Knowledge, Awareness, and Perception (KAP)- A Study on Environmental Pollution of Coastal Villages in Kanyakumari District

Abstract

Through one’s own knowledge, awareness and perception people come to know about everything in their fingertips. One of such knowledge, awareness and perceptions are environment pollution and it is impact on human beings, flora and fauna. Environmental Pollution is the introduction of toxic and chemical substances into the air, water, soil causing serious problems to the health of humans and ecosystem. Human sustainability of this earth depends on the level of pollution. It badly affects the social and economic life of human beings. Therefore this paper aims to tell the readers and policy makers about environment pollution and how it affects the poor people particularly the fishermen in Kanyakumari District. Results from 225 sample respondents indicate the sample respondents have given high mean score for water pollution, plastic pollution and Air pollution with its score of value of 3.74, 3.72 and 3.70 with S.D value of 1.407, 1.329 and 1.384 respectively. Due to these pollutants the respondents are susceptible to diseases like Cancer, Immune deficiency and Skin irritations with its mean value of 3.18, 2.97 and 2.72 respectively. This paper too offer a few suggestions to the government and well wishers of fishermen to take control of this situation and save the life of millions and millions of the people in the world. Otherwise we create our comforts at the risk of our future generation and in the coming days they would curse us irrespective of wealth we leave behind. Hence it is a major issue to be attended immediately.
Key words: Knowledge; Awareness; perception; environmental pollution & Diseases