Report on environmental field visit
Pollution related to river
River water pollution is a global problem and not peculiar to India. However, rising pollution of rivers in India is a significant concern for the Indian government and population. India is home to about 20 major river basins. Unfortunately, most rivers and river basins in India are victims of pollution.
Importance of Rivers in India
According to a world bank report titled ‘Issues and Priorities for Agriculture’, India has about 195 million hectares of land under cultivation. Of this, about 63% or nearly 125 million hectares is rain-fed, while remaining 37% or 70 million hectares of the agricultural land depends on irrigation. Generally, rivers around agricultural zones provide much-needed water for irrigation.
Additionally, several wildlife sanctuaries of India are located on banks of rivers and their backwaters. These national parks are home to several endangered species that feature on Red List of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Hence rivers in India are critical to their survival.
Further, rivers of India also provide livelihood to millions of people including fishermen, sand dredgers and various other professions.
Given this importance of rivers in India, let us examine the causes of their pollution and possible consequences.
Causes of Pollution
Oil & Natural Gas Exploration
Understandably, India needs to attain self-sufficiency in energy. Hence, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas routinely auctions oil and natural gas blocks to Indian companies for exploration in various river basins. While exploration firms claim to take all the necessary steps to prevent pollution, it is but natural that their methods are not 100% efficient.
Chemicals & Effluents
Industrialisation along the river belt is polluting the water with chemicals and other industrial effluents. While large corporations adopt advanced techniques to treat effluents and chemicals to negate or reduce their toxicity, smaller firms often have no such considerations and violate environment safety standards.
Garbage Dumping
High population density around the river banks and the reckless dumping of non-biodegradable waste, especially plastics, is further adding to water pollution. Despite warning and strict fines imposed by local administrations on those found dumping garbage into rivers and their estuaries, this uncivilised practice continues unabated.
Washing & Sewage
Laundering clothes on river banks is a common sight in India. Modern detergents are made of chemicals that contaminate river waters. Defecating around river banks is yet another horrible practice in rural parts of the country that contributes to rising pollution of rivers in India. The situation is worsened by local administrations and private operators of sewage collection tankers dumping the waste in rivers and their estuaries.
Cremation & Last Rites
Devout Hindus attach a lot of significance to life after death. Hence, cremation grounds in rural India are located on the banks of rivers. Varanasi, also known as Kashi, is one such place with cremation grounds located right on banks of river Ganga which is also one of the longest rivers in India. Unfortunately, lots of Indians families that cannot afford cremation consign mortal remains of loved ones to rivers. These human cadavers cause severe water pollution.
Sand Dredging
High-quality sand from river beds is needed for India’s booming construction industry. This has led to rising pollution in Indian rivers. Dredging operators- usually the unlicensed ones- deploy kerosene and diesel-fueled cheap watercraft manned by cheap labour for sand dredging. Engines of these boats cause pollution.
These are some of the main reasons for rising pollution of rivers in India. Unfortunately, this contamination of Indian rivers- revered as holy by the indigenous community- has a severe environmental impact that affects humans too.
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Information About Mula and Mutha River Pune Maharashtra
The Mula-Mutha is a river in India, formed by the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers in the city of Pune, which later meets the Bhima River, which itself later meets the Krishna River and finally emptying to the Bay of Bengal.[1]
The river flows through the village of Kavadi in the Solapur district, witnesses a lot of migratory birds. However, increase in pollution in the recent years has resulted in a reduction in the number of birds.[2] Pollution from effluents released into the river at Pune has been found to cause high levels of pollution in the Bhima River, the reservoir of Ujani dam and Krishna River too, resulting in a lot of water borne ailments.[3]
Due to high levels of pollution, including 125 MLD of untreated sewerage water being discharged into the river by the Pune Municipal Corporation, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has classified the water quality to be of Class-IV.[4] The Pune Municipal Corporation announced plans to clean up and restore the river by pumping in oxygen on the lines of restoration efforts undertaken in Mumbai for the Mithi River.[5]
In 2011, it was reported that several Japanese businessmen were keen on offering support to a plan initiated by the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture and supported by the Pune Municipal Corporation to clean up and beautify the Mula-Mutha river.[6] The same year, the Pune Municipal Corporation gave its approval to build a riverside road on the banks of the Mula-Mutha from Shivane to Kharadi, covering a distance of 22 kilometres (14 mi) to link several important roads in the heart of the city including the Old Mumbai–Pune Highway and the Pune Ahmednagar Highway.
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| Goggle map view of mutha River |
Experience of our filed visit on BANK OF MUTHA RIVER
We did our filed visit on Wednesday 13th Feb 2019. We prefer to walk from the college to bank of Mutha River. We reach there about 12 in noon is sunny there. Our environmental sir give us information about today's condition we see people throw there clothes on bank and many more like garbage, plastic bags, everything that is they don't want. Sir give us some information like
Due to high levels of pollution, including 125 MLD of untreated sewerage water being discharged into the river by the Pune Municipal Corporation, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has classified the water quality to be of Class-IV.
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| Actual site photos |
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| Bank of river |
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What we can do to reduce river pollution
- DO NOT pour fat from cooking or any other type of fat, oil, or grease down the sink. Keep a “fat jar” under the sink to collect the fat and discard in the solid waste when full.
- DO NOT dispose of household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink or toilet. Simsbury has a Hazardous Waste Collection day usually from 8:00am to 1:00pm at Henry James School. Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority lists all collection dates.
- DO NOT flush pills, liquid or powder medications or drugs down the toilet. For recommendations on proper disposal for all types of medical wastes, visit the CT DEP publication here.
- Avoid using the toilet as a wastebasket. Most tissues, wrappers, dust cloths, and other paper goods should be properly discarded in a wastebasket. The fiber reinforced cleaning products that have become popular should never be discarded in the toilet.
- Avoid using a garbage disposal. Keep solid wastes solid. Make a compost pile from vegetable scraps.
- Install a water efficient toilet. In the meantime, put a brick or 1/2 gal container in the standard toilet tank to reduce water use per flush.
- Run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when you have a full load. This conserves electricity and water.
- Use the minimum amount of detergent and/or bleach when you are washing clothes or dishes. Use only phosphate free soaps and detergents.
- Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers. DO NOT dispose of these chemicals, motor oil, or other automotive fluids into the sanitary sewer or storm sewer systems. Both of them end at the river.
- If your home has a sump pump or cellar drain, make certain it does not drain into the sanitary sewer system. If you are unsure, please call Simsbury Water Pollution Control
Thank you for reading this.....
Written by
Gokul N. Jaju
Like this ! It's help me in my environment project
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