Article

What is River Pollution? How to control Pollution?

Keywords: Pollution, Water, Natural Resources, flora and fauna, rivers, agriculture, sewage, river pollution

Rivers are very essential for the survival of the entire living organism in the world. There are many rivers in the world that have been the major source of the development of the ancient civilizations of the world. They are present from ancient times and serve the people till the present. The river water nourishes the population by providing them with water for drinking, agriculture, industrial use, and several purposes.

It also nourishes the flora and fauna present in different ecosystems. The increase in population level in the rivers at present is an alarming situation. The activities of human beings are the major cause of rising pollution in the different rivers of the world.

India is a nation blessed with several rivers and tributaries flowing in different regions of the nation. They are the source of clean water for people of different regions. Rivers are a boon for people residing on their banks. The increase in the rate of pollution level in rivers is very frightening. The dumping of sewage, industrial, and nuclear wastes in the water directly without treatment makes its water polluted. The water quality of a polluted river has deteriorated.

INTRODUCTION

The discharge of harmful substances like chemicals, plastics, contaminants, etc. to the water bodies especially in rivers is termed River Pollution. However, the toxic substances and the wastes responsible for pollution are termed pollutants. In other words, we can say that the emission of toxic substances in the rivers results in River Pollution.

More than half the population of the country is dependent on rivers for drinking water and other purposes. Also in India, rivers are considered holy. People worship them and also perform various rituals on their banks, resulting in the growing river water pollution. Since the rivers get polluted people to have to depend on other expensive sources for fresh drinking water. The population of India is increasing rapidly and so is the need for water. In India, about 80% of water is polluted due to waste disposal. It is predicted that about 40% of the population doesn’t get safe drinking water. They use dirty water for every purpose.

Drinking and using contaminated water is harmful to health. According to a survey, about 1.5 million Indian children die every year due to various water-borne diseases.

The rivers of India are turning impure. A report in 2013 predicted that the pollution of rivers in India has doubled in the past few years. However, various measures are taken by the Government to keep the Indian rivers clean.

CAUSES OF RIVER POLLUTION 

There are several factors which led to an increase in River Pollution. Some human activities as well as natural causes are also responsible for polluting water bodies to a great extent. Some reasons are mentioned below:

1. Factory Discharge: Many large factories and industries are contributing to increasing river pollution. Various toxic chemicals and waste materials are discharged directly into the water bodies without proper treatment.
2. Garbage Dumping: large amounts of garbage including plastics are dumped into the rivers for their disposal.
3. Sewage Disposal: In many areas, the dirty water and sewage of houses are open in the rivers, which then mix with clean water and result in polluting whole water bodies.
4. Agriculture: The runoff waste like fertilisers or pesticides which are used in farming are also responsible for river pollution.
5. Acid Rain: Acid rain contains chemicals like sulphuric or nitric acid which are harmful to rivers and aquatic animals.
6. Indian Rituals: Some Indian rituals include throwing flowers and other things in the water which takes a long time to dispose of.
7. Natural Causes: Sometimes nature is also responsible for polluting water bodies like volcanoes, floods or soil slits.

IMPACTS OF RIVER POLLUTION

1. Impact on Flora & Fauna

Chemicals, effluents and sewage that pollute Indian rivers are causing several species of aquatic life to go extinct or move away to safer havens. This has a direct impact on wildlife conservation efforts exerted by the Central and state governments at national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

2. Loss of Livelihood

Fishermen and fish farms are finding it increasingly difficult to find the sufficient catch of edible fish. Such aquatic life forms have moved away from polluted waters or may face extinction. Fish from polluted rivers is found to be high in mercury, lead and cadmium and hence, unfit for human consumption. 

3. Drinking Water

According to Niti Aayog, which replaced the Planning Commission, a whopping 200,000 people lose their lives every year due to various problems caused by consuming contaminated water. The health hazards associated with infected water range from cancer to gastrointestinal disorders that occur due to deadly microbes that are creeping into the rivers.

4. Agriculture

While agriculture is impacted adversely by the rising pollution of rivers, it is also one of the reasons for contaminating waters. The use of modern pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers is polluting our rivers. This impacts the overall productivity of the agricultural land as river water contaminated by industrial effluents cannot be used for irrigating crops. Polluted water does not allow seeds to germinate and cause stunted growth, denying farmers of a bumper harvest. Indigenous agriculture is vital to India for maintaining self-sufficiency in food.

5. Disease and Health Burden

It can cause moderate to severe health conditions among humans and domestic animals. Bathing in contaminated river waters causes skin diseases, allergies, and other ailments. Consuming polluted water can cause cancer, depletion of calcium from bones of humans and animals (Osteoporosis), loss of vision, impotence among men, sterility among women, Tuberculosis and other severe medical conditions.

6. Loss of Export Revenue

Freshwater fish varieties, including the famous Hilsa, Rohu, Katla and prawns from Indian rivers, had a high demand in foreign countries, especially in the Middle East. Sadly, river water pollution has caused these varieties of prized fish to get contaminated with disease-causing microbes and chemicals. Consequently, several countries have banned imports of freshwater fish from India, including farmed varieties. This causes a severe loss of export revenue for India.

SOLUTIONS TO RIVER POLLUTION

Controlling river pollution is in our hands. It is the responsibility of every human in the world to keep rivers and other water bodies clean. 

Here are some steps which could help minimise river pollution to a great extent.

• Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP): ETPs are the machines responsible for treating the wastes of the industry before disposing to the rivers. The installation of ETPs in every industry would help control pollution.
• Sewage Treatment Plant (STP): STPs are responsible for the treatment of sewage. Sewage water contains pathogens and other harmful viruses. Therefore, it needs to be treated.
• Controlling the Indian Rituals: Controlling cremation ceremonies, where the ashes are dumped into the rivers. However, people take baths in the rivers which are considered holy.
• Adoption of Organic Farming: Farmers should adopt organic farming instead of excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides.
• Proper Drainage Systems: Proper drainage systems should be arranged so that the dirty water could not mix with the polluted water.

RIVER POLLUTION PLANS

Different plans and projects have been put forward by the Government of India:

• “National River Conservation Plan” (NRCP) launched in 1995, by the National River Conservation Authority, aimed to control river pollution.
• “Namami Gange Programme” was launched in June 2014 by the Government of India to clean the river Ganga. This programme had a budget of 20,000 Cr. It is working well towards its goal.
• “Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance” had been established on behalf of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). Its main focus is to ensure safe drinking water for people mostly in rural areas.
• Another programme by the name “Jal Jeevan Mission” had been launched in the urban areas. It promises water taps in every urban house with safe and pure water by 2024. 
• “Namami Devi Narmade” is another campaign promoted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh to clean river Narmada.

CONCLUSION

Growing river pollution is a serious subject of consideration in the world. About 2 million tons of waste from industries, sewage, etc are discharged every day into the water bodies.  

Knowing the importance of freshwater, World Water Day is celebrated on 22 March every year. World Water Day has been celebrated since 1993 across the world. It aims to spread awareness among the public to save water. If the river water continues to get polluted like this, then the day is not far when the world will suffer a shortage of water.

Author: Tanishka Ranjan

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