Water Pollution in India

WHY IN NEWS:

• Researchers found out that the pollution of dissolved heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic, lead, mercury and zinc in the Ganga has been reduced by 50 per cent during the Covid pandemic

WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION?

• Water pollution is the addition or presence of undesirable substances to or in water such as organic, inorganic, biological, radiological, heat, which degrades the quality of water so that it becomes unfit for use.

STATISTICS:

• As per NITI Aayog, overall, 70 percent of the freshwater sources in the country were found to be contaminated
• In 2019, 387 districts in India were contaminated by nitrate, thereby being the prime contaminant source.
• Every day, almost 40 million litres of wastewater enters rivers and other water bodies with only a tiny fraction adequately treated.
• According to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) September 2018 report, 351 polluted river stretches have been identified on 323 rivers in the country.

CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION

• Sewage water:
  • Sewage water includes discharges from houses and other establishments.
  • The sewage contains human and animal excreta, food residues, cleaning agents, detergents, etc.
  • Domestic and hospital sewage contain many undesirable pathogenic microorganisms.
  • Presence of organic and inorganic wastes in water decreases the dissolved oxygen content of the water.
  • Water having Dissolved Oxygen (DO) content below 8.0 mg/L may be considered as contaminated.
• Industrial Wastes
  • Discharge of wastewater from industries like petroleum, paper manufacturing, metal extraction and processing, chemical manufacturing, etc., that often contain toxic substances, notably, heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, arsenic) and a variety of organic compounds.
• Agricultural sources
  • Agricultural runoff contains dissolved salts such as nitrates, phosphates, ammonia and other nutrients, and toxic metal ions and organic compounds.
  • Excess fertilisers may reach the groundwater by leaching or may be mixed with surface water.
  • Many of the pesticides are non-degradable, and their residues have a long life.
• Thermal Pollution
  • Power plants – thermal and nuclear, chemical and other industries use a lot of water for cooling purposes, and the used hot water is discharged into rivers, streams or oceans.
  • Discharge of hot water may increase the temperature of the receiving water by 10 to 15 °C above the ambient water temperature. This is thermal pollution.
  • Increase in water temperature decreases dissolved oxygen in the water.
• Radioactive substances:
  • Nuclear accidents near water bodies or during natural calamities like tsunami and earthquakes pose the risk of radiation leakage (radiation exposure) into water bodies. E.g. Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
  • Radiation exposure causes mutations in the DNA of marine organisms. If those mutations are not repaired, the cell may turn cancerous.
• Global warming
  • Rising global temperatures caused by CO2 emissions heat the water, reducing its oxygen content.
• Urbanization:
  • Unregulated growth of urban areas, particularly over the last two decades, without infrastructural services for proper collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of domestic waste water led to increased water pollution and health hazards.
• Ineffectiveness of local bodies:
  • The municipalities and such other civic authorities are responsible for management of the waste water
  • They have not been able to cope up with the massive task and could be attributed to various reasons including erosion of authority, inability to raise revenues and inadequate managerial capabilities.
• Lack of infrastructure:
  • As per published estimates of the Central Pollution Control Board, the country has a treatment capacity of only about 30% of sewage generated in the major cities
• Maritime traffic
  • Much of the plastic pollution in the ocean water comes from fishing boats, tankers and cargo shipping.
  • Oil spills during marine transport and leakage from underground storage tanks are most common cause of marine pollution
• Invasive species
  • Plants of water hyacinth are the world’s most problematic aquatic weed, also called ‘Terror of Bengal’.
  • They grow abundantly in eutrophic water bodies and lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem.
  • They cause havoc by their excessive growth leading to stagnation of polluted water.
• Underground water pollution
  • In India at many places, the groundwater is threatened with contamination due to seepage from industrial and municipal wastes and effluents, sewage channels and agricultural runoff.
  • Pollutants like fluorides, uranium, heavy metals and nutrients like nitrates and phosphates are common in many parts of India.

IMPACT:

• Health impact:
  • Humans are affected by water pollution and can contract diseases such as hepatitis through faecal matter in water sources.
  • Poor drinking water treatment and unfit water can always cause an outbreak of infectious diseases such as cholera, etc.
• Affects aquatic life:
  • It affects their metabolism, behaviour, causes illness and eventual death
• Huge impact on the food chain:
  • Water pollution disrupts the food-chain.
  • Cadmium and lead are some toxic substances found in polluted water >> these pollutants upon entering the food chain through animals (fish when consumed by animals, humans) can continue to disrupt at higher levels.
• Lack of potable water:
  • The UN says that billions of people around the world have no access to clean water to drink or sanitation, particularly in rural areas.
• Economic impact
  • As per World Bank findings >> "Deteriorating water quality is stalling economic growth and exacerbating poverty in many countries".
  • When biological oxygen demand - the indicator that measures the organic pollution found in water - exceeds a certain threshold, the growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the regions within the associated water basins falls by a third

STEPS TAKEN TO CONTROL WATER POLLUTION

• National River Conservation Plan
  • The objective of NRCP is to reduce the pollution load in rivers through implementation of various pollution abatement works, thereby improving their water quality
  • Presently NRCP (excluding Ganga and its tributaries) has covered polluted stretches of 34 rivers in 77 towns spread over 16 States
  • Pollution abatement works taken up under the NRCP include:
    • Interception and diversion works/ laying of sewerage systems to capture raw sewage flowing into the rivers through open drains and diverting them for treatment.
    • Setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for treating the diverted sewage
    • Construction of Low Cost Sanitation Toilets to prevent open defecation on river banks
    • Construction of Electric Crematoria and Improved Wood Crematoria to conserve the use of wood
    • River Front Development works, such as improvement of bathing ghats
    • Public participation & awareness and capacity building, etc
• Namami Gange Programme
  • It is an Integrated Conservation Mission by the Union Government to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
  • Key achievements under Namami Gange programme are:
    • Creating Sewerage Treatment Capacity:
      • 63 sewerage management projects are under implementation in the States of Uttarakhand,Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal
    • Creating River-Front Development:
      • 28 River-Front Development projects and 33 Entry level Projects for construction, modernization and renovation of 182 Ghats and 118 crematoria has been initiated.
    • River Surface Cleaning:
      • River Surface cleaning for collection of floating solid waste from the surface of the Ghats and River and its disposal are afoot and pushed into service at 11 locations.
    • Bio-Diversity Conservation:
      • One of NMCG’s long-term visions for Ganga rejuvenation is to restore viable populations of all endemic and endangered biodiversity of the river, so that they occupy their full historical range and fulfil their role in maintaining the integrity of the Ganga river ecosystems.
    • Afforestation:
      • One of the major components of Ganga rejuvenation is ‘forestry interventions’ to enhance the productivity and diversity of the forests in head water areas and all along the river and its tributaries
    • Public Awareness:
      • A series of activities such as events, workshops, seminars and conferences and numerous IEC activities were organized to make a strong pitch for public outreach and community participation in the programme
    • Industrial Effluent Monitoring:
      • Regulation and enforcement through regular and surprise inspections of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) is carried out for compliance verification against stipulated environmental norms.
    • Ganga Gram:
      • It is an integrated approach for the holistic development of villages situated on the banks of the holy river with the active participation of villagers
      • Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has identified 1674 Gram Panchayats
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution), Act 1974
  • As per the Provisions of these Acts >> Industrial units are required to install effluent treatment plants (ETPs) and treat their effluents to comply with stipulated environmental standards before discharging into river and water bodies.
• Institutions:
  • Water quality of different rivers in the country is being regularly monitored by agencies such as
    • Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
    • State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)
    • Pollution Control Committees (PCCs)
    • Central Water Commission (CWC)
  • CPCB, SPCBs and PCCs monitor industries with respect to effluent discharge standards and take action for non-compliance under provisions of Environment (Protection) Act and Water Act.
• National Green Tribunal orders:
  • In compliance with NGT orders concerned states or union territories are implementing Action Plans for restoration of water quality in the identified polluted stretches of rivers in their respective States/UTs.
• River Rejuvenation Committees (RRCs) and Central Monitoring Committee (CMC):
  • RRCs have been constituted by State Governments/UTs for preparation and implementation of approved Action Plans for restoration of water quality in the identified polluted stretches of rivers and a Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) has been constituted at Central level to monitor progress of implementation.
• Jal Jeevan Mission
  • It is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
  • The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting.

CASE STUDY:

• Minamata Incident:
  • In 1932, a factory in Minamata City, Japan began dumping its industrial effluent – Methylmercury, into the surrounding bay and the sea.
  • Methylmercury is incredibly toxic to humans and animals alike, causing a wide range of neurological disorders.
  • Methylmercury had started to bioaccumulate inside shellfishes and fish in the Minamata Bay >> these affected organisms caught and consumed by the local population
  • People showed symptoms of acute mercury poisoning such as ataxia, muscle weakness, damage to speech and hearing etc. which was followed by coma and death.
  • These diseases and deaths continued for almost 36 years before it could be officially acknowledged by the government
• Pollution of the Ganges:
  • In India, the river Ganges is the sixth most polluted river in the world.
  • This is unsurprising as hundreds of industries nearby release their effluents into the river.
  • Furthermore, religious activities such as burials and cremations near the shore contribute towards pollution.
  • Apart from the ecological implications, this river poses serious health risk as it can cause diseases like typhoid and cholera.
  • Pollution of the Ganges is also driving some of the distinct fauna to extinction. For example the Ganges River shark is a critically endangered species and the Ganges River dolphin is endangered species.

WAY FORWARD:

• Innovative solutions in abating marine pollution:
  • For example >> oil spills in water can be cleaned with the help of bigoli - a byproduct of paper industry resembling sawdust, oil zapper microorganisms.
• Combating global warming:
  • Reduced CO2 emissions prevent global warming and acidification of the oceans.
• Urban management:
  • Slums on the river bed along with their inhabitants are relocated so that their daily usage in the river bed do not lead to pollution of water.
• Improving infrastructure:
  • Increasing the capacity or quality of urban sewerage treatment plants >> to cope with the ever increasing sewerage load due to the population pressure in the cities >> is the need of the hour.
• Use of technology:
  • Continuous, in-situ sewerage water quality monitoring systems without human intervention which will provide real-time data on water quality’s health is required
  • With advanced automated sensors >> this is now a possibility.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Identify the theoretical and policy issues involved in the abatement and avoidance of water pollution in India?