Water Pollution in India: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Water Pollution in India: Causes, Effects and Solutions
Water pollution is one of the biggest issues facing India right now. As may be
evident, untreated sewage is the biggest source of such form of pollution in
India. There are other sources of pollution such as runoff from the agricultural
sector as well as unregulated units that belong to the small-scale industry.
The situation is so serious that perhaps there is no water body in India that is
not polluted to some extent or the other.
In fact, it is said that almost 80% of the waterbodies in India are highly
polluted. This is especially applicable of ones that some form or the other of
human habitation in their immediate vicinity. Ganga and Yamuna are the
most polluted rivers in India.
Causes of water pollution in India
The single biggest reason for water pollution in India is urbanization at an
uncontrolled rate. The rate of urbanization has only gone up at a fast pace in
the last decade or so, but even then it has left an indelible mark on Indias
aquatic resources. This has led to several environmental issues in the long
term like paucity in water supply, generation and collection of wastewater to
name a few.
The treatment and disposal of wastewater has also been a major issue in this
regard. The areas near rivers have seen plenty of towns and cities come up
and this has also contributed to the growing intensity of problems.
Uncontrolled urbanization in these areas has also led to generation of sewage
water. In the urban areas water is used for both industrial and domestic
purposes from waterbodies such as rivers, lakes, streams, wells, and ponds.
Worst still, 80% of the water that we use for our domestic purposes is passed
out in the form of wastewater. In most of the cases, this water is not treated
properly and as such it leads to tremendous pollution of surface-level
freshwater.
This polluted water also seeps through the surface and poisons groundwater.
It is estimated that cities with populations of more than one lakh people
generate around 16,662 million litres of wastewater in a day. Strangely
enough, 70% of the people in these cities have access to sewerage facilities.
Cities and towns located on the banks of Ganga generate around 33% of
wastewater generated in the country.
Following are some other important reasons of increasing levels of water
pollution in India:
Industrial waste
Improper practices in agricultural sector

Reduction in water quantity in rivers in plains
Social and religious practices like dumping dead bodies in water, bathing,
throwing waste in water
Oil leaks from ships
Acid rain
Global warming
Eutrophication
Inadequate industrial treatment of wastes
Denitrification
Effects of water pollution in India
Water pollution can have some tremendously-adverse effect on the health of
any and every life form living in the vicinity of the polluted water body or
using water that has been polluted to some extent. At a certain level polluted
water can be detrimental to crops and reduce the fertility of soil thus harming
the overall agricultural sector and the country as well. When sea water is
polluted it can also impact oceanic life in a bad way. The most fundamental
effect of water pollution is however on the quality of the water, consuming
which can lead to several ailments.
In fact as far as India is concerned polluted water is one of the major factors
behind the general low levels of health in India, especially in the rural areas.
Polluted water can lead to diseases such as cholera, tuberculosis, dysentery,
jaundice, diarrhoea, etc. In fact, around 80% stomach ailments in India
happen because of consuming polluted water.
Solution of water pollution in India
The best way to solve these issues is to prevent them. The first major solution
in this context is conservation of soil. Soil erosion can contribute to water
pollution. So, if soil can be conserved we can prevent water pollution too. We
can follow measures such as planting more trees, managing erosion in a
better way, and use farming methods that are better for the soil. In the same
vein it is also important to follow the right methods in disposing toxic waste.
For starters, we can use products that have lesser amounts of volatile organic
compounds in them. Even in cases where toxic material like paints, cleaning
supplies, and stain removers are used, they need to be disposed off in the
right way. It is also important to look into oil leaks in ones cars and
machines.
It is said that leaked oil even from cars and machines is one of the
principal contributors to water pollution. Hence, it is important to look at cars
and machines, which run on oil, on a regular basis, to check them for any
possible oil leak. It is important after work especially in factories and
production units where oil is used to clean up the wasted oil and either
dispose it properly or keep it for later use. Following are some other ways in
which this problem can be addressed adequately:
Cleaning up waterways and beaches
Avoiding the usage of non-biodegradable material like plastic
Being more involved in various measures pertaining to preventing water
pollution.

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Improper practices in agricultural sector

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