Introduction

Water pollution is a major global problem which requires ongoing evaluation and revision
of water resource policy at all levels (international down to individual aquifers and wells).
It has been suggested that water pollution is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and
diseases, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. An estimated
580 people in India die of water pollution related illness every day. About 90 percent of
the water in the cities of China is polluted. As of 2007, half a billion Chinese had no access
to safe drinking water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing
countries, developed countries also continue to struggle with pollution problems. For
example, in the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 44
percent of assessed stream miles, 64 percent of assessed lake acres, and 30 percent of
assessed bays and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted. The head of China's
national development agency said in 2007 that one quarter the length of China's seven
main rivers were so poisoned the water harmed the skin.
Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired
by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, such as drinking
water, or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic
communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms,
and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of
water.

WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION?

Water pollution refers to the blend of such substances in river, lakes, ponds, underground
and sea water that invalidates water for the use by humans, flora and fauna. It affects the
whole of the world, as water is the basis of life.

INFORMATION ON WATER POLLUTION

In India, the biggest cause of water pollution is urbanization taking place at a fast and
unbridled pace. In the past decade, the rate of urbanization has grown so intensely that it
has left an indelible impression on water resources of the country. As a result, it has given
rise to environmental issues on a long-term basis. These include the lack of water supply,
water pollution and problems with regard to its storage.

In fact, the disposal and treatment of polluted water is a huge issue today. There are many
cities and towns near the rivers, which are facing these issues. In these areas, disposal of
sewage water is a big problem. The water of rivers, ponds, canals, wells and lakes is used
for domestic as well as industrial purpose. In most cases there is very little treatment of
water and this way it contaminates 80 percent of fresh water flowing on the surface of the
land. This polluted water passing through the surface poisons the groundwater. As per an
estimate, 16, 662 million liters of contaminated water is produced daily in towns with a
population of one million in India.
 The major causes of rising
levels of water pollution in
India are as follows:

1. Industrial waste and its inadequate

disposal.
2. Improper methods of cultivation
(including use of chemical fertilisers
pesticides) in agriculture.
3. Decline in the water quality of rivers
flowing through the plains.
4. Social and religious rituals, such as floating dead bodies in the water, bathing, littering.
5. The oil spills from ships.
6. Acid rain.
7. Global warming.
8. Eutrophication (the depletion of oxygen in a water body, which kills aquatic animals).
9. Inadequate sewage water treatment.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION IN INDIA

Water pollution has adverse effect on every life around the water resource, which is even
somewhat polluted. At a certain level, polluted water proves harmful to crops too. This
depletes the fertility of the land. Overall, it affects agriculture and the country. If sea water
is polluted, it has a negative impact on marine life too. Water pollution is the biggest
causeof the decline in water quality. Its intake can cause many diseases.
In fact, water pollution is a major cause of the low level of health in India, in both urban and
rural areas. Diseases such as cholera, tuberculosis, jaundice, vomiting, diseases like
diarrhoea may occur due to polluted water. In India, 80 percent of patients suffering from
disorders of the stomach have fallen sick due to drinking polluted water.

HOW TO AVOID, SOLVE WATER POLLUTION

The best solution of water pollution is to prevent it. The most prominent solution is soil
conservation. Water is polluted due to soil erosion too. So, if there is soil conservation, we
can stop water pollution to some extent. The way to stop soil erosion is planting more
plants or trees. We can adopt such methods of cultivation that improve the health of the
soil rather than the spoil it. At the same time, adopting the correct methods of disposal of
toxic waste is also extremely important. In the beginning, we should reduce or not use such
products that include harmful organic compounds. In cases where the paints, cleaning and
stain removal chemicals are used, the safe disposal of water is extremely important.

It is also important to pay attention to car or oil spills from other machines. It is said that
oil spill out of cars or machines is also one of the factors leading to water pollution. Because
of this, it is important to take care of our cars and machines. They should be regularly
checked to ensure that there is no oil leak. After the completion of the work in factories,
particularly those which use oil, it is essential to exercise caution in the cleaning, safe
disposal, or preservation of water for later use. Below are some ways, through which this
issue can be resolved:
1. Cleaning of waterways and beaches.

2. Not to use biologically non-degradable materials such as plastic.

3. Use methods to reduce water pollution in all activities.

Conclusion
Due to above-mentioned reasons, water pollution has become a terrible problem today.
The water of rivers and ponds that is used as life-giver to people is no longer drinkable. Our
government should quickly take steps to address the problem of water pollution. First,
monitor industries and factories to the effect that industrial waste is not shed into rivers
and ponds. Domestic wastes should not be released into water sources without proper
treatment. The use of chemical fertilizers should be discontinued in farming and organic
farming should be promoted instead.

Water pollution has now taken the form of an emergency. So, we need to take big steps
urgently. If we want that our citizens continue to get safe drinking water and water sources
remain safe for a long duration, we will have to take steps for it from today itself. The delay
can prove to be fatal in this case.

The man, flora and fauna cannot survive in the absence of water. We use water for
drinking, bathing, irrigation and sanitation. These activities require us to use clean water.
But with dirt of drains, plastic, rotten material, disinfectants finding their way into the
rivers,
ers, water quality has declined to a great extent. Dirty-water
Dirty water contains harmful bacteria
that cause damage to our health. Therefore, we should pay full attention to the cleanliness
of rivers. There is also a need for social awareness campaign against water pollution. Water
has been called the elixir of life. It is our duty to maintain its cleanliness.

Ganges River Case Study

The Ganga (Ganges) basin extends over more than 1 million km2 and encompasses parts
of India (about 80% of the total basin area), Nepal, China and Bangladesh.

The length of the main channel is some 2,525km, while altitude ranges from 8,848m in the
high Himalayas, to sea level in the coastal deltas of India and Bangladesh. The basin
occupies a quarter of India’s land mass.

Although the river’s annual flow regime is subject to local variations, the predominant
pattern is for a low-flow
flow dry season from January to May
May and a wet season from July to
November, with peak flows usually occurring in August.

The waters of the Ganga carry one of the highest sediment loads anywhere in the world,
with a mean annual total of 1.6 billion tonnes, compared to 0.4 billion tonnes for the
Amazon.

Socio-economic importance
The Ganga basin is one of the most populous regions on Earth, home to 450 million people
at an average density of over 550 individuals per square kilometre. In the delta zone this
rises to over 900 per km2.
As a result, there is strong demand and competition for natural resources, especially water
for domestic use and irrigation, and most of the basin tributaries are regulated by barrages.
Fisheries along the river are of considerable economic value and their output makes a
major contribution to regional nutritional needs.

There are some 30 cities, 70 towns, and thousands of villages along the banks of the
Ganga. Nearly all of the sewage from these population centres – over 1.3 billion litres per
day – passes directly into the river, along with thousands of animal carcasses, mainly cattle.
Another 260 million litres of industrial wastewater, also largely untreated, are discharged by
hundreds of factories, while other major
pollution inputs include runoff from the more than 6 million tonnes of chemical fertilizers and
9,000 tonnes of pesticides applied annually within the basin.

According to Hindu mythology, the Ganga River came down to Earth from the heavens.
Today, the river symbolizes purification to millions of Hindus who believe that drinking or
bathing in its waters will lead to moksha, or salvation. Many Hindus keep water from the
Ganga in glass bottles as a sacred relic, or for use in religious ceremonies. The river
becomes the final resting place for thousands of Hindus, whose cremated ashes or partially
burnt corpses are placed in the river for spiritual rebirth.

The Yamuna River – Case Study of a Polluted River in India!

Most of the rivers in India are not polluted near their sources. However, many are

polluted in the plains because of run-off from agricultural land, discharge of industrial

effluents, and domestic sewage. The water of these rivers is not fit for drinking near

cities and industrial areas. The following table lists some polluted rivers and the towns
or cities near which they are polluted the most.

Case study of a polluted river—the Yamuna:

The Yamuna is one of the most important rivers of north India. It passes through

Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. It merges with the Ganga at Allahabad

in Uttar Pradesh. At one time, it was the lifeline for the people of the area, but today it is
the most polluted river of the country.
Though the Yamuna starts getting polluted by pesticides and fertilisers as it enters

Haryana, most of the pollution occurs in Delhi. More than 10 million people live in
Delhi. Yet it does not have a proper sewage disposal system.

Nineteen drains from Delhi open into the Yamuna. At one time, these carried rainwater.

But because of the poor sewage disposal system, water carrying sewage is discharged
into these drains, from where it finds its way to the river.

In Delhi, along a stretch, the Yamuna is choked by water hyacinth—a

hyacinth a weed. This is an

example of eutrophication. Dead fish are also found in the river as

as soon as the monsoon
begins. This is due to the sudden increase in pesticide and other pollutant levels.

Industrial wastes also find their way into the river from large industrial units (22 in

Haryana, 42 in Delhi and 17 in Uttar Pradesh) and many small industrial units.

Surprisingly, though Delhi constitutes only 2% of the catchment area, it is responsible

for 80% of the pollution of the river.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE

PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION

(a) Prevention and preparedness
Prevention and Preparedness means pre-disaster
pre disaster activities designed to increase the level of
readiness and improvement of operational and institutional capabilities for responding to a
drought. Drought prevention and preparedness involve water
water supply augmentation and
conservation (e.g. rainwater harvesting techniques), expansion of irrigation facilities, Effective
dealing with drought, and public awareness and education. Transport and communication links
are a must to ensure supply of food and other commodities during and just after a drought.
Successful drought
Management requires community awareness on the mitigation strategies, insurance schemes for
farmers, crop contingency plans, etc. Basic to drought management in the Indian context iis the
delineation of drought prone areas
(b) Mitigation

These are steps that are taken to lessen the impact of a disaster should one occur and can be
considered as prevention and risk reduction measures. Examples of mitigation activities include
installing
g and maintaining backup generator power to mitigate the effects of a power failure or
cross training staff to perform other tasks to maintain services during a staffing crisis that is due
to a weather emergency.
These mitigation measures are related to integrated soil, water and forest management, and will
form part of soil conservation, watershed development and forestry programmes.
In andhra pradesh & telangana states, we are already practising to construct ‘rain water
harvesting pits’ in each and every house and schools.
Being a responsible citizen of india, it is our duty to educate people not to waste water while
brushing, shaving, bathing etc…. Each water drop is percious to us.
Agar jal hi to kal hi
(if water exists then only future exists)
Come let us put our hands together to save our earth from droughts, from our side

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