Pollution in India (Essay Sample)

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5th November 2014
Water pollution in India
Since the dawn of the second half of the 21st century, especially after the Second World War, there was a rise in new challenges facing the world. These ranged from rise in global terrorism, the cold war, and development of nuclear weapons, famine, and diseases. As much as all of them were big issues, one stood out so strongly like a sore thumb; global pollution. Many at that time viewed it with the seriousness it deserved but did not realize how much it was going to impact the world half a century later. However, some experts trace global pollution back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when establishment of factories was at frenzy. Although this might be the case, the actual realization of this devastating effect came to the fore during the turn of the century. It is out of the global pollution that gives rise to environmental pollution. The definitions of the two are slightly different but point towards the same thing, impurities. Pollution can be defined as the introduction of an impurity or contaminant into a certain medium that was originally pure. Environmental pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the surroundings of living organisms, which causes discomfort of harm to their existence (Surojit).It, can as well be argued that contaminants have been with us since the beginning of time, only that an excess level of these contaminants in the environment is what now brings about the environmental pollution. Pollution can occur in any form, from liquid, gaseous or solid form, based on the nature of the contaminant. The current rate of pollution is becoming irreversible and causing irreparable damage to the ecosystem. It takes mainly the forms of noise, air, water, soil and light pollution, according to UCCEE. The rate of pollution has a resulting effect on the development of the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere. The United Nations Environmental Program developed a Pollution Index, out of which the rates of pollution of different countries are measured. From this index, the 2014 midyear report ranks the three most polluted cities in the world as Accra in Ghana, Meerut in India and Kathmandu in Nepal. This report resonates highly especially with regards to India, since five years earlier, in 2009, the World Health Organization confirmed experts findings stating that New Delhi was the most polluted city in the world at that time.
In this paper, we are going to focus mainly on India, with respect to water pollution. Like its name suggests, water pollution is as a result of contamination of the water resources. According to UCCEE, this can occur through emission of industrial wastes, human wastes, garbage, and also through surface runoff. For the case of India, there is one more addition to these; cremation procedures. All these are problems affecting most cities, if not all, in India. A majority of Indian cities experience a very sad state of affairs with matters concerning pollution, especially water pollution. This has been aggravated by the very high rate of population growth experienced In the country, coupled with the increased industrialization rate in that country which was being met by an unprepared basic foundation. This is a classic case of ambition meeting lack of preparation. As we speak, the population of India is standing at more than one billion people, since, as of the year 2000, it had already clocked this monstrous figure. There are two main types of pollutants; the biodegradable and non biodegradable pollutants. As their names suggest, biodegradable pollutants can easily be broken down by natural processes into harmless forms to the environment, while non biodegradable ,on the other side, occur in such a way that they cannot be easily broken down or dissociated through natural processes. Biodegradable wastes therefore, can be termed as temporary environmental pollutants, since they don’t stay in the environment for a long time. In the case of India, pollution takes mainly the non biodegradable kind, since it is the most felt and the most difficult to tackle.
Water pollution in India can trace its roots back to the sources, especially the rivers. Take the case of India’s most sacred river, the Ganges. Statistically, the 2500km long river has more than 24 urban centers along its banks, with many industries and human settlement in them. The river is both an economic and religious lifeline to many indigenous Hindus practicing their religion there. Most people do their washing on the banks, using that water. Religious practices, such as cremation, usually takes place on these banks, and the ashes of the burnt bodies are strewn downstream. These ashes and the soap pads act as pollutants to the water of this river. The factories and businesses dump toxic wastes, while the dense population of human settlement contributes further pollution of the river. A similar observation was made on River Buddha Dariya, which was found to be chocking in toxic industrial effluents, garbage and other sewage, according to a study done by Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).This is just a sample of what is going on in major water sources around the country, which can be used as a yardstick to measure the rate and extent of pollution. Though some argument might be that some places are more polluted than others in the country, the fact still remains that the whole country is being polluted.
The effects of this water pollution are diverse, and complex. Ranging from the short term tangible and visual ones, to the long-term intangible ones. The short term effects are quite biting since they directly impact on the present immediate state of the country. They affect humans, animals and also marine life. Toxic water cannot be suitable for consumption. For example, water that is highly laced with sulphur and carbon compounds is poisonous and cannot be used for drinking by either humans or animals. If consumed, it can easily result to health complications and in extreme cases, death. As found by PGIMER, the people settled around River Buddha Nula have been diagnosed with various complications, ranging from stomach disorders to cancer, and they blame it directly on the polluted water of that river. The effects are more devastating on marine life. This is expected, since it is their most immediate environment, and therefore any adverse changes in the water will result to the same changes in marine organisms. One sad characteristic is that the most common effect of water pollution on marine life is death. According to Harris, expert studies have revealed that there is a large number of dead shellfish being washed ashore on the coast of Gauthier death is as a result of blocked pores and gills filled with oil and chemical slug, a damning reminder of the realities of industrial pollution. When plants take up water rich in these toxins, the resultant effect is that they might drying up because of blocked pores, or the toxic metallic elements might find their way into the bodies of animals feeding on the plants. The two of these combined, will eventually find their way into the human body, resulting to the initial health complications.
The long term effects of water pollution in India are as a result of incubation of the short term ones. Take the case of effects on human health. When the citizens of India get sick and weakened, the country lacks the labor force needed to spur economic growth. Farmers won’t be strong enough to till their lands, and as a result, the nation won’t be able to feed itself. A polluted water source, such as a river, makes it lose its aesthetic value; as a result, tourists visit less often. Pollution of marine life results in both death, and infertility among these creatures. An overall effect of this is the reduction in food. This can be justified by the Harris report from the inhabitants of Goa, who now claim to have an acute shortage of shellfish, which was the main source of food. Plants taking up these chemicals might end up drying up, raising food insecurity within the country. Once the food chain is interfered with in one way or another, there is a big threat of extinction for one species in nature.
The solutions to control water pollution should be multipronged in nature. This is because there is no single rule that can curb this menace. The first of this is the setting up of legislations to govern water waste management. The Water Act was established in 1974, amended in 1988, and further amendments were made in 1992 and 2003.Its essence was to control or prevent water pollution so as to maintain the original sanctity of India, which is famous for its wholesomeness, according to the Government of India. There are other small measures to govern industries, such as Minimum Allowable Standards, that control the amount of waste that an industry can release into the environment, according to IUPAC Bodies. According to Surojit, there is also a legislation entitled Maximum Residual Limit, which measures the amount of chemicals in a plant, which is fit for human consumption. Secondly, there should be proper waste management systems, such as industrial waste treatment and denitrification to reduce plant contamination. This should involve a rapid expansion sewage treating plants through construction of new ones, so as to manage a large amount of sewage, which usually goes untreated. Thirdly, there is a need to develop proper waste disposal systems. This does not have to be some complicated system, it all starts with well positioned garbage bins, waste drainage and separate collection points for all of them. The above point is an allegory for the fourth point, which is proper urban management and town planning. India as a whole is dragging under the weight of poor urban planning, which results to...