deposition onplants and vegetation. Expressing his concern, he stressed that despite oflethal effects of consuming mercury, we are still not monitoring the levels ofMercury in the atmosphere, which is a matter of grave concern. Sounding an alarm bell, he cautioned thatMercury, Nickel, Arsenic and Lead are pollutants to watch in future since theyeasily enter the bodies of human beings through ultra fine particles- PM1. Hestressed that the need of the hour is low cost, simple and easy to operateInstruments to measure pollutants specially PM1, which is very harmful.
Dr. M. P. Goerge, Scientist-D, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, while sharing hisviews, stressed that Delhi is on the top amongst Metros when it comes to AirPollution, with high level of Pollutants. He averred that despite of so much ofhue and cry about Pollution, the good news is that the Pollution is notincreasing; pollutants are under control although vehicles are increasing. Hesuggested that human beings need to get over their selfish interests and put inconcerted efforts to fight air pollution in order to reap long term andsustained results.
Addressingthe gathering, Dr. W. Selvamurthy- President,Amity Science Technology and Innovation Foundation shared that WorldEnvironment Day is celebrated worldwide to bring awareness about Environmentand initiate plans to save the Earth. He outlined various R& D projectsgoing on in Amity to improve the air quality of Delhi/NCR.
Duringthe occasion, short Films and Documentaries produced by the students of AmitySchool of Mass Communication were screened to raise awareness about the need tohave cleaner and greener environment.