Prof (Dr) R.D. Gupta
The term world population generally reflects to the total number of living human beings on the planet Earth at a given time. Now a days, “World Population Day”, is observed every year on 11th July. This day was instituted in 1989 as an outgrowth of the day of five billion population, marked on 11th July 1987. The Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme authorized this event as a vehicle to create and build awareness about “Global Population” issues and concerns vis-à-vis the impact they have on development and environment. Since then, with the United Nations Population Fund’s encouragement, various governments and non-government organizations, institutions and individuals organize and celebrate this annual world population day.
Population i.e; the quantity and quality of people is a dynamic force. It is not static but always changes slowly or rapidly depending upon a variety of factors. People’s welfare, however, mostly relies on air, water and land/soil resources to a great extend. It is because all these three natural resources serve as life supporting systems. But it is unfortunate that all the aforesaid natural resources have been now very much deteriorated and polluted owing to population explosion.
The rapid rate of growth of population is called population explosion. “We are now consuming Nature’s resources including air, water and soil faster than it can regenerate”. The world’s 7 billions population during October 2011 was spending nearly 20 per cent more natural resources than the planet earth can produce, the Environmental Organization, the World Wide Fund for Nature has elucidated.
India’s population stood at 1.21 billion on 31st March, 2011,up from 1.02 billion in 2001, evincing that almost 17.5 per cent of the world’s population dwellet check in India. It was equivalent to the combined population of the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan. Although the absolute increase in population at 181 million for the first time was seen which was less than 182 million in the last decade i.e; 2001. This credit goes to the National Population Policy of India which was constituted during the year 2000 with the objective of achieving stable population by 2045. However, India may see stable population merely by the year 2056-57 at a level of 1.62 billion (Singh, 2011).
Environmental Problems
Population explosion has not only led to rise in prices of the life essential commodities, unemployment and poverty but has loomed largely pollution of the living organisms. It directly contributes to the environmental situations. As the population grows its direct impact is appeared on natural surrounding i.e; air, water, soil etc; and it becomes apparent in various ways. The problem arising from anthropogenic level induces environment spree which include growing loss of biodiversity, worldwide ozone depletion, acid rains, loss of top soil and shortage of water, increasing green house gas emissions as well as scarcity of food, fodder and fuel wood in many parts of the world including India.
The rapid population growth in the developing countries has added to the environmental problems, which have shown a spiraling effect on demand for natural resources. Actually, the rapid population is deepening poverty of the people. Man-Land ratio has become adverse. Due to this adverse situation lots of people are living a precarious life. They are facing problem of food, shelter and lack of earning capacity. Many of them have drifted to the slums and shanty towns or cities.
Half of the urban population of India lives in the above said informal settlements. The residential areas are thoroughly polluted by industrial and domestic wastes. Clean air and water are no longer free gifts of nature. The quality of life in urban India is really depressing. Human drudgery deprivation and indignity become the worst aspects of environment. To control the present population problem i.e, growth rate of population of the country, the following measure are required to be followed.
i) Late Marriage: The raising of the minimum age of marriage both through legislation and arousing consciousness can play a pivotal role in controlling population growth. It will prevent to reduce the effective child bearing period as well as knocking off the most fertile period from the child bearing point of view.
ii) Self-restraint: Malthus and father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi were firmly in favour of practicing self-restraint. Self restraint will definitely assist in reducing the birth rate.
iii) Imparting of Education: Imparting of more education both to the girls and boys with regard to the benefits in checking the growth rate of population is essential. This may create a desire for smaller families. Educated people can better understand that the children are not only the blessings of the Almighty God, but they themselves are amenable for them. If they like to lead a good life, they must put a control on the number of children.
iv) Improving Women’s Status: The women are needed to have more respect and reverence in the society. This will be possible only if the women are given proper education. They should become economically independent so that they go in for late marriage. Moreover, well educated and working women do not like to be encumbered by many children. Hence, more increasing employment of women will surely improve their social status which eventually can lessen the birth rate of population.
v) Urbanization: Usually urban people have more tendency towards family planning. It is on record that urban people have low birth rate as compared to those living in rural areas. Hence urbanization should be encouraged who opt for this.
vi) Change in Social outlook: Social attitude of the people should undergo a change. If a person does not go in for marriage or a woman does not bear a child, they should not be looked down upon, rather they should be behaved more socially.
vii) Standard of Living: Improved standard of living will assist in declining the birth rate as people possessing high standard of living prefer to have small family.
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