It was in Singapore, I think…..An Indian passenger threw away his boarding pass and a few bits of loose papers onto the road, as he was about to leave the airport. A policeman at the gate took out a receipt for 100 dollar and handed over the same to him. As he went past the scene after paying the fine, with the receipt in hand, he got annoyed and this time he tore the receipt into pieces and threw them on to the road. In a fit of anger, he took out a cigarette and started smoking. As he moved ahead by a few yards, a police man on duty who happen to see this, caught hold of him immediately and fined him for double faults – one for throwing the paper bits onto the road thereby polluting the environment and the other for polluting the air by smoking cigarette. Singapore is a beautiful city, a pollution free city……

Punishment in way of penalty, forces a person to retrieve from polluting the surroundings. H.G. (Late) Matthews Thirumeni used to say: ‘Dirt is anything misplaced’. Is it not right? The beautiful sand on the sea shore has its beauty when it lies on the shore. But just imagine how one feels, when the sand is served in  a dish, on the table!! Pollution and waste disposal is a unique and un-answered issue in our daily lives. One is not at all ashamed of throwing one’s own household waste products into the compound of a neighbor or on to the main road, without being noticed by anyone.. ‘Throw away culture’ may not be an issue in the developed countries. As they have the machines or other facilities to remove the same, in no time. But as far as we are concerned, we don’t have any available mechanisms by which these waste products can be dumped into underground pits or be burnt away, or be treated in any other way…

All sorts of solid, liquid and gaseous pollutants released from factories and hotels, has totally polluted the land, river and atmosphere around us. It has become dangerous for all inhabitants. ‘Waste treatment’ is an essential requirement…Waste products released from each house hold should be deposited in garbage bags and should be used for making gober gas or manure. I happened to see in Korea that the human excreta, after being processed properly, have been used as manure for green house plants. Gases and even electricity can be generated from heaps of waste…This reveals the fact that God has not created anything as bad or useless. Polluted streams will destroy the fish- treasure in rivers, wells and ponds. It is powerful enough, even to eliminate the plants and the entire animal kingdom. Many of the contagious diseases have their origin from these waste products, which are being thrown away by each of us.

The smoke emanating from Industrial units as well as small or larger vehicles makes the air poisonous. This also results in problems like allergy, asthma etc. which can negatively affect a person’s capacity to work. Provisions for storage of Fresh water as well as planting more and more trees and plants will help to increase the beauty of a better life. People who are well trained from childhood will not retrieve from that behavior so easily….. What our elders say is true: “Experience gained at childhood continues till end”….Only those who can love trees and animals, will be able to love his/her fellow human beings. In reality, birth of pollution takes place within the minds of people. A polluted mind pollutes the environment. “A person with a clean mind helps in maintaining his surroundings clean and sacred”. Being the Temple of God, your body has to be Holy. And so should be the Universe, created by God. To maintain this entire Universe, as clean and Holy, is the greatest responsibility bestowed upon each and every human being on earth. We should admit that we have miserably failed in this aspect. We should try our level best, to succeed in this.