Langbangi Nungsha, a coincidence of World Ozone Day

N Munal Meitei *

Fishing during a hot summer day at Chajing Pukhri Achouba, Chajing, in third week of May 2012
Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

People belonging to the Meitei community across Manipur and beyond remembered their departed souls of the forefathers on the occasion of Langban Heitha-Leitha or Tarpan. On the next day of full moon of Langbantha, the September month is the start of Tarpan that will last for fifteen days when we offer our floral tribute to the forefathers and ancestors. Somebody may observe in larger form as 'Utsav Katpa' or some as with a little drop of water or a leaf of tulsi but the eternal believe is the same.

It is our believed that by offering food to the God and the elderly men, the soul and spirit of the departed forefathers are pleased. If they pleased then they protect their children and bless them with boons. It is also our believed that during the Autumnal Equinox, i.e. the season of Tarpan, the sky is very clear and during this time the spirit and souls of the forefathers could look down from their Heavenly abode to assess their descendents. After the lean month of June and July, the departed souls are always eager to know the conditions for their sons and grandsons on the earth. This is the Tarpan of our cultural legacy.

Sunshine in Langbantha is most intense. Scientifically during Langbantha, after the long rainy days, the pollutant level in the sky is much reduced and thus there is intense sunshine. The idea of Global dimming and Albedo Yacht by Janathan Latham and Stephan Salter also much relates with this phenomenon.

Today, the 16th September is the World Ozone Day. Like other environmental problems, ozone depletion is also considered as a major environmental issue by all nations on the earth. Unfortunately, manufacturing activities since the industrial revolution have caused a disturbance in the atmosphere and opened up for more UV rays to come through to the earth. There have been serious consequences, and potentially it can get worse if we do not act responsibly.

That is why we are celebrating this day as the World Ozone Day with many meanings. Due to ozone layer depletion, many unpredicted dreaded challenges have come up to all the biotic forms on the planet. Hence the world has stood up now to count the effects and remedies of ozone layer depletion. Ozone was discovered by Christian Friedrich, a German chemist in 1840. It is very rare in our atmosphere, at an average, in 10 millions of air molecules, there are about two millions of oxygen molecules and only three molecules are of ozone (O3). Though very small in quantity, it plays a vital role in our atmosphere. It occurs naturally in the atmosphere because of the energy from the Sun and at the time of lightning, ozone is also formed.

Ozone may be divided into two groups, the atmospheric ozone or ground ozone and the stratospheric ozone or Ozone layer. Though the ground ozone is injurious us, what we are discussing is the stratospheric ozone.

Stratospheric ozone or Ozone layer:- Earth's atmosphere is divided into several layers. The lower region, known as Troposphere extends from surface upto 10 km. in altitude. Virtually, all the human activities occur in this region. The next layer is Stratosphere extending from 10 Km. to 50 km. above the ground. About 90% of the Earth's ozone is found in this region with maximum concentration occurring at the height of about 23.5 Km. Ozone at this region is formed when oxygen molecules absorbed ultraviolet photon from Sunlight and undergoes photolysis, the Oxygen molecules is broken down into two oxygen atoms.

The free Oxygen atom is very reactive and then combines with an oxygen molecule to form an Ozone molecule. This triple bonded ozone is quite unstable; one atom needs to be shed to make it stable again. In the process, ozone molecules split up into an oxygen molecule and an oxygen atom. Thus, the total account of ozone is maintained by this continuous process of destruction and regeneration. These ozone molecules absorb Ultraviolet rays of wavelength 310-280 nm, also known as UV-B, the most harmful radiation thereby preventing it from entering into the Earth's further atmosphere.

Ozone layer depletion:- Ozone layer depletion was first captured the attention of the whole world in the latter half of 1970 and it was confirmed from the satellite pictures in the mid 1980s. Since then many discussions and researches have started to find out the possible effects and the causes of ozone layer depletion. The fact that ozone layer depletion was recorded upto 60% forming ozone holes overhead during the Antarctic spring, September to November every year. But now the formations of these ozone holes have spread all over the glove. The cause of this ozone depletion is due to the increase in the level of free radicals of hydroxyl, nitrous oxides and other halocarbons. But the most important compound which shares about 80% of the stratospheric ozone depletion is the Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs.

Earlier mankind thought the CFCs as the boon of the God, because CFCs are very stable, nonflammable, low in toxicity, easy to transport and en-expensive to manufacture but very useful. They are extensively used for Refrigeration, Air-conditioning, Foam blowing agents, cleaning of the electronic components and as a Solvent. Other hydrocarbon compounds containing chlorine, fluorine and bromine which also causes ozone layer depletion that are coming out mainly from Swimming pools, Industrial plants, Sea salts and Volcanoes are easily break down within the lower part of the atmosphere called Troposphere by the natural processes like sunlight, wind and rain etc. They do not reach the upper stratosphere. But CFCs are so stable that they cannot be broken down easily in the lower atmosphere except only when by exposure to strong Ultraviolet ray when they reach in the Stratosphere.

When CFCs break down, free chlorine atoms are released. These chlorine atoms react with ozone molecules to form a Chlorine monoxide (ClO) and an oxygen molecule, (O2). Now the Chlorine monoxide, so formed again react with another ozone molecule forming a chlorine (Cl) atom and two molecules of oxygen (O2). This free chlorine atom again react with another ozone molecule to form Chlorine monoxide and the process continue till they destroy about 1 million ozone molecules by a single chlorine atom. With this process, the ozone layer in the stratosphere is depleting day by day.

The Effects of Ozone layer depletion:- When we are discussing the question of ozone layer depletion, the answer lies with the harmful effects of Ultraviolet ray (UV-ray). UV- ray are short wave invisible light occurring next to the visible colour Violet and before the X-ray spectrum. It was discovered by Johann Wilhelm Ritter, a German physicist during 1972. The source of almost all these UV-rays is from the sun. Ozone layer acts as a blanket by absorbing these harmful UV-rays and they do not allow most of them to reach the earth's surface. Exposure to higher amounts of UV radiation could have serious impacts on humans, animals and plants.

The challenges to human health includes skin cancers, sunburns and premature aging of the skin, more cataracts, blindness and other eye diseases: UV radiation can damage several parts of the eye, including the lens, cornea, retina and conjunctiva. Cataracts, a clouding of the lens are the major cause of blindness in the world. A sustained 10% thinning of the ozone layer is expected to result in almost two million new cases of cataracts per year, globally. Ozone layer depletion also weakens of the human immune system i.e. immunosuppression.

Ozone layer depletion has also adverse impacts on agriculture, forestry and natural ecosystems. World's major crop species are particularly vulnerable to increased UV, resulting in reduced growth, photosynthesis and flowering. These species include wheat, rice, barley, oats, corn, soybeans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Only a few commercially important trees have been tested for UV (UV-B) sensitivity, but early results suggest that plant growth, especially in seedlings, is harmed by more intense UV radiation.

Coral Reefs that mankind termed them as the Tropical Forest of the ocean are also most affected by ozone layer depletion. The phytoplankton, the tiny photosynthesizing plants provide 50 percent of all the oxygen on Earth but UV-B ray causes genetic damages to these organisms. Loss of biodiversity in our oceans, rivers and lakes could reduce fish yields for commercial and sport fisheries.

Ozone layer depletion affects animals. UV overexposure may cause eye and skin cancers to them. Species of marine animals in their developmental stage e.g. young fish, shrimp larvae and crab larvae have been threatened in recent years by the increased UV radiation under the Antarctic ozone hole.

Materials such as wood, plastic, rubber, fabrics and many construction materials are degraded by UV radiation. The economic impact of ozone depletion on replacing and/or protecting materials could be significant.

Conclusion:- The increasing concern over the causes and the effects of ozone layer depletion led to the observation of the "World Ozone Day" on the 16th day of September every year. This marks the occasion Montreal Protocol signed by 192 countries on this day of 1987. It is an undisputed fact that if we stop use and the production of CFCs right now, then also, its problem will persist on the earth for the next one hundred years to come. But to reduce and control of the Industrial emission of CFCs, many countries have eventually agreed to discontinue the production of CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform etc. except for a few specific proposes.

Now the industries also have started to develop with more ozone friendly substitutes. For the peoples of north eastern India including our state Manipur who are dwelling in the higher altitude and also nearer to the geographical tropic have the more vulnerability to the harmful effects of ozone layer depletion. As a part of observation of World Ozone Day, every one of us needs to take care of our Environment and the ozone layer right from this moment onwards.

Therefore, all other things being equally important and adherence to the International agreements, more co-operation and understanding among the countries of the world is required to mitigate the problem and to heal up the ozone layer within the shortest possible time for a brighter and prosperous future Biodiversity.