World Population Day as the name suggests is an annual day observed across the world on 11th July to bring awareness about population growth and related issues. It is a day set aside to increase awareness about global population issues and the strain it creates on the environment. To gauge the mammoth rise of the Indian population, the most ideal places to visit are Metro stations, airports, malls, railway stations and bus stands. This great awareness event is to bring a population revolution globally and create awareness among people to tackle this issue effectively.
Much of population increase is seen among the poorest socio-economic strata. It would be ideal for a country like India to be more progressive in outlook and shed inhibitions when it comes to free distribution of contraceptives and condoms among the poor. India, the second most populous country in the world, is projected to surpass China by 2025. The growth of population reached nearly one billion in 1830 and second billion in the next 100 years. Thereafter the growth was tremendous as within a span of 30 years it reached 3 billion, the fourth billion in 15 years and the fifth billion in only 12 years. It is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. More than one billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. A total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. A world of 7 billion is both a challenge and an opportunity with implications on sustainability, urbanization, access to health services and youth empowerment.
If we continue to grow in numbers relentlessly, we would be hard-pressed for resources. Land, housing, water, and food would be scarce. Forests and greenery would be history by then. Our quality of life would be poor. So we have to tackle the population growth right now. It is the responsibility of everyone of us collectively and not just a decision to be made by individuals. Women have the ability and capacity to change the society. Ensuring that they get good education is very important for the society. The campaign of the World Population Day every year increases the knowledge and skills of the people worldwide towards their reproductive health and family planning.
Awareness must be created among people about issues like importance of family planning towards the increasing population, gender equality, maternal and baby health, poverty, human rights, right to health, sexuality education, use of contraceptives and safety measures like condoms, reproductive health, adolescent pregnancy, girl child education, child marriage, sexually transmitted infections and so many. World Population has witnessed a rapid growth in the last 200 years. Countries like China and India together constitutes 37 per cent of the total world population. Population increase is taking away all the developmental results of our nation. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had a vision 2020 to see a developed India. We all know it would take a miracle to get there but if we can stabilize population with zero growth rate by 2020 that will certainly lay the foundation. A mission mode strategy will have to be thought for population stabilization in critical states.
Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
