WASTE POLLUTED WATER
WASTE WATER
Today, we have to face several types of pollution – air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, etc. But the pollution that affects the largest number of people is water pollution. Scientific and technological progress of the past two hundred years has made the life of the man very comfortable. The scientific revolution has generated massive employment and made millions of people happy. Due to extensive research and manufacturing of new drugs, people are enjoying a longer lifespan. Death rate has gone down significantly. Thus we find that the machine age has given us enough. But if we look around the environment, we know that this progress has also injected poison in our life. One such form of poison is the water pollution spread all around us today.
Water pollution is one of the greatest crises facing the country. The largest source of it is the sewage water without treatment, as also water coming from pesticides-ridden fields, and chemical waste producing small and big industries. Things are so serious that there is no water resources in India, which is not contaminated at all. In fact, over 80 percent of the country’s water resources have been polluted up to a large extent. There are polluted water bodies around which population lives in large numbers.
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 litres 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:
Industrial waste and its inadequate disposal.
Improper methods of cultivation (including use of chemical fertilisers pesticides) in agriculture.
Decline in the water quality of rivers flowing through the plains.
Social and religious rituals, such as floating dead bodies in the water, bathing, littering.
The oil spills from ships.
Acid rain.
Global warming.
Eutrophication (the depletion of oxygen in a water body, which kills aquatic animals).
Inadequate sewage water treatment.
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:
Cleaning of waterways and beaches.
Not to use biologically non-degradable materials such as plastic.
Use methods to reduce water pollution in all activities.