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Water pollution in India

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Canals, rivers and lakes in India often serve as dumping grounds for sewage, solid and liquid wastes. These are sources of water pollution, as illustrated in Tamil Nadu (above) and West Bengal (below).

Water pollution is a major environmental issue in India. The largest source of water pollution in India is untreated sewage.[1] Other sources of pollution include agricultural runoff and unregulated small scale industry. Most rivers, lakes and surface water in India are polluted.[2]

The issue

water pollution: water pollution is a major global Sewage discharged from cities,towns and some villages is the predominant cause of water pollution in India. In India there are some of rivers which is mixed mixed with garbage which causes death or highly diseases and polluting the clean drinking water and the drainage etc.... we should not pollute the water, if we pollute we will be caused by many diseases of water pollution.

air pollution: 

air pollution causes particulates, biological molecules harmful materials into the Earth's atmosphere, possibly causing disease, death to humans, damage to other living organisms such as food crops, or the natural or built environment and infected with dust allergy.An air pollutant is a substance in the air that can have adverse effects on humans and the ecosystem.A pollutant can be of natural origin or man-made. Pollutants are classified as primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are usually produced from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption. Other examples include carbon monoxide gas from motor vehicle exhaust, or the sulfur dioxide released from factories.

Noise pollution: Noise pollution is the disturbing or excessive noise that may harm the activity or balance of human or animal life.Outdoor noise is summarized by the word environmental noise.Indoor noise can be caused by machines, building activities, and music performances, especially in some workplaces. Human,Noise pollution affects both health and behavior. Unwanted sound (noise) can damage psychological health. Noise pollution can cause trouble, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects.[5][6][7][8] Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to health problems

soil pollution: Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, or improper disposal of waste. Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, or improper disposal of waste.

Biochemical oxygen demand

In 2008, the water quality monitoring found almost all rivers with high levels of BOD. The worst pollution, in decreasing order, were found in river Markanda (590 mg O/l), followed by river Kali (364), river Amlakhadi (353), Yamuna canal (247), river Yamuna at the Delhi (70) and river Betwa (58). For context, a water sample with a 5 day BOD between 1 and 2 mg O/L indicates a very clean water, 3 to 8 mg O/L indicates a moderately clean water, 8 to 20 indicates borderline water, and greater than 20 mg O/L indicates ecologically-unsafe polluted water.

The levels of BOD are severe near the cities and major towns. In rural parts of India, the river BOD levels were sufficient to support aquatic life.[1][3]

Coliform levels

Rivers Yamuna, Ganga, Gomti, Ghaggar, Chambal, Mahi, Vardha are amongst the other most coliform polluted water bodies in India. For context, coliform must be below 104 MPN/100 ml,[4] preferably absent from water for it to be considered safe for general human use, and for irrigation where coliform may cause disease outbreak from contaminated-water in agriculture.[5][6]

In 2006, 47 percent of water quality monitoring reported coliform concentrationst above 500 MPN/100 ml. During 2008, 33 percent of all water quality monitoring stations reported a total coliform levels exceeding those levels, suggesting recent effort to add pollution control infrastructure and upgrade treatment plants in India, may be reversing the water pollution trend.[2]

Treatment of domestic sewage and subsequent utilization of treated sewage for irrigation can prevent pollution of water bodies, reduce the demand for fresh water in the irrigation sector and become a resource for irrigation. Since 2005, Indian wastewater treatment plant market has been growing annually at the rate of 10 to 12 percent. The United States is the largest supplier of treatment equipment and supplies to India, with 40 percent market share of new installation.[7] At this rate of expansion, and assuming the government of India continues on its path of reform, major investments in sewage treatment plants and electricity infrastructure development, India will nearly triple its water treatment capacity by 2015, and treatment capacity supply will match India's daily sewage water treatment requirements by about 2020.

Other problems

A joint study by PGIMER and Punjab Pollution Control Board in 2008, revealed that in villages along the Nullah, fluoride, mercury, beta-endosulphan and heptachlor pesticide were more than permissible limit (MPL) in ground and tap waters. Plus the water had high concentration of COD and BOD (chemical and biochemical oxygen demand), ammonia, phosphate, chloride, chromium, arsenic and chlorpyrifos pesticide. The ground water also contains nickel and selenium, while the tap water has high concentration of lead, nickel and cadmium.[8]

Flooding during monsoons worsens India's water pollution problem, as it washes and moves solid waste and contaminated soils into its rivers and wetlands. The annual average precipitation in India is about 4000 billion cubic metres.[9] From this, with the state of Indian infrastructure in 2005, the available water resource through the rivers is about 1869 billion cubic meters. Accounting to uneven distribution of rain over the country each year, water resources available for utilization, including ground water, is claimed to be about 1122 billion cubic meters. Much of this water is unsafe, because pollution degrades water quality. Water pollution severely limits the amount of water available to Indian consumer, its industry and its agriculture.

Specific rivers

The Ganges

The ghats of river Ganges are polluted.
Main article: Pollution of the Ganges

More than 400 million people live along the Ganges River. An estimated 2,000,000 persons ritually bathe daily in the river, which is considered holy by Hindus.[10] Ganges river pollution is a major health risk.[11]

NRGBA was established by the Central Government of India, on 20 February 2009 under Section 3(3) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It also declared Ganges as the "National River" of India.[12] The chair includes the Prime Minister of India and Chief ministers of states through which the Ganges flows.[13]

The Yamuna

Further information: [[:Pollution of the Yamuna River]]
The Oshiwara River in Mumbai - severely polluted with solid and liquid wastes generated by Mumbai.

By an estimate of 2012, Delhi's sacred Yamuna river contained 7,500 coliform bacteria per 100cc of water. A huge number of NGOs, pressure groups, eco-clubs, as well as citizens' movements, have been active in there task to clean the river. [14]

Even though India revised its National Water Policy in 2002 to encourage community participation and decentralize water management, the country's Byzantine bureaucracy ensures that it remains a "mere statement of intent." Responsibility for managing water issues is fragmented among a dozen different ministries and departments without any coordination. The government bureaucracy and state-run project department has failed to solve the problem, despite having spent many years and $140 million[14] on this project.

Other

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Evaluation Of Operation And Maintenance Of Sewage Treatment Plants In India-2007" (PDF). CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD, Ministry of Environment & Forests. 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Central Pollution Control Board, India, Annual Report 2008–2009" (PDF). Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt of India. 2009.
  3. ^ Kaur et al., Wastewater production, treatment and use in India UN Water (Publisher)
  4. ^ Ceri Morris; et al. (May 2008). "Comparison of Transcription-Mediated Amplification and Growth-Based Methods for the Quantitation of Enterococcus Bacteria in Environmental Waters". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 74 (10). doi:10.1128/AEM.02623-07. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |author-separator= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Annette Prüss; et al. (May 2002). "Estimating the Burden of Disease from Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene at a Global Level" (PDF). Environmental Health Perspectives. 110 (5). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |author-separator= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, 4th Edition" (PDF). World Health Organization. 2011.
  7. ^ "Indian Water and Wastewater Treatment Market Opportunities for US Companies" (PDF). Virtus Global Partners. 2008.
  8. ^ "Buddha Nullah the toxic vein of Malwa". Indian Express. May 21, 2008.
  9. ^ "Status of Sewage Treatment in India" (PDF). Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt of India. 2005.
  10. ^ Hyde, Natalie (2010). Population patterns : what factors determine the location and growth of human settlements?. New York: Crabtree Pub. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-7787-5182-3.
  11. ^ India's polluted Ganges River threatens people's livelihoods DW Germany (2013)
  12. ^ "National Ganga River Basin Authority"
  13. ^ "Composition of NGRBA."
  14. ^ a b Yamuna: Story of a river being poisoned to death. The Hindu on July 6, 2012 issue
  15. ^ Pravin U. Singare; Ravindra M. Mishra; Manisha P. Trivedi; Deepak V. Dagli (2012). "Aquatic pollution in Mithi River of Mumbai: assessment of physico-chemical parameters". Interdisciplinary Environmental Review. 13, No.4: 245 - 268.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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