Corruption and pollution

World celebrates anticorruption day today on 9 December to make pledge for the eradication of the corruption from every country. How much their pledges work to nip the evil of graft from our societies? It can be observed through the latest report of the world corruption released by the Transparency International.

Which country is the most corrupt?

According to this report, most of the countries having bitter experiences of bad governance became more corrupt during the previous one year. Somalia, North Korea, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Iraq, Haiti and Venezuela are the top 10 corrupt countries of the world. On the flip side New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Singapore, Norway, Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland and Canada are the top 10 corruption-free countries. USA is at 24^th corrupt country in total 182 countries of the world, Russia is at 143, Saudi Arabia 57, Turkey 61 and India’s corruption rank is 95.

Effects of corruption

Corruption is the worst administrative malady that mars the entire system of the governance. It entirely cracks the social fabric of the society. If we watch the social and political states of affairs of top 10 corrupt countries of the world we can see every kind of evil is prevailing there. Lawlessness, violence, sectarianism, street crimes, riots, robberies, murders, ransom, arson and extortion; hence every kind of crime is more or less present in such countries. Why? Because every criminal knows he/she can go scot free by offering huge bribes to administrative and legal authorities.

Effects of pollution

No doubt social crimes have their own impact on the society but their impact can be controlled if these crimes are dealt with stern hands. It means if we eliminate these crimes their impact would also subside subsequently and people would take sigh of relief. However, if someone makes a crime of polluting the environment, its impact would remain there even if this crime is completely eradicated from the society.

Pollution in corrupt countries

The most painful reality is that in all highly corrupt countries the crime of polluting the environment is openly being done and very few people raise voice again it. Majority of the people are worry over other social crimes and very much vocal for their control at the administrative level. If a few people express concern over the crime of polluting they are ridiculed by saying oh pollution is a petty issue; let’s first fight against violence, sectarianism, lawlessness, theft, robbery, mobile snatching. After that it is better to worry on pollution. The so-called responsible members of civil society don’t know that pollution is the root cause of many types of the crimes. So first we have to take stand against all those who pollute. Thereafter in a pollution-free environment we would be in a better position to fight against other social crimes.

Blessings in pollution-free economy

In pollution-free society there would be more opportunities in following sectors because of huge demand of their output because of being clean:

• Leather industry
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Fisheries
• Textile industry
• Food industry
• Energy sector
• Water sector
• Agriculture sector

All these sectors and industries would grow in response to the huge demand of their production because of being pollution-free. Obviously more people would be employed in them. As a result unemployment rate would fall, people would prosper and their economic worries would lessen. Thereafter they would not resort to improper means for their economic needs and would start living peacefully as law abiding people.

What to control first; pollution or corruption

So first of all we have to make our environment sector free from the corruption. Our environmental watchdogs must be honest in their duty to control the pollution. They must not discriminate between the weaker polluter and the powerful polluter and must deal both of them equally with iron hand. They must not take bribe to save the skin of the polluters. They must also not be afraid to initiate legal action against all types of the polluters howsoever rowdy or resourceful there are. They must uphold the environmental laws in the line of their green duty.