Water Pollution - People, Development and Environment Notes

About Water Pollution

• Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies when toxic substances are added to the water.

• Containment could be organic, inorganic, biological, radiological, heat, etc.
• This leads to the degradation of water quality; it becomes unfit for use.
• Both groundwater and surface water gets polluted.
• Water pollution now has reached to sea and ocean also.

Sources of water pollution

• Discharge from houses, commercial and industrial establishments.
• Untreated sewage system. The sewage system includes human and animal excrete, food residues, cleaning agents, detergents, and other wastes.
• Excesses fertilizers used in agriculture contain major plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It leaches and contaminates groundwater or may be mixed with surface water of rivers, lakes, and ponds by runoff and drainage.
• Agricultural pesticides are non-degradable, and their residues have a long life and further contaminate water bodies.
• The animal excreta such as dung, wastes from poultry farms, piggeries and slaughterhouses, etc., reach the water through runoff and surface leaching during the rainy season.
• Power plants that provide electricity to us use water as coolant and release hot water to the source. A sudden increase in temperature leads to the killing fishes and other aquatic animals.
• Underground water pollution because of excessive extraction of water.
• Oceans are becoming polluted because rivers discharge their pollutants into the sea, and sewerage and garbage from coastal cities are also dumped into the sea. Other sources of oceanic pollution include oil spills from ships, disposal of radioactive wastes, offshore oil mining, etc.

Effects of Water Pollution

• Dissolved Oxygen which is important for the survival of organisms living in water bodies, gets reduced.
• The outbreak of water-borne diseases like jaundice, cholera, typhoid, amoebiasis, etc., is due to viruses, bacteria, parasitic protozoa, and worms.
• Mercury compound is converted into toxic methyl mercury due to bacterial action in water bodies. It causes deafness, blurring vision, and mental derangement. It also causes Minamata disease, which was detected in Japan in 1952.
• Cadmium in water bodies causes Itai Itai, also called an ouch-ouch disease.
• Lead in water bodies causes anemia, loss of muscle power, and a bluish line around the gum.
• Excessive nitrates in drinking water cause blue baby syndrome after its reaction with hemoglobin.
• Excessive fluoride in drinking water leads to neuro-muscular disorders, gastrointestinal problems, teeth deformities, hardening of bones, and stiff and painful joints.
• Over-exploitation of groundwater leads to contamination through arsenic. Arsenic causes black foot disease.

Government measures to control Water pollution

• It's a campaign for water conservation and water security.
• The campaign focuses on water-stressed districts and blocks.
• It has two phases:
• Phase I: 1^st July to 15^th September 2019 (all States)
• Phase II: 1st October to 30^th November 2019 (States with retreating monsoon - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu).
• It is a collaborative effort of various Ministries of the Government of India and State Governments, coordinated by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (Ministry of Jal Shakti).

2. Jal Jeevan Mission

• This mission aims to provide functional household Tap Connection to every rural household (Har Ghar Nal Se Jal) by 2024.
• Every household in the village will get a tap water connection.
• Further, developing reliable drinking water sources and augmenting existing sources.
• Treatment of water through technological intervention.
• Community-driven approach with a pivotal role to Gram Panchayats and the local community.
• Fund sharing pattern: 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States; 50:50 for other States, and 100% for us.

3. Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)

• Released by NITI Aayog.
• It aims to assess and improve the performance in the efficient management of water resources.
• Launched by NITI Aayog in 2018 as a tool to instill a sense of cooperative and competitive federalism among the states.
• The CWMI 2019 measures the performance of States abfrom017-18 as well as from previous years.
• States and Union Territories (UTs) have been divided into Non-Himalayan states, North-Eastern and Himalayan states, and Union Territories (UTs).
• Gujarat is ranked 1 among non-Himalayan States, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• Himachal Pradesh is ranked 1 among North Eastern and the Himalayan States, followed by Uttarakhand, Tripura, and Assam.
• Puducherry is ranked 1 among the Union Territories.

4. Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal)

• It is a Central Sector Scheme
• It aims to improve groundwater management in identified priority areas through community participation.
• It covers seven States- Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
• It is to be implemented over 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25).
• World Bank sponsors it with 50% of the total outlay.

5. National Water Mission Awards

• Initiated by the National Water Mission and Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• It recognizes excellence in water conservation, efficient water use, and sustainable water management practices.
• The awards are given in ten categories defined under the five goals of the National Water Mission.

6. Namami Ganga Programme

• Launched in June 2014 with a budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore.
• Objective- effectively reducing pollution and conserving and rejuvenating National River Ganga.
• Its Vision- Ganga Rejuvenation constitutes restoring the wholesomeness of the river defined in terms of ensuring "Aviral Dhara" (Continuous Flow"), "Nirmal Dhara" ("Unpolluted Flow"), and Geologic and ecological integrity.
• The main pillars of the Namami Gange Programme are Sewerage Industrial Effluent Development; BioDiversity; Afforestation; Public Awareness; Ganga Gram. Treatment Infrastructure; Monitoring; River-Front River-Surface Cleaning.
• NMCG is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• It acts as the implementation arm of the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management of River Ganga (referred to as the National Ganga Council).
• Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, a five-tier structure has been envisaged at the national, state, and district levels to take measures for prevention, control, and reduction of environmental pollution in Ganga.
• Five-tier structure is:
  1. National Ganga Council under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister (replaced National Ganga River Basin Authority).
  2. Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Jal Shakti.
  3. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).  
  4. State Ganga Committees.
  5. District Ganga Committees in every specified district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in the states.