Threat to environment

Healthy living depends on healthy environment. Human life suffers immensely when the natural balance of the environment is disturbed. For years, man lived in harmony with his environment. However, the birth of industrialisation has brought with it many challenges posing serious threat to the environment. The natural environment is under erosion from chemical wastes and wastewater thrown out by mushrooming factories in every city, trails of smoke emitted by vehicles or smoke bellowing out from factories, brick kilns and not to mention the ever present dust.
To top it all off nowadays even the products are made from materials that do not decompose and impact the environment negatively.
The responsibility to protect our environment falls on everyone. We are all morally bound to shoulder this responsibility in whatever capacity required. From a layman to an employee at a multinational company, every one has to come forward and play their role in cushioning the environment from the scourge of modernisation and industrialisation.
The world over, there are groups and civil society organisations, campaigning for a healthy environment. Apart from these volunteer bodies, the government and private sectors organisations are also coming up with plans to safeguard the environment. The government-run Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) are working to monitor the level of pollutants in the environment and atmosphere to come up with a viable solution to fight this problem.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a buzzword and is fast becoming an important asset for corporate houses. The socially responsible business organisation focuses on activities that benefit the disadvantaged people and communities in addition to the contractually obliged ones. With the introduction and practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR), multinational companies are now designing and implementing environmental sensitisation and awareness programmes for its workers.
They are cultivating a sense of importance regarding a healthy environment in their employees and motivating them to participate in various projects of protecting the environment. This environment activism on the part of employees is helping a lot in keeping the environment safe from the ill effects of pollution, smoke and other nuisances.
The companies are no longer regarded as troublemakers for the environment but as contributors of positive values and practices to the environment. They know that the environment is a lifeline for humanity and its degradation could cause irreparable damage to life on this planet.
To preserve and safe the environment from the various wastes produced; the companies have installed the latest pollution control technology. They are now operating in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business.
The companies are working beyond their legal liability towards the environment and incorporating measures to not only reduce the pollution in the environment but also to clean it. Wherever they have set up their production plants, they have introduced safety measures to minimise the impact of their operation on the environment and the community they are working in. The enterprises have also launched rigorous waste management programmes with the sole objective of reducing environmental hazards.
Thousands of workers are associated with multinational companies spread across the country. And fortunately, due to various specialised programmes, they are highly sensitised towards the environment. They are enthusiastic supporters of any cause aimed at improving their environment and community.
This is a good step of these companies to come up with such programmes to educate their staff on issues like environment protection, waste management etc. It connotes responsibility and taking charge of one's own environment and community. Such self-help programmes have always shown success and greater positive impact on the nation as a whole.
The Pakistani government should ensure that everyone across the board should practice sound, ethical procedures and act as responsible citizens. If they ensure and regulate the various business ventures there is no doubt that we will have ensured a better tomorrow for our generations to come.