essay on pollution drishti ias

Air Pollution

Air pollution is the contamination of the atmosphere by harmful substances, such as gases, particulates, and biological molecules, which can cause detrimental effects on human health, ecosystems, and the Earth's climate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe air containing high levels of pollutants.

• Definition: Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances or pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon monoxide (CO) in the air that can adversely impact human health, ecosystems, and the overall quality of the environment.

Types of Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3)

Major Sources of Air Pollution:

• Industrial Emissions , Vehicular Emissions:  
• Agricultural Practices: Crop residue burning 
• Domestic Activities: The use of solid fuels for cooking in rural areas 
• Natural Sources: Dust storms prevalent in arid regions like Rajasthan. 

National air pollution policy framework in India:

Legislative Framework:

• Constitutional Provisions: The Constitution of India recognizes the right to a clean and healthy environment, providing a legal basis for formulating air pollution policies.
• Environmental Legislation: Acts such as the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, establish the regulatory framework for addressing air pollution in the country.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, 2010: Provides a specialized forum for the effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and air pollution control.
• Key Policies and Programs: National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Air Quality Index (AQI), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
• Objectives of air pollution policy: Emission Reduction Targets, Promotion of Clean Technologies, Strengthening Monitoring and Enforcement, Public Awareness and Participation, International Cooperation. 

Initiatives to Control Air Pollution

• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP ): to tackle the air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 % to 30 % reduction in PM 10  and PM 2.5  concentrations by 2024.
• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in Delhi and NCR.
• Green Crackers Awareness Campaign, Green Good Deeds
• SAMEER app air quality information is available to the public along with a provision for registering complaints against air polluting activities.

Important programs to control Air Pollution

Fly Ash Utilization

Introduction:

• Meaning: Fly ash utilization refers to the beneficial reuse of fly ash, a by-product generated from coal combustion in power plants. Instead of being disposed of as waste, fly ash can be utilized in various applications, offering environmental and economic benefits.
• Fly ash: Fine powder consisting of inorganic particles, primarily composed of silica, alumina, and iron oxide, obtained from coal combustion.

Importance of Fly Ash Utilization:

• Environmental benefits: Reduces the need for landfill space, minimizing the release of pollutants into air, water, and soil.
• Resource conservation: Reduces the extraction of natural resources by utilizing fly ash as a substitute material.
• Energy conservation: Reduces the energy required for producing alternative materials, such as cement or bricks.
• Economic opportunities: Creates new industries and employment opportunities in fly ash processing and utilization.
• Sustainable agriculture: Enhances soil fertility, water retention, and crop productivity when used as a soil amendment.

Applications of Fly Ash : Cement and concrete industry, Construction materials, Road construction, Agriculture and soil improvement, Waste management, Geopolymer production 

Challenges in Fly Ash Utilization:

• Quality variation: Fly ash characteristics can vary, requiring proper testing and quality control measures for different applications.
• Market demand: Promoting the benefits of fly ash utilization and creating a market demand for fly ash-based products can be challenging.
• Regulatory and policy framework: Ensuring proper regulations, guidelines, and incentives to encourage fly ash utilization and ensure safe handling and disposal.
• Technological limitations: Some applications may require further research and development to improve the performance and compatibility of fly ash-based materials.
• Stakeholder engagement: Collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, including power plants, industries, and government agencies, is essential for effective fly ash utilization.
• Public perception: Addressing concerns and misconceptions regarding the safety and performance of fly ash-based products is crucial.

Conclusion : Fly ash utilization offers vast potential for sustainable development and environmental stewardship. By raising awareness, investing in research and innovation, strengthening policies, and fostering collaboration, we can maximize its benefits, create a circular economy, and build a greener, more sustainable future.

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Also in News

Posted 04 Jul 2024

10 min read

Air pollution

A multi-city study examining the short-term health impacts of air pollution in India has been published in the Lancet Planetary Health.

Key Observations:

• Approximately 33,000 annual deaths can be attributed to PM 2.5 pollution in 10 cities of India.
• Deaths are higher in Delhi, Varanasi, Kolkata etc because of higher average exposure, possibly the nature of sources and population.
• Indian air quality standards prescribe 60 µg/m3 of PM2.5 over a 24-hour period.
• Air Pollution
• Lancet Planetary Health

Articles Sources

• Speedy Trial

The Supreme Court affirmed that the constitutional right  of a speedy trial, as enshrined in Article 21 , applies to all cases regardless of the crime's gravity.

Speedy Trial as Constitutional Right 

• It emphasizes that defendant should be tried for their alleged crimes within a reasonable time period.
• Other Important Judgement : Abdul Rehman Antulay vs RS Nayak 
• Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) , the new code that has replaced Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), has sought to address delayed justice
• Constitutional Right

In response to Zika virus cases reported in Maharashtra, the Union Health Ministry has issued an advisory to state governments to stop its spread.

About Zika Virus

• It bites during the day. It is also responsible for transmitting dengue. 
• It can also trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy  and myelitis etc. 
• Vaccine: No vaccine available to prevent or medicine for it.
• Aedes aegypti

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

New Zealand has denied India's request for a certification trademark equivalent to a geographical indication (GI) tag on basmati rice as it is grown outside of India also.

• Earlier, On the same ground rejected by Australia.

About APEDA

• Established under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act,1985.
• Promotes exports and takes care of GI registration for Indian products abroad , filing the certification of trademark applications.
• Serves as the Secretariat to the National Accreditation Board , overseeing the accreditation of Certification Bodies for organic exports under the National Programme for Organic Production.
• National Accreditation Board
• Basmati rice

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)

Researchers have carried out an analysis of the mechanisms underlying the flexibility of crystals of MOFs.

• They attributed the flexibility to large structural rearrangements associated  with soft and hard vibrations within a crystal.
• It is due to the presence of nanopores.
• Limited stability and mechanical weakness have hindered their broader applications.
• Metal-organic frameworks
• National Medical Commission

New Chairperson of  National Medical Commission (NMC) has been  appointed. 

• Genesis: It is a statutory body  constituted by an act of Parliament known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
• Aim: Improve access to quality and affordable medical education
• Lay down policies for regulating medical institutions, medical researchers and medical professionals.
• Ensure coordination among the Autonomous Boards, etc
• National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
• Statutory body
• Cabinet committees

The Union government constituted eight Cabinet committees.

About Cabinet committees

• These are constituted under the Transaction of Business Rules,1961.
• The cabinet makes use of the committee system to facilitate decision-making in specific areas.
• Appointments
• Accommodation
• Economic Affairs
• Parliamentary Affairs
• Political Affairs
• Investment and Growth
• Skill, employment and livelihood
• Transaction of Business Rules,1961.

Apatani Tribe

Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have recorded a new species of forest-dwelling horned frog from the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh).

• New species has been named after the dominant Apatani community in Arunachal Pradesh.

About Apatani Tribe

• The tribe Found in Ziro valley and known for their effective traditional village council called bulyañ. 
• Region of tribe has been included in UNESCO’s Tentative List as living Cultural Landscape (where man and environment have harmoniously existed together in a state of interdependence). 
• Major Festival : Dree and Myok
• Major Dances : Daminda, and Pree dance
• Ziro valley
• Pachathuruthu project

Recently, Kerala’s  Chief Minister asserted that the Pachathuruthu initiative will key a role in achieving ambitious Net Zero Carbon target  of State. 

About Pachathuruthu project

• Aims to create man-made mini-forests. 
• Also, it will aid in carbon sequestration,  mitigating the impact of urban heat island etc.
• These projects are planned by mobilizing the masses through participatory campaigns and through coordination and leadership of the Local Self-Government Institutions.
• Environment conservation

WHO releases first-ever tobacco cessation guideline

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first-ever clinical treatment guideline for tobacco cessation in adults.

• It is expected to help more than 750 million tobacco users who want to quit all forms of tobacco but find it difficult to do so.
• Reasons: inefficient health systems, lack of resources, etc.
• Recommendations combine medication and behavioural interventions.

News Today (Jul 04, 2024)

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Home » ENVIRONMENT » ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION AND CONTROL » Water Pollution

Water Pollution

Water pollution, the release of substances into subsurface groundwater or into lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, and oceans to the point where the substances interfere with beneficial use of the water or with the natural functioning of ecosystems. In addition to the release of substances, such as chemicals or microorganisms, water pollution may also include the release of energy, in the form of radioactivity or heat, into bodies of water.

  Water Resources of India

Surface Water Resources

Ground Water Resources

• There are four major sources of surface water à These are rivers, lakes, ponds, and tanks.
• The mean annual flow in all the river basins in India is estimated to be 1,869 cubic km .
• However, only about 690 cubic km (37 per cent) of the available surface water can be utilized because:
• Over 90% of annual flow of the Himalayan rivers occur over a four-month period.
• Potential to capture such resources is complicated and limited by suitable storage reservoir sites.

  Extent of Pollution:

The most significant stretches of pollution highlighted by the CPCB assessment include:

• The Mithi river from Powai to Dharavi with a BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) of 250 mg/l.
• The Godavari — from Someshwar to Rahed — with a BOD of 5.0-80 mg/l.
• The Sabarmati — Kheroj to Vautha — with a BOD from 4.0-147 mg/l and
• The Hindon — Saharanpur to Ghaziabad — with a BOD of 48-120 mg/l.

Reasons behind the river being more polluted:

• Rapid urbanisation is widening the gap, since infrastructure planning is not keeping pace with growth in housing.
• There is poor infrastructure available in a large number of cities and towns located near rivers.
• Managing sewage requires steady funding of treatment plants for all urban agglomerations that discharge their waste into rivers, and also a reliable power supply.
• There is failure of several national programs run by the Centre for river conservation, wetland preservation and water quality monitoring.
• The sewage and industrial effluents freely flow into the rivers in several cities.
• Deficit between the sewage available and the volume generated along the polluted stretches is estimated at 13,196 million liters a day.
• Low priority is accorded to the enforcement of laws by SPCBs and pollution control committees.
• The total replenishable groundwater resources in the country are about 432 cubic km .
• Ganga and the Brahmaputra basins, have about 46 per cent of the total replenishable groundwater resources.
• The level of groundwater utilization is relatively high in the river basins lying in north-western region and parts of south India.
• The groundwater utilisation is very high in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.
• However, there are States like Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Kerala, etc., which utilize only small proportion of their groundwater potentials.
• India also relies excessively on groundwater resources, which accounts for over 50% of irrigated area with 20 million tube wells installed.
• India has built nearly 5,000 major or medium dams, barrages, etc . to store the river waters and enhance ground water recharging.

Importance of Groundwater

• Groundwater supports the livelihoods of over 26 crore farmers and agricultural labourers.
• Groundwater is one of the most important water sources in India accounting for 63% of all irrigation water and over 80% of rural and urban domestic water supplies.
• Wells, including dug wells, shallow tube-wells and deep tube wells provide about 61.6% of water for irrigation, followed by canals with 24.5%.

GROUNDWATER CRISIS IN INDIA

The groundwater crisis is embedded at two different levels:

• Groundwater exploitation of aquifers (where groundwater is stored) in different parts of the India and
• Groundwater contamination that find origins, both in geogenic source such as Arsenic and Fluoride along with anthropogenic sources of contamination primarily due to poor disposal of waste and wastewater.

Groundwater is the water that seeps through rocks and soil and is stored below the ground. The rocks in which groundwater is stored are called aquifers. Aquifers are typically made up of gravel, sand, sandstone or limestone.

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Water Development Report states that India is the largest extractor of groundwater in the world.
• Two-thirds of the total amount is abstracted in Asia with India, China, Pakistan, Iran and Bangladesh as major consumers.
• 21 major cities of India are expected to run out of groundwater as soon as 2020, affecting around 100 million people, the think tank’s new report states.
• About 75% of households do not have drinking water at home, 84% rural households do not have piped water access, and 70% of India’s water is contaminated, with the country currently ranked 120 among 122 in the water quality index.
• By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions and an eventual loss of around 6% of the country’s GDP.

Reasons for Depletion

• Increased demand for water for domestic, industrial and agricultural needs and limited surface water resources lead to the over-exploitation of groundwater resources.
• There are limited storage facilities owing to the hard rock terrain, along with the added disadvantage of lack of rainfall, especially in central Indian states.
• Green Revolution enabled water intensive crops to be grown in drought prone/ water deficit regions, leading to over extraction of groundwater.
• Frequent pumping of water from the ground without waiting for its replenishment leads to quick depletion.
• Subsidies on electricity and high MSP for water intensive crops is also leading reasons for depletion.
• Water contamination as in the case of pollution by landfills, septic tanks, leaky underground gas tanks, and from overuse of fertilizers and pesticides lead to damage and depletion of groundwater resources.
• Inadequate regulation of groundwater laws encourages the exhaustion of groundwater resources without any penalty.
• Deforestation, unscientific methods of agriculture, chemical effluents from industries, lack of sanitation also lead to pollution of groundwater, making it unusable.
• India ranks 120 among 122 countries in the water quality index, an astounding 2,00,000 people die each year due to polluted water.
• Droughts are becoming more frequent, creating severe problems,
• There should be restrictions to cut off the access to groundwater in areas identified as “critical” and “dark zones”, where the water table is overused or very low.
• There is a need to treat water as common resource rather than private property to prevent its overexploitation
• Problems and issues such as water logging, salinity, agricultural toxins, and industrial effluents, all need to be properly looked into.
• Research and scientific evaluations should be done before forming any policy.
• Water depletion can be controlled by reducing electricity subsidies.
• Another way of efficiently using groundwater is by encouraging farmers to adopt micro-irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers. Government has initiated schemes like DRIP programme, more drop per crop, Krishi Sinchai Yojana to ensure economical water use practices in agriculture.
• Bottom-up approach by empowering the local community to become active participants in managing groundwater.
• Creating regulatory options at the community level such as panchayat is also one among the feasible solutions.
• Traditional methods of water conservation should be encouraged to minimize the depletion of water resources.
• Technology should be used extensively for determining the relationship between surface hydrological units and hydrological units below the ground, identification of groundwater recharge areas, mapping of groundwater etc.
• Artificial recharge of tube wells, water reuse, afforestation, scientific methods of agriculture should also be done.
• Imparting key hydrogeological skills to nonprofits and rural practitioners to improve decentralised water management in India.

Ground Water Extraction Rules

• India is the largest user of groundwater in the world which is about 25% of the global groundwater extraction.
• 90% of the annual ground water extraction is primarily for agricultural activities .
• 10% of the extraction is for drinking and domestic as well as industrial uses.
• Industrial use is estimated to account for only 5% of the annual ground water extraction in the country.
• Central Ground Water Authority was constituted under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 in 1997.

Water scarcity and Associated issues

Water scarcity is the lack of freshwater resources to satisfy water demand. It is manifested by partial or no satisfaction of expressed demand, economic competition for water quantity or quality, disputes between users, irreversible groundwater depletion, and negative effects on the environment.

• One-third of the global population (2 billion people) live under situations of severe water scarcity at least one month of the year.

Water Crisis in India  

• Water crisis is the difficulty of obtaining sources of fresh water for use due to depletion and deterioration of available water resources.
• Water shortages may be caused by climate change , such as altered weather patterns including droughts or floods, increased pollution, and increased human demand and overuse of water.

In addition, water scarcity in India is expected to worsen as the overall population is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2050.

  The NITI Aayog released the results of a study warning that India is facing its ‘worst’ water crisis in history and that demand for potable water will outstrip supply by 2030 if steps are not taken.

Nearly 163 million of India’s population of 1.3 billion lack access to clean water close to home, the most of any country, according to a 2018 report by Britain-based charity WaterAid.

Nearly 600 million Indians faced high to extreme water stress and about 2,00,000 people died every year due to inadequate access to safe water. Twenty-one cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people, the study noted. If matters are to continue, there will be a 6% loss in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2050.

Alarming facts about Water Stress :

  More than 163 million Indians – higher than the population of Russia – do not have access to safe drinking water.

Irrespective of the source of water, in most parts of rural India, availability of water decreases dramatically in the summer months as the water levels drop and surface sources may dry up.

India’s estimated per capita availability of water in 2025 will be 1,341 cubic metre. This may further fall to 1,140 cubic metre in 2050, bringing it closer to becoming water-scarce.

NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index , India ranks 120 out of 122 countries.

India is ranked 13th among the 17 most water-stressed countries of the world.

According to the Ministry of Urban Development , 80% of India’s surface water is polluted.

Sustainable Development Goal target 6.1 calls for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. The target is tracked with the indicator of “safely managed drinking water services” – drinking water from an improved water source that is located on premises, available when needed, and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination.

Causes for Water Pollution and Water  stress in India

• Population growth leads to high water demand both by households and agriculture.
• Large agricultural sector accounts for most of the water use in India leaving less resources for industry and households.
• Rapid urbanization : High water demand by the dense population living in cities in India is causing stress on groundwater and surface water resources.
• Climate change : Climate change will have significant impacts on water resources in Himalayas and monsoonal rainfall.
• Rising temperatures will increase evaporation and lead to increases in precipitation, though there will be more stark regional variations in rainfall.
• Both droughts and floods may become more frequent in different regions at different times, and dramatic changes in snowfall and snow melt are expected in mountainous areas.
• Depletion of aquifers : Due to the expanding human population, many of the world’s major aquifers are becoming depleted. due both for direct human consumption as well as agricultural irrigation by groundwater.
• Pollution and water protection : Many pollutants threaten water supplies, but the most widespread, especially in developing countries, is the discharge of raw municipal sewage, untreated industrial waste and agricultural runoff carrying pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers into natural waters.
• Although India has made improvements over the past decades to both the availability and quality of municipal drinking water systems, its large population has stressed planned water resources and rural areas are left out.

Consequences of Water Crisis and Pollution

• Increased International Conflict : Indian freshwater resources in Himalayas are crucial for Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tibet, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar etc. as well. Prolonged water stress may lead to international conflicts.
• Lack of Access to Clean Water : Only 33% of the country has access to traditional sanitation. Without access to clean freshwater, these vulnerable populations are exposed to deadly water-borne illnesses and water gathering can limit educational and economic opportunities
• Food Shortages : With a global population on pace to reach 6 billion by 2050 , shrinking water resources will make it difficult for food production to keep up with rising demand. The United Nations warns that political turmoil, social unrest, civil war and terrorism could result from food shortages unless food production is increased by 60% by 2050 . Agriculture already accounts for about 70% of global freshwater withdrawals to keep up with current food demand
• Energy Shortages : World energy requirements are rapidly increasing with modernization and population growth; however, energy production is one of the world’s greatest consumers of freshwater resources. In the United States, thermoelectric power plants accounted for 38% of freshwater withdrawals in 2010. Global electricity demand is projected to grow 70% by the year 2035 with India and China accounting for half of the growth.
• Economic Slowdown: The United Nations estimates that half of the world’s population will live in areas of high-water stress by the year 2030. It is difficult to have a thriving economy when fresh water is not easily accessible for industrial, farming, and individual use. Production of water-intensive goods like cars, food, and clothing could be limited by lack of freshwater resources.
• In addition, rapid growth in India’s urban areas has stretched government solutions, which have been compromised by over- privatization leading to exclusion of urban poor from formal water supply.

Solutions To Water Crisis

• Put a realistic price on water : We charge so little for it, yet it costs so much to manage, that there’s little motivation to address the pressing needs of the aging water infrastructure.
• Educate to change consumption and lifestyles : In the end, changing the face of this crisis involves education to motivate new behaviours. Coping with the coming era of water scarcity will require major overhaul of all forms of consumption.
• Invent new water conservation technologies : In areas where aquifers are drying up and rainwater is increasingly unpredictable, innovation is needed.
• Recycle waste water
• Solar-powered water purifiers : Hot climates suffer from water shortage the most. Deepika Kurup invented a way to use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in containers that expose it to ultraviolet radiation and cleanse the water, making it suitable to drink.
• Improve irrigation and agricultural practices : Some 70 percent of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture like drip irrigation, sprinkle irrigation, less extraction of ground water.
• Develop energy efficient desalination plants : To date, desalination has been an energy- intensive solution to water scarcity. Typically, the Middle East has capitalized on its large energy reserves to build desalination plants. But Saudi Arabia could be fostering a new kind of desalination with its recent announcement to use solar-powered plants.
• Rainwater harvesting increases water availability,
• Checks the declining groundwater table,
• Improves the quality of groundwater through dilution of contaminants, like fluoride and nitrates,
• Prevents soil erosion, and flooding and
• Arrests salt water intrusion in coastal areas if used to recharge aquifers.
• Look to community-based governance and partnerships : Community organizations elevate the experiences of those whose voices merit more influence.
• Improve distribution infrastructure : Poor infrastructure is devastating to health and the economy. It wastes resources, adds costs, diminishes the quality of life, and allows preventable water-borne diseases to spread among vulnerable populations.
• Address pollution : Measuring and monitoring water quality is essential to human health and biodiversity.
• R&D / Innovation : Access to water in a water- scarce world will become a much higher priority in business decisions. Communities are likely to pursue public-private partnerships that draw on the innovative capacities of companies. One example— cities that operate sewage treatment plants are likely to pursue partnerships with clean energy producers to fertilize algae and other biofuel crops with wastewater.

Measures taken by Government to de-stress Water Crisis:

• Ministry of Jal Shakti launched ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’– campaign for water conservation and water security. The campaign run through citizen participation while focus on water-stressed districts and blocks in the country.

 Jal Shakti Ministry launches framework for water quality  testing,      monitoring.

• The framework is part of the Centre’s flagship Jal Jeevan Mission. Of the ₹3.6 lakh crore Jal Jeevan budget, 2% has been earmarked for quality monitoring.
• The guidelines mandate a network of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited labs to be set up in every State, district and block over the next year.
• At the panchayat level, teams of women in the village water and sanitation committees will be given field testing kits.
• State governments can include private players as part of the network, but the Centre has capped tariffs to ensure that they remain within the reach of the common man.
• Apart from voluntary tests by members of the public, officials have been mandated to do regular inspections. All results of testing will be fed into the Water Quality Information Management System.

The basic water quality parameters prescribed under the guidelines are:

pH value, total dissolved solids, turbidity, chloride, total alkalinity, total hardness, sulphate, iron, total arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, total coliform bacteria, e.coil or thermo-tolerant coliform bacteria.

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchay Yojana (PMKSY) – ‘Har khet ko pani’ and ‘More Crop per Drop’ – focuses on improving water use efficiency.
• Other measures such as National Water Mission, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation Programme , Ground water management, Flood control and Forecast, Biodiversity Conservation, Wetland conservation, Green India Mission, CAMPA, etc.
• Jal Kranti Abhiyan: The government is making active efforts to revolutionize villages and cities through block-level water conservation schemes . It aims at turning one water scarce village in each district of the country into water surplus water village through a holistic and integrated approach by adopting conservation and management techniques.
• The Government of India has launched the National Water Mission with the objective of conservation of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring more equitable distribution both across and within states through integrated water resources development and management.
• One of the objectives of the Mission is to increase the water use efficiency by 20%.
• Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
• Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
• Atal Bhujal Yojana – Aims to promote sustainable ground water management with community participation in select over-exploited and water stressed areas.
• Restructured Natioanal Rural Drinking Water Programme – Improving coverage of piped drinking water in rural areas. Increase level of service delivery. Thrust on coverage of water quality affected habitations.
• Envisioned as an annual exercise, the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI), to evaluate States, has been developed by the NITI Aayog and comprises 9 broad sectors with 28 different indicators covering various aspects of groundwater, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and governance.
• Improper attention given to management of watersheds in the country. The scientific way of managing water from watershed is well tested for positive results. Silting of wetlands is also a problem, with periodic silting and degradation the water retention capacity reduces significantly and adds to the crisis.
• Another important issue that needs to be addressed, particularly in urban areas, is the leakage of pipes providing water . We cannot allow this to continue any longer. Putting in place an efficient piped supply system has to be top on the agenda of policymakers and planners.
• Reviving ancient systems of water harvesting techniques:
• Micro irrigation practices like drip and sprinkler systems have to be promoted in a big way for efficient use of water for agriculture. Both in urban and rural areas, digging of rainwater harvesting pits must be made mandatory for all types of buildings.

Water Governance

Introduction :

• Water Governance poses one of the biggest challenges in modern-day India that looks out for definitive solutions.
• How this scare water resource is to be allocated? How to generate livelihood in the food-energy nexus? How to keep the order of the biosphere balanced.

Need for Water Management in India

• Water is a cyclic resource with abundant supplies on the globe. Approximately, 71 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered with it but freshwater constitutes only about 3 per cent of the total water.
• India accounts for about 2.45 per cent of the world’s surface area, 4 per cent of the world’s water resources and about 16 per cent of the world’s population.
• The total water available from precipitation in the country in a year is about 4,000 cubic km.
• India experiences an average precipitation of 1170 mm per year.
• The availability from surface water and replenishable groundwater is 1,869 cubic km.
• Out of this only 60 per cent can be put to beneficial uses.
• Thus, the total utilizable water resource in the country is only 1,122 cubic km .

Key aspects of water governance:

-The key aspects of an effective system of water governance in a water blessed country which includes a comprehensive policy followed by an Action Plan to formulate the policy.

-Need to emphasized on the importance of resource literacy on water and building institutions in line with framed policies.

-Experts prescribed the top-down approach and definition of ‘per capita availability’ to be rechecked and substituted with a bottom-up approach and relevant definitions, that is, a more localized treatment of governing water.

Some lacunas present in the state of water governance that needs to be addressed:

Problem / Challenges in Water governance

• Information – The lack of credible water information.
• Multiple institutions
• Unsustainable extraction
• Absence of National Policy
• Water infrastructure perform far below its optimum
• Soil moisture – Soil moisture represents another major challenge
• Increasing water footprint

Lack of reliable information and doctored data which is unfortunately aided by the conflict of interest among governing bodies like the Central Water Commission (CWC), Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), the regulators, the financial agencies.

• Suggestion is to bring transparency and bridge the information gap , by putting data into public domain right away.
• Localised storage options, flood management, optimal use of reservoirs, river management – its flow, pollution and biodiversity, catchment management via enhancing water recharge, studying the flow of sediments.
• Management of agriculture – regulation of water-intensive crops and cropping pattern, regulations for groundwater consumption.
• An Urban Water Policy focusing on Water Smart cities , corruption-free quality and pollution management and a check on climate change induced by anthropogenic activities that causes harm to water resources are some of the governance tools to sought-after.

Water Governance implementation challenges in the main themes:

These governance challenges can affect the implementation of the SDG water-related targets to a lesser or greater degree depending on the water management function.

For example :

Drinking water and sanitation (targets 6.1 and 6.2):

• The lack of capacity, in particular at sub-national levels, represent an important obstacle to meeting current and future demands.
• The World population will grow to around 9 billion by 2050 , with rapidly increasing proportion living in urban areas.
• These socio-economic and demographic trends raise important challenges for countries and cities to mobilise the infrastructure, expertise and competent staff necessary to ensure the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation .
• Knowledge and know-how may also be needed to develop innovative approaches (be it technical or non-technical) to water service provision in light of growing demands.
• In addition, insufficient or inadequate funding can also be an important challenge: countries will be expected to mobilise substantial financial resources to build and maintain new networks, replace and modernise existing water infrastructures and ensure the performance of service provision.

Water resources management (targets 6.4 and 6.5):

• The management of water resources is an issue particularly sensitive to the question of scale.
• The mismatch between administrative limits and hydrological boundaries can lead to local actors (e.g. municipalities) placing their own interests ahead when designing and implementing water resources management policies and strategies, rather than integrating the needs of the river basin and aquifers.
• Managing water resources efficiently can also be hindered by diverging interests between urban and rural areas for example, or between up-stream and downstream regions.
• This can hinder the water-use efficiency across sectors and prevent the adoption of convergent objectives for sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.

Water quality and wastewater treatment (target 6.3).

• Ensuring good quality level for water requires collective and co-ordinated actions across actors and sectors. It is as such particularly sensitive to sectoral fragmentation, which can hinder collective efforts to reducing pollution.
• Eliminating dumping, minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse.
• Meeting water quality targets can also be hampered by limited enforcement.
• A lack of accountability and transparency in complying with existing standards for quality and wastewater treatment, in particular when governments do not have the capacity to monitor their performance and civil society is not fully engaged to hold them accountable.

Risk management related to disasters and climate change (target 6.6).

• Inadequate information production and sharing for what concerns meteorological and hydrological data is an important obstacle to managing the risks related to extreme event and global warming.
• Often, countries deal with data scattered across various sources (scientific, institutional, etc.) which hamper a common understanding of the risks and exposure to natural disasters such as droughts and floods.
• It results in the absence of common frame of reference regarding safety measures and levels of risks and different levels of knowledge and awareness across actors.

Articulating the best practices of water governance:

• An example of a World Bank project in Andhra Pradesh where they educated and equipped the local community to understand their water budget and how the water levels have been changing, and what should be the appropriate cropping patterns.
• A ‘River Parliament’ in a village in India wherein the locals came to meet once a while to discuss water management.
• Durgashakti Nagpal’s (IAS) view and experience as a civil servant on water governance highlights the communities affected by water insecurity and are at the frontlines of vulnerability.
• Pointing out the problem in citizen participation, they maintains that due to the non-realization of the urban dwellers that water management is their problem and view that they are not part of the governance, they don’t get actively involved in water governance.
• There is a need for a ward level committee to educate the citizens about the source of water, the importance of conservation, and how they can play a role in the management and, subsequently, governance.
• The demand for a more significant role of citizens is something that should not be ever negated.
• While emphasizing dams and the ‘development’ role , experts criticized that the 5000 dams were being constructed across India without civil consent and opinion, which has only done more harm than good, especially to the vulnerable groups.
• There is a need for post facto assessment ; the capacity to learn lessons and change accordingly is also what the governing institutions should bring about as a character.
• An example of how NDMA should have an ‘independent credible assessment’ as to what happened and who should be accountable of and the shortcomings that made the disaster turn into a calamity.
• Further, highlighted that official buildings should first equip themselves with a rain harvesting system before making it mandatory for private institutions and facilities.

On the untreated sewage, advocated for the formulation of a decentralized system of sewage management in the urban localities and a transparent committee that will monitor and evaluate the progress.

 National water policy

National Water policy was formulated to govern the planning and development of water resources and their optimum utilization . The first National Water Policy was adopted in 1987, it was reviewed and updated in 2002 and later in 2012.

• Government plans to come out with an updated version of National Water Policy with key changes in governance structures and regulatory framework.
• Plans are also to set up a National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency. Building consensus among the states within the constitutional framework is the pre-condition for making this changes.

Salient features

The major provisions under the policy are:

• Envisages to establish a standardized national information system with a network of data banks and data bases .
• Resource planning and recycling for providing maximum availability.
• To give importance to the impact of projects on human settlements and environment.
• Guidelines for the safety of storage dams and other water-related structures.
• Regulate exploitation of groundwater .
• Setting water allocation priorities in the following order: Drinking water, Irrigation, Hydropower, Navigation, Industrial and other uses.
• The water rates for surface water and ground water should be rationalized with due regard to the interests of small and marginal farmers.

The policy also deals with participation of farmers and voluntary agencies, water quality, water zoning, conservation of water, flood and drought management, erosion etc

National Water Policy 2012:

The salient features of national water policy (2012) are as follows:

• Emphasis on the need for a national water framework law, comprehensive legislation for optimum development of inter-State rivers and river valleys.
• Water, after meeting the pre-emptive needs for safe drinking water and sanitation, achieving food security, supporting poor people dependent on agriculture for their livelihood and high priority allocation for minimum eco-system needs, be treated as economic good so as to promote its conservation and efficient use.
• Ecological needs of the river should be determined recognizing that river flows are characterized by low or no flows, small floods (freshets), large floods and flow variability and should accommodate development needs. A portion of river flows should be kept aside to meet ecological needs ensuring that the proportional low and high flow releases correspond in time closely to the natural flow regime.
• Adaptation strategies in view of climate change for designing and management of water resources structures and review of acceptability criteria has been emphasized.
• A system to evolve benchmarks for water uses for different purposes, i.e., water footprints, and water auditing be developed to ensure efficient use of water. Project financing has been suggested as a tool to incentivize efficient & economic use of water.
• Setting up of Water Regulatory Authority has been recommended.
• Incentivization of recycle and re-use has been recommended.
• Water Users Associations should be given statutory powers to collect and retain a portion of water charges, manage the volumetric quantum of water allotted to them and maintain the distribution system in their jurisdiction.
• Removal of large disparity in stipulations for water supply in urban areas and in rural areas has been recommended.
• Water resources projects and services should be managed with community participation. Wherever the State Governments or local governing bodies so decide, the private sector can be encouraged to become a service provider in public private partnership model to meet agreed terms of service delivery, including penalties for failure.
• Adequate grants to the States to update technology, design practices , planning and management practices, preparation of annual water balances and accounts for the site and basin, preparation of hydrologic balances for water systems, and benchmarking and performance evaluation etc.
• In 2018, such an approach led the government to require minimum water levels to be maintained in the Ganga throughout the year by refraining from hoarding water beyond a point.
• Emphasis was also made to make a minimum quantity of potable water available to citizens for maintaining essential health and hygiene.
• Inter-basin Transfers: To meet basic human needs and achieve equity and social justice, inter-basin transfers of water need to be considered on the basis of the merits of each case after evaluating the environmental, economic and social impacts of such transfers.

Why is there a need of updated National Water Policy?

• There are lots of changes that are required in the policy.
• Privatization of water usage should be defined.
• Agriculture was there but not included in the policy parameters.
• River revitalization is required to be revised.
• Technological innovation is required with the sensors, GIS and satellite imagery.
• Need to modulate the water by having a good picture of its path and quantity.
• Need to go back from basin to sub-basin to watershed and down into village water budgeting level.
• Policy does not deter use among those who can afford to pay for water.
• Policy does not follow polluter pay principle, rather it gives incentives for effluent treatment.
• Policy is criticized for terming water as an economic good.
• It does not focus on water pollution
• India’s water table is falling in most parts; there is fluoride, arsenic, mercury, even uranium in our groundwater.
• The groundwater and sand extraction from most river beds and basins has turned unsustainable.
• Water is being diverted from food-crops to cash-crops; livelihoods to lifestyles; rural to urban— mismanagement is a bigger reason for the drought.
• Water shortages are hurting India’s ability to produce power and 40% thermal power plants are in areas facing high water stress, a recent World Resources Institute report says.

Paradigm shift in approach from service provider of water to facilitator of service.

• PPP mode may not ensure equity.
• Policy was criticized for terming Water as an economic good.
• In some regions it has not yet become successful .
• The policy does not focus on the reduction of water pollution.
• The policy doesn’t lay out objective for commercial use of water, especially ground water

Way Forward:

• Hydrological boundaries, rather than administrative or political boundaries, should be part of the water governance structure in the country
• Building consensus among the States within the Constitutional framework is a pre-condition for making the changes.
• Water conservation, along with water harvesting and judicious and multiple use of water, are key to tackling the water challenges that India faces.
• Rejuvenation and revitalisation of traditional water bodies and resources through the age-old conservation methods.
• Need for disseminating modern water technologies in an extensive fashion.
• Relook basin and sub-basin planning
• Water policy should take in all recommendations and warning given by NITI Aayog
• Batting for policy changes for giving incentive to crops using less water.
• Participatory groundwater management should be promoted in a big way to maintain quality and sustainability.

Interlinking of Rivers Project

The National River Linking Project (NRLP) formally known as the National Perspective Plan, envisages the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins where there is flooding to water ‘deficit’ basins where there is drought/scarcity, through inter-basin water transfer projects.

Digging further into the term ‘surplus’ as per the Government, states that it is the extra water available in a river after it meets the humans’ requirement of irrigation, domestic consumption and industries thereby underestimating the need of the water for the river itself. The term ‘deficit’ has also been viewed in terms of humans only and not from the river’s perspective, which includes many other factors.

National River Linking Project (NRLP)

This project envisages the transfer of water from the water-excess basin to the water-deficient basin by interlinking 37 rivers of India by a network of almost 3000 storage dams. This will form a gigantic South Asian water grid.

There are two components to this project:

• Himalayan Component
• Peninsular Component

Scope of the Project

The National River Interlinking Project will comprise of 30 links to connect 37 rivers across the nation through a network of nearly 3000 storage dams to form a gigantic South Asian Water Grid. It includes two components:

Projects in the Himalayan component (Source: National Water Development Agency)

• Himalayan Rivers Development Component under which 14 links have been identified. This component aims to construct storage reservoirs on the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, as well as their tributaries in India and Nepal. The aim is to conserve monsoon flows for irrigation and hydropower generation, along with flood control. The linkage will transfer surplus flows of the Kosi, Gandak and Ghagra to the west. A link between the Ganga and Yamuna is also proposed to transfer the surplus water to drought-prone areas of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Himalayan component

Map of the Ganges (orange), Brahmaputra (violet), and Meghna (green) drainage basins.

Himalayan Rivers Development envisages construction of storage reservoirs on the main Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their principal tributaries in India and Nepal along with inter-linking canal system to transfer surplus flows of the eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the West apart from linking of the main Brahmaputra with the Ganga.

Apart from providing irrigation to an additional area of about 22 million hectares and generating about 30 million kilowatt of hydro-power, it will provide substantial flood control in the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. The Scheme will benefit not only the States in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin, but also Nepal and Bangladesh, assuming river flow management treaties are successfully negotiated.

  Peninsular Component

This Scheme is divided in four major parts.

• Interlinking of Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Palar-Pennar-Kaveri,
• Interlinking of West Flowing Rivers, North of Mumbai and South of Tapi,
• Inter-linking of Ken with Chambal and
• Diversion of some water from West Flowing Rivers

This component will irrigate an additional 25 million hectares by surface waters, 10 million hectares by increased use of ground waters and generate hydro power, apart from benefits of improved flood control and regional navigation.

Proponents of the project argue that/ BENEFITS of Interlinking of rivers

• It will irrigate about 87 million acres of farmland, control floods, and generate 34 GW of hydroelectric power.
• This will cut farmers’ dependence on monsoon rains by bringing millions of hectares of cultivatable land under irrigation.
• Crop productivity would increase and so would revenues for the State.  Even one bad monsoon has a direct and debilitating economic impact.
• The river linking project will ease the water shortages in western and southern India while mitigating the impacts of recurrent floods in eastern India.
• Simultaneous floods and droughts continue to wreak havoc, destroying the lives and livelihoods of millions.
• India needs clean energy to fuel its development processes, and river water can be leveraged for this.
• Fulfilling water needs impact socio-economic life of people which will help end poverty. Need for interlinking of rivers to prevent inter-state water disputes.  Potential benefits to transportation through navigation, as well as broadening income sources in rural areas through fishing.
• Judicious Use of Water Resources
• Address the issue of Water Stress
• Can improve the irrigation coverage
• Power generation

Critics argue that/ Issues and Concerns about interlinking of Rivers

• Interlinking of rivers is a very expensive proposal.
• The river interlinking project will adversely affect land, forests, biodiversity, rivers and the livelihood of millions of people
• The Ken-Betwa link threatens about 200 sq. km of the Panna tiger reserve Interlinking of rivers will lead to destruction of forests, wetlands and local water bodies, which are major groundwater recharge mechanisms.
• Less than positive experience that other countries have, like diversion of Amu Darya and the Syr Darya or the Australia’s experiments in its Murray Darling basin.
• It causes massive displacement of people. Huge burden on the government to deal with the issue of rehabilitation of displaced people.
• Due to interlinking of rivers, there will be decrease in the amount of fresh water entering seas and this will cause a serious threat to the marine life
• The Shah committee pointed out that the linking of rivers will affect natural supply of nutrients for agricultural lands through curtailing flooding of downstream areas.
• Artificial change of course
• Bypass the crucial dryland areas
• Impact on Environment
• Impact on rivers
• he concerns about sediment management, especially on the Himalayan system loom large. When the idea is to transfer water from the ‘surplus’ Himalayan river systems to ‘deficit’ basins of the southern part of India, the differential sediment regime defining the flow regimes need to be plugged into the equation. This will entail changes in ecosystem structures in both parts.
• Damming India’s east-coast rivers to take their water westwards will curtail downstream flooding and thereby, the supply of sediment—a natural nutrient—destroying fragile coastal ecosystems and causing coastal and delta erosion
• Federal contentions

Challenges 

• India has 18 percent of the world’s population but only 4 percent of the usable water resources Irrigation potential from interlinking rivers will have limited impact.
• The net national irrigated area from big dams has decreased and India’s irrigated area has gone up primarily due to groundwater.
• Large hydropower projects are no longer a viable option in India.  Storing large quantities of waters. Most of the sites suitable for the big reservoirs are in Nepal, Bhutan and in the North-East—who are in opposition to big storage reservoirs.
• There are political challenges as well. Water transfer and water sharing are sensitive subjects. If the glaciers don’t sustain their glacier mass due to climate change, the interlinking project will have limited benefit.
• Usually rivers change their course and direction in about 100 years and if this happens after interlinking, then the project will not be feasible for a longer run.

KEN-BETWA RIVER LINKING

• The project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken river in MP to Betwa in UP to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region spread across the districts of two states mainly Jhansi, Banda, Lalitpur and Mahoba districts of UP and Tikamgarh, Panna and Chhatarpur districts of MP.

Benefits of interlinking:

• Enhances water and food security.
• Proper utilisation of water.
• Boost to agriculture.
• Disaster mitigation.
• Boost to transportation.

An Environmental Hazard

Ken-Betwa river link entails a 231-kilometre (144 mile) canal between the two rivers in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, along with two dams and reservoirs; the felling of more than 1.8 million trees; and the usage of 6,017 hectares (23 sq miles) of forest land, including the Panna Tiger Reserve, with special mention of endangered wildlife species that will be impacted. The project is also expected to consume nearly 6,000 hectares of non-forest land, with approximately 5,000 homes being submerged as per the National Water Development Authority feasibility report.

Conclusion :

The IRL project is a great challenge and an opportunity to address the water issues arising out of climate change. The long-term solution to water scarcity lies in making the IRL project work by building a network of dams and canals across the length and breadth of the country. However, interlinking has to take place after a detailed study so that does not cause any problem to the environment or aquatic life.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. “River linking projects for the country are a great challenge and at the same time an opportunity to address the water issues arising out of climate change.” Critically analyse the statement in the light of recent floods witnessed across the country.(250 words)

2) Do you think the interlinking of river in India is a sustainable water management practice? Analyse with suitable examples. (250 words)

3) Account for the ecological concerns around river-linking projects in India and suggest solutions to address the same. (250 words)

4) Interlinking of rivers may address the issue of paucity of water but poses a serious threat to the indigenous ecological diversity of the said rivers. Comment. (200 Words)

MARINE POLLUTION

The oceans cover over 70% of the globe. Its health, wellbeing of humanity and the living environment that sustains us all are inextricably linked.

Yet neglect of ocean acidification, climate change, polluting activities and over-exploitation of marine resources have made oceans, one of the earth’s most threatened ecosystems.

Marine pollution, also known as ocean pollution, is the spreading of harmful substances such as oil, plastic, industrial and agricultural waste and chemical particles into the ocean.

Causes of Ocean Pollution

There are various ways in which pollution enters the ocean:

• Sewage : Sewage or polluting substances flow through sewage, rivers, or drainages directly into the ocean.
• The hazardous and toxic chemicals affect marine life.
• Also, they raise the temperature of the ocean and cause thermal pollution. Aquatic animals and plants have difficulty surviving at higher temperatures.
• Land Runoff : Land-based sources (such as agricultural run-off, discharge of nutrients and pesticides and untreated sewage including plastics) account for approximately 80% of marine pollution. The runoff picks up man-made, harmful contaminants that pollute the ocean, including fertilizers, petroleum, pesticides and other forms of soil contaminants.
• Crude oil lasts for years in the sea and is extremely toxic to marine life, it suffocates the marine animals to death.
• Crude oil is also extremely difficult to clean up.
• Ocean Mining : Ocean mining sites drilling for silver, gold, copper, cobalt, and zinc create sulfide deposits up to three and a half thousand meters down into the ocean.
• Once discarded, plastics are weathered and eroded into very small fragments known as microplastics. These together with plastic pellets are already found in most beaches around the world.
• Plastic materials and other litter can become concentrated in certain areas called gyres as a result of marine pollution gathered by oceanic currents. For example, the North Pacific Gyre is now referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where waste material from across the North Pacific Ocean, including coastal waters off North America and Japan, are drawn together.
• In addition to all these factors, the oceans are highly affected by carbon dioxide and climate changes, which impacts primarily the ecosystems and fish communities that live in the ocean. In particular, the rising levels of CO2 leads to ocean acidification.
• Other factors like coastal tourism, port and harbour developments, damming of rivers, urban development and construction, mining, fisheries, aquaculture etc., are all sources of marine pollution threatening coastal and marine habitats.

Effects of Ocean Pollution

• Effect of Toxic Wastes on Marine Animals: The long term effect on marine life can include cancer, failure in the reproductive system, behavioural changes, and even death.
• Disruption to the Cycle of Coral Reefs : Oil spill floats on the surface of the water and prevents sunlight from reaching marine plants and affects the process of photosynthesis.
• Due to this, oxygen levels go down, as a result, the chances of survival of marine animals like whales, turtles, sharks, dolphins, penguins for a long time also goes down.
• Excessive nutrients from sewage outfalls and agricultural runoff have contributed to the number of low oxygen (hypoxic) areas known as dead zones, where most marine life cannot survive, resulting in the collapse of some ecosystems.
• There are now close to 500 dead zones covering more than 245,000 km² globally, equivalent to the surface of the United Kingdom.
• Eutrophication : When a water body becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients which induce excessive growth of algae or algal bloom. This process also results in oxygen depletion of the water body.
• Failure in the Reproductive System of Sea Animals : Chemicals from pesticides can accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals, leading to failure in their reproductive system.
• Effect on Food Chain : Small animals ingest the discharged chemicals and are later eaten by large animals, which then affects the whole food chain.
• Affects Human Health

Animals from impacted food chain are then eaten by humans which affects their health as toxins from these contaminated animals get deposited in the tissues of people and can lead to cancer, birth defects or long term health problems.

Global Initiatives

• The Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities : The GPA is the only global intergovernmental mechanism directly addressing the connectivity between terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems.
• MARPOL convention (1973) : It covers pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. It lists various forms of marine pollution caused by oil, noxious liquid substances, harmful substances in packaged form, sewage and garbage from ships, etc.
• The London Convention (1972): Its objective is to promote the effective control of all sources of marine pollution and to take all practicable steps to prevent pollution of the sea by dumping of wastes and other matter.
• The Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region was adopted by leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes four of the world’s top polluters . The declaration was commended by environmentalists as a good first step for the region , though doubts remained that implementation will be a challenge because the group has a code of non-interference that would leave necessary policymaking in the hands of individual member countries
• The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was established to protect the marine environment by governing states to control their pollution to the ocean. It put restrictions on the amount of toxins and pollutants that come from all ships internationally.
• It is an environmental NGO that is dedicated to conserving the oceans and marine life across the globe.
• Its grassroots efforts have resulted in the ban of destructive fishing practices, companies changing their fishing policies, and the creation of whale sanctuaries.

How to prevent Ocean pollution?

• Implement renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power, to limit off-shore drilling.
• Proper sewage treatment and exploration of eco-friendly wastewater treatment options.
• Use of Biotechnology: Bioremediation (use of specific microorganisms to metabolize and remove harmful substances) to treat oil spills.
• At individual level reduce carbon footprint by adopting a “green” lifestyle.
• Have a global treaty on banning single-use plastics and collaborated efforts to clean up the ocean.
• A stricter government regulation on industry and manufacturing is one large scale solution.
• Limit agricultural pesticides and encourage organic farming and eco-friendly pesticide use.
• Cut down on industry and manufacturing waste and contain landfills so they don’t spill into the ocean.

The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.

In this context, ocean health must be treated as a global issue and all nations should act in concert to implement Sustainable Development Goal: 14 i.e. To conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Ocean Acidification

• Ocean acidification has been called the “ evil twin of global warming ” and “ the other CO 2 problem ”.
• Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans , caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere.
• An estimated 30–40% of the carbon dioxide from human activity released into the atmosphere dissolves into oceans , rivers, and lakes.
• To achieve chemical equilibrium, some of it reacts with the water to form carbonic acid ( H 2 CO 3).
• Some of these extra carbonic acid molecules react with a water molecule to give a bicarbonate ion and a hydronium ion , thus increasing ocean acidity (H+ ion concentration) .
• CO 2 reacts with water molecules (H 2 O) and forms the weak acid H 2 CO 3 (carbonic acid) . Most of this acid dissociates into hydrogen ions (H+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO 3- ) . The increase in H+ ions reduces pH (measure of acidity) and the oceans acidify, that is they become more acidic or rather less alkaline . This process is called ocean acidification .
• Checking CO and CO 2 emissions and controlling pollution are the only means to reduce ocean acidification.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Ocean-Acidification.pdf

Consequences of Ocean Acidification

• Plastic pollution, overfishing, global warming, and increased acidification from burning fossil fuels means oceans are increasingly hostile to marine life
• O cean acidification will affect corals. This will, in turn, affect one million species that have made corals their homes.
• Coral reefs will erode faster than they can rebuild. When shelled organisms are at risk, the entire food web may also be at risk.
• Some algae and seagrass may benefit from higher CO2 concentrations, as they may increase their photosynthetic and growth rates.
• Most marine species seem to be more vulnerable in their early life stages.
• Changes through acidification will be made worse by climate change, pollution, coastal development, over-fishing, and agricultural fertilizers.
• These changes will affect the many services the ocean provides to us.

Ocean Acidification in Indian Ocean

• The Arabian Sea is witnessing acidification of its surface waters, a consequence of excessive carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• The ocean acidification in the northern Bay of Bengal is mainly due to pollutants mixing with seawater from the Indo-Gangetic plains.
• During winter, air blowing from land to the sea carries all pollutants with the wind and deposits in the ocean during transit.
• Study shows rapidly decreasing presence of marine phytoplankton in the western Indian Ocean.
• A report warns that the Indian Ocean may be reduced to an ecological desert, given the levels of ocean warming.
• The ocean acidification in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal will devastate one of the most pristine, most fertile regions, the Indian Ocean.

WHAT IS A MARINE HEATWAVE?

We know that heatwaves occur in the atmosphere. We are all familiar with these extended periods of excessively hot weather. However, heatwaves can also occur in the ocean and these are known as marine heatwaves, or MHWs. These marine heatwaves, when ocean temperatures are extremely warm for an extended period of time can have significant impacts on marine ecosystems and industries.​ Marine heatwaves can occur in summer or winter – they are defined based on differences with expected temperatures for the location and time of year.

HOW DO WE MEASURE MARINE HEATWAVES?

We use a recently developed definition of marine heatwaves .

A marine heatwave is defined a when seawater temperatures exceed a seasonally-varying threshold (usually the 90th percentile) for at least 5 consecutive days. Successive heatwaves with gaps of 2 days or less are considered part of the same event.

Impacts of the MHWs

• Marine heatwaves affect ecosystem structure, by supporting certain species and suppressing others.
• For example, after the 2011 marine heatwave in Western Australia the fish communities had a much more “tropical” nature than previously and switched from kelp forests to seaweed turfs.
• Marine heatwaves can cause economic losses through impacts on fisheries and aquaculture.
• Temperature-sensitive species such as corals are especially vulnerable to MHWs. In 2016, marine heatwaves across northern Australia led to severe bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef.

1. By highlighting the sources of marine pollution, analyze the impact of marine plastic pollution. (250 words)

2) Study the impact of global trade on marine pollution while discussing remedial measures to address the same. (250 words)

3) Marine pollution is said to be affecting not only marine life but life of humans as well. Critically examine the efforts made by international community in addressing the problem of marine pollution around the globe. (200 Words)

4) Examine the impact of marine pollution on coasts and coastal ecology. Also discuss conservation methods to clean coasts. (200 Words)

5) Explain what constitutes Marine litter? And account for the effects it has on Economy and public health. (250 words)

6)  By highlighting the sources of marine pollution, analyze the impact of marine plastic pollution.

7) Bring out the various ecological problems associated with the exploitation and use of oceans and their resources?(250 words)

8) Discuss the magnitude and implications of plastic pollution in oceans. (200 Words)

9) Around the world marine habitats are in extreme danger including in India. Examine and comment on the way forward for India when it comes to kickstarting Blue economy?(250 words)

10) What causes acidification of oceans and freshwater bodies? What are the consequences of the same? Examine. (250 Words)

EUTROPHICATION AND ALGAL BLOOMS

  The OECD defined the process of eutrophication as follows: Eutrophication is an enrichment of water by nutrient salts that cause structural changes to the ecosystem such as increased production of algae and aquatic plants, depletion of fish species, general deterioration of water quality and other effects that reduce and preclude use . For example, the green colour of the Potomac River in the U.S.A had been due to this process of eutrophication leading to excessive growth of cyanobacteria.

Likewise, the process of eutrophication has been witnessed on the coast of Qingdao in Eastern China where children are found swimming in a sea of seaweed.

Both these examples represent an abnormal growth of algae, a clear manifestation of a process called eutrophication.

Eutrophication comes from the Greek word eutrophos which means well-nourished .

In this process, excessive growth of plants and algae take place because of over-supply of nutrients.

This process also l eads to oxygen depletion in the water body.

Eutrophication is almost always catalysed by the disposal of nitrate or phosphate-containing detergents, fertilizers, or sewage into an aquatic system.

It promotes overgrowth of plants and algae.

After such organisms die, the bacterial degradation of their biomass consumes the oxygen in the water, thereby creating the state of hypoxia (state of having less oxygen).

Eutrophication can also occur outside water bodies. For example, soils can be eutrophic when they have high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus or other nutrients.

Eutrophication is a critical environmental problem as it leads to a decline in water quality.

According to the Survey of the State of the World’s Lakes, eutrophication affects :

54% of Asian lakes,

53% of those in Europe,

48% of those in North America,

41% of those in South America and

28% of those in Africa

All water bodies undergo a natural and slow eutrophication process which is called natural eutrophication process.

However, in recent decades there has been a rapid increase in the process of eutrophication due to the presence of man and his activities leading to pollution in water bodies. This is called cultural eutrophication .

The cultural eutrophication process comprises of a steady and rapid increase in the contribution of nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus in water bodies.

This load exceeds the capacity of the water body to purify itself naturally which in turn activates structural changes in the water body.

Such adverse changes are not conducive to the growth of other aquatic organisms.

These structural changes in water bodies occur because of three reasons

• Use of fertilisers : Agricultural practices like the excessive use of fertilisers in the soil contribute to the stocking of nutrients. A time comes when these nutrients reach high concentration levels and the ground is no longer able to assimilate them, they are carried by rain into rivers and groundwater that flow into lakes or seas.
• Discharge of wastewater into water bodies: Water pollution is a common phenomenon in various parts of the world, and particularly in developing countries. Wastewater is discharged directly into water bodies such as rivers, lakes and seas. This results in the release of a high quantity of nutrients which leads to excessive growth of algae.
• Reduction of self-purification capacity : Over the years, lakes accumulate large quantities of sediments. These sediments assimilate large amounts of nutrients and pollutants. This phenomenon results in further deterioration of water quality amplifying the processes connected with eutrophication.

  With the process of eutrophication, the enrichment of water occurs mainly by nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.

An aquatic environment with a limited availability of phosphorus and nitrogen is described as oligotrophic while one with high availability of these elements is called eutrophic .

The intensification of the eutrophication phenomenon produces adverse effects leading to environmental imbalances.

• The two serious impacts of eutrophication are hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in the deep part of the lake and algal blooms that produce harmful toxins. These developments demolish aquatic life in the affected areas.
• The substantial loss of aquatic life has a devastating effect on fisheries and the fishing industry. Its adverse impact goes beyond the fishing industry. Recreational fishing which is the backbone of the tourism industry also suffers from a loss of revenues.
• Algal blooms can have a severe impact on human health. Humans become seriously ill from eating oysters and other shellfish contaminated with toxins produced as a result of the eutrophication process. It can cause eye, skin and respiratory irritation to swimmers, boaters and residents of coastal areas.
• Fish mortality : Affluence of organic substances leads to deterioration of water quality catalysing threats to fish population in water bodies. This scenario logically leads to an increment in fish mortality.
• Loss of freshwater lakes : Eutrophication eventually creates a layer of wastes in lakes and produces a successively shallower depth of surface water. Eventually, the water body is reduced into marsh whose plant community is transformed from an aquatic environment to recognizable terrestrial environment.
• New species invasion : Eutrophication may make the ecosystem competitive by transforming the normal limiting nutrient to abundant level. This causes shifts in species composition of the ecosystem.
• Toxicity: Some algal blooms (upon death or being eaten) release toxins which can kill aquatic organisms and pose threat to humans. For example, shellfish poisoning.
• Loss of coral reefs: This can occur due to a decrease in water transparency as a result of eutrophication.
• Adverse impact on navigation: Affects navigation due to increased turbidity (increased cloudiness or haziness in water bodies).

Thus, it is observed that eutrophication is a threat to the marine ecosystem. Hence, there is a crying need to curb the progress of eutrophication in order to prevent the collapse of the affected marine ecosystems.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/06/17/dead-zone-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/

How to Control Eutrophication

• Conventionally, there have been some methods to control/reduce eutrophication viz. the alteration of excess nutrients, physical mixing of the water, application of powerful herbicides and algaecides among others. These methods have proven to be ineffective, expensive and impractical for large ecosystems.
• Today, the major control mechanism against eutrophication process is premised on prevention techniques like taking out the nutrients that are introduced into water bodies. The strategy is to limit the concentrations of one of the two main nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in water bodies. It is scientifically proven that in particular phosphorus is the main limiting factor for the growth of algae. Hence, when the offload of nitrogen or phosphorus is controlled then there is a visible reduction in the process of eutrophication in water bodies.
• Increase in efficiency of nitrogen & phosphorus fertilizers and using them only at an adequate level.
• Reduction in nitrogen emission from vehicles and power plants.
• There is an ever-increasing population pressure and hence sustained food security will become a more pressing concern. This will magnify the already increasing demands on farmland productivity. But organic farming is very costly and hence farmers will turn to the continued use of phosphate- and nitrogen-rich fertilizers. These fertilizers will catalyse the growth of eutrophic zones. Hence, there is a need to address this dimension of the eutrophication problem.

However, there are cases where water quality is severely compromised and any preventive measures prove to be ineffective. In this scenario, curative procedures can be implemented, such as:

• removal and treatment of deep water in contact with the sediments rich in nutrients since in direct contact with the release source;
• drainage of the upper part of sediment subject to biological reactions and with high phosphorus concentrations;
• oxygenation of water for restoring the ecological conditions,
• chemical precipitation of phosphorus by the addition of iron or aluminium salts or calcium carbonate to the water,

Practice Questions

• Account for new threats associated with water pollution and indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources. (250 words)
• Water is a crucial concern of public health and the ecosystem of a country, more so for a country like India. Examine. (250 words)
• Examine the factors behind the high levels of pollution in Indian rivers. What can be done to protect our rivers from degradation and slow death. Discuss.(250 words)  

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Environmental Pollution And Degradation

World is facing severe problem of environmental degradation due to rapid increase in population and economic development that weakens the environmental resource.

Environment Pollution

Environment pollution is worldwide issue and it has adverse impact on the health of human populations (Fereidoun et al, 2007). Universal environmental pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions and acid deposition, as well as water pollution and waste management is deliberated as global public health problems, which should be examined from manifold perspectives such as social, economic, legislation, and environmental engineering systems, as well as lifestyle habits helping health promotion and reinforcing environmental systems to repel adulteration (Loux, 2011). It is observed that the problems of environmental pollution is intense in the developing world, where traditional sources of pollution such as industrial emissions, poor sanitation, insufficient waste management, polluted water supplies and exposures to indoor air pollution from biomass fuels affect humans (Samet, 2001). Recently, modern pollutants have emerged which are associated with traffic congestion and the use of modern chemicals in the home, in food, for water treatment and for pest control. Air Pollution has emerged as growing global issue among environmentalists and researchers especially in developed countries since the decade of 1960 (Kan, 2009). It affects human and animal lives, natural ecosystems and the man-made environment. The main pollutants found in the air people breathe include, particulate matter, PAHs, lead, ground-level ozone, heavy metals, sulphur dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide (European Public Health Alliance, 2009). Air pollution in urban areas has numerous health impact such as a shorter lifespan for city inhabitants (Progressive Insurance, 2005).

Air pollution is also responsible for climate change due to the enhanced greenhouse effect, acid rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer that constitute important global environmental problems. Mishra stated that fast growth in urban population, increasing industrialization, and rising demands for energy and motor vehicles are the deteriorating air pollution levels (2003). He further said that other factors, such as poor environmental ruling, less efficient technology of production, jammed roads, and age and poor maintenance of automobiles also increase pollution level. It is established that air pollution is caused of ill health and death by natural and man-made sources. Major man-made sources of ambient air pollution include tobacco smoke, combustion of solid fuels for cooking, heating, home cleaning agents, insecticides industries, automobiles, power generation, poor environmental regulation, less efficient technology of production, congested roads, and age and poor maintenance of cars and other automobiles. The natural sources include furnaces and waste disposals, forest and agricultural fires (European Public Health Alliance, 2009). Air pollution occurs both outdoors and indoors and is caused by human activities and natural mechanisms. Outdoor air pollution is described as the discharge of numerous air pollutants in to the atmosphere, in concentrations that threaten the health of living organisms or upset the function of the environment as a system leading to human health damages in various ways. Indoor air pollution is defined as the amount of chemical, biological and physical contaminants in the air inside a building. Indoor air pollution is more dangerous as compared to outdoor air pollution. Some of indoor air pollutant sources in houses including building materials, pressed wood products and furniture, central heating and cooling systems, several personal care or household cleaning products, painting colours, solvents, heating or cooking appliances (stoves, wood and gas burning fireplaces, gas heaters), tobacco smoke, office machines and other products used in daily activities (EPA, 2007).

Consequences of Air Pollution: Air pollution cause many health issues. It is found that CO2 is a good transmitter of sunlight, but it also partially restricts infrared radiation going back from the earth into space, which produces the greenhouse effect that prevents a drastic cooling of the Earth during the night. Increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere strengthens this effect and is expected to result in a warming of the Earth’s surface. Air pollution has harmful impact on plant life. Sulphur di oxide is considered as most harmful pollutant (Rao, 1989).

Effect of pollutant on plants (Source: Rao, 1989)

Air pollution monitoring is very necessary to control pollution. These techniques collect data by scientists to enable them to make informed decisions to manage overall quality of environment.

Air pollution monitoring and source categorization (Source: Bhola, et, al., 2010)

Water pollution: Water pollution is also a matter of concern for human life. Polluted water comprises of Industrial discharged wastes, sewage water, rain water pollution (Ashraf et al, 2010). Water can also be polluted by agriculture or households cause damage to human health or the environment. (European Public Health Alliance, 2009). This water pollution adversely impacts the health and quality of soils and vegetation (Carter, 1985). Pollutants in water include a wide range of chemicals, pathogens, and physical chemistry or sensory changes. Many of the chemical substances are toxic or even carcinogenic. Pathogens can obviously produce waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts. The effects of water pollution are major cause of death for humans at global scale. Furthermore, water pollution affects oceans, lakes, rivers, and drinking water (Scipeeps, 2009). A drinking water contained a fluoride content ranging from 5.26 to 26.32 milligrams per litre and this is too high as compared to the World Health Organization�s standard of 0.6 to 1.7 milligram per litre (Rizvi, 2000). It has been found that Paper and pulp mills consume large amount of water and discharge liquid and solid waste products into the environment. The liquid waste is usually high in biological oxygen demand, suspended solids, and chlorinated organic compounds such as dioxins (World Bank, 1999).

Types of water pollution:

Treatment of water pollution: There are many ways by which water pollution can be treated such as industrial treatment, denitrification, septic tank, and ozone waste water treatment. Before raw sewage can be carefully released back into the environment, it must be treated properly in a water treatment plant. In a water treatment plant, sewage goes through a number of chambers and chemical processes to reduce the amount and toxicity of the waste. Denitrification is an ecological approach to avert the leaching of nitrates in soil, and stops ground water pollution with nutrients. Septic tanks treat sewage at the place where it is located and used to treat sewage from an individual building. Untreated sewage from a property flows into the septic tank and the solids are separated from the liquid. Environmentalists use Biological processes to degrade the solid matter. Another method to treat water pollution is well known Ozone wastewater treatment. An ozone generator break down pollutants in the water source. The generators convert oxygen into ozone using Ultraviolet radiation and Electric discharge field. There are numerous advantages of ozone to treat wastewater such as this technique kills bacteria successfully, oxidizes substances such as iron and sulphur. There are some drawbacks of adopting ozone to treat wastewater such as it requires energy in the form of electricity, cost money and cannot work when the power is lost and cannot remove dissolved minerals and salts.

Water pollution treatment

Land/ Solid waste Pollution: This type of pollution also shake environment. Inadequate management of solid waste is one of the main causes of environmental pollution (Kimani, 2007). Land pollution is one of the main forms of environmental calamity in current situation (Khan, 2004). Causes of Land Pollution include Mining and quarrying, Sewage waste, Household Garbage and Industrial Waste. Consequences of Land Pollutants are dangerous such as extermination of wild life. In land pollution, acid rain kills trees and other plants and vegetation that provides food and shelter is destroyed. It can seriously disturb the balance of nature, and, in extreme cases, can cause human mortalities. Pesticides can damage crops; kill vegetation and poison birds, animals, and fish. Most pesticides kill or damage life forms other than those intended. To prevent Land Pollution, it is advised that more and more land should be brought under farming. Trees should be planted everywhere. Waste matter should be disposed immediately and avoid drilling the Land for more underground water. People must avoid using more chemical fertilizers and Pesticides. Noise pollution, soil pollution and light pollution also harm the environment at an alarming rate. Causes of Noise Pollution include aircraft noise, noise of cars, buses, and trucks, vehicle horns, loudspeakers, and industry noise, as well as high-intensity sonar effects which are extremely harmful for the environment, noise from construction and civil engineering works. Extreme noise pollution occurs due to technical advancement and the motor vehicle, which is responsible for about ninety percent of all undesirable noise internationally. Effects of Noise Pollution are Hearing Loss, High Blood Pressure, Stress, Sleep Disturbance, Colour Blindness. To Avoid Noise Pollution, the Government should ensure the new machines that should be noise proof. Air ports must be away from residential area. Do not sound horn symbol is to be in school roads. Soil pollution is described as the impurity of soil of a particular region. Soil pollution mainly is a result of penetration of damaging pesticides and insecticides, which deteriorate the soil quality, thus making it contaminated and unfit for use later. Main causes of soil pollution include Industrial wastes such as harmful gases and chemicals, agricultural pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides, ignorance towards soil management and related systems, unfavourable and harmful irrigation practices, improper septic system and management and maintenance of the same, leakages from sanitary sewage, acid rains, when fumes released from industries get mixed with rains, fuel leakages from automobiles, that get washed away due to rain and seep into the nearby soil, improper waste management techniques, which are characterized by release of sewage into the large dumping grounds and nearby streams or rivers. Light pollution is described as excessive and incorrect artificial light (Mizon, 2002). It is caused due to extreme use of artificial lights by humans. The powerful artificial light which are used to brightens offices, factories, sports stadium, street, parks and sometime even housing complexes obscure the night sky.

The four components of light pollution are often combined and may intersect:

• Urban Sky Glow: The brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas.
• Light Trespass: Light falling where it is not intended, wanted, or needed.
• Glare: Excessive brightness which causes visual discomfort. High levels of glare can decrease visibility.
• Clutter: Bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources, commonly found in over-lit urban areas. The proliferation of clutter contributes to urban sky glow, trespass, and glare.

Plethora of environmental studies have shown that environmental pollutants have various adversarial health effects. The most important harmful effects are prenatal disorders, infant mortality, respiratory disorders, allergy, malignancies, cardiovascular disorders, and increase in stress oxidative, endothelial dysfunction, mental disorders, and various other harmful effects. Though, short-term effects of environmental pollutants are usually underlined, wide range of hazards of air pollution from early life and their possible implication on chronic non-communicable diseases of adulthood should be underscored. Many studies have demonstrated that environmental particulate exposure has been linked to increased risk of morbidity and mortality from many diseases, organ disturbances, cancers, and other chronic diseases (Kargarfard, 2011). Consequently, experts advised to take immediate action and control the pollution. Otherwise, the waste products from consumption, heating, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation, and other human activities will damage the environment.

Environmental Degradation

Environmental degradation is a consequence of the active inter play of socio-economic, institutional and technological actions. Environmental degradation is a process through which the natural environment is compromised in some way, decreasing biological diversity and health of the environment. Environmental degradation is described as the worsening of physical components of the environment brought in by human activities to such an extent that it cannot be set right by self-regulatory mechanism of environment. This process can be completely natural in origin, or it can be fast-tracked or caused by human activities. Many global organizations identify environmental degradation as major threats to communities, planets. Environmental changes may be driven by numerous factors such as economic development, population growth, and urbanization, intensification of agriculture, more energy use and transportation. Poverty is also major issue which creates environmental problems. The economics of environmental pollution, depletion and degradation of resources has been ignored as compared to the issues of growth and expansion. India is also facing problems of environmental degradation because of the considerable increase in its population.

Factors that Led Environmental Degradation

There are basically two factors namely: 1. Natural factors such as drought, storms on sea, land and deserts such as hurricanes, tornadoes, carina and volcanic eruptions. These factors lead to land degradation through erosion. 2. Human factors which include deforestation, industrialization and urbanization. These factors lead to water, air and land pollution.

Types of Environmental Degradation

Types of environmental degradation:

Deforestation

Deforestation is the process of clearance of forests by logging and/or burning. Deforestation occurs due to many reasons that include trees or derived charcoal are used as, or sold, for fuel or as a commodity, while cleared land is used as grassland for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. The exclusion of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in harm to habitat, biodiversity loss and dryness. It has adversative impacts on bio-sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforested regions characteristically sustain substantial adverse soil erosion and frequently damage into wasteland.

Causes of deforestation: There are several causes of current deforestation such as dishonesty of government institutions, the unfair distribution of wealth and power, population growth and overpopulation, and urbanization. Globalization is also major cause of deforestation, though there are cases in which the impacts of globalization have supported localized forest recuperate.

It is the process by which a species, genus, or family, becomes extinct no longer existing and living in the world. It is the elimination and annihilation of something that previously existed in the world. In the arena of biology, it denotes specifically to the end of an evolutionary line, or a branch on the tree of life. The extinction of a species can have significant consequences for an ecosystem and even for the physical environment and climate, often leading to further extinctions.

Desertification:

Desertification is the ruin of land in waterless and dry sub-humid areas due to many factors such as climatic changes and human activities. Desertification results primarily from man-made activities. It is mainly caused by overgrazing, over drafting of groundwater and diversion of water from rivers for human consumption and industrial use, all of these processes are fundamentally driven by overpopulation. Main effect of desertification is reduced biodiversity and weakened productive capacity, for example, by transition from land dominated by shrub lands to non-native grasslands.

Causes of desertification: Desertification occurs due to numerous factors, primarily anthropogenic causes, which began in the Holocene era and continues today. The primary reasons for desertification are overgrazing, over-cultivation, increased fire frequency, water impoundment, deforestation, over drafting of groundwater, increased soil salinity, and global climate change. Multilevel set of causes of Desertification (Source: Camilla Toulmin, 1993)

Emission is process in which human or natural forces discharge chemicals or other substances into the environment. Emission leads to pollution such as emission is caused when chemicals are released into the air. Many natural processes cause emissions. When a volcano explodes, it lets out acid, and acid, ash, and many toxic gases. When fires break out in forests, they release smoke, soot, carcinogenic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and carbon dioxide.

Erosion is the procedure of weathering and carriage of solids in the natural environment or their source and deposits them elsewhere. It generally occurs due to transport by wind, water, or ice, by down-slope creep of soil and other material under the force of gravity; or by living organisms, such as burrowing animals, in the case of bio-erosion. A certain amount of erosion is natural and, it is good for the ecosystem. Erosion is different from weathering, which is the process of chemical or physical breakdown of the minerals in the rocks, although the two processes may occur simultaneously.

Causes of environmental degradation

Due to increased activities of humans and release of harmful chemicals, environmental conditions deteriorated and impact on human health. There are many causes of environmental degradation. The speedy population growth and economic development in country are degrading the environment through the unrestrained growth of urbanization and industrialization, expansion and intensification of agriculture, and the obliteration of natural surroundings. Main reason of environmental degradation in India is unparalleled growth of population, which is unfavourably affecting the natural resources and environment. The increasing population and the environmental deterioration face the challenge of continued development without environmental damage. Population impacts on the environment is mainly through the use of natural resources and production of wastes and is related with environmental stresses like loss of biodiversity, air and water pollution and increased pressure on arable land. Another major cause of environmental degradation pointed out by environmentalists is Poverty. The circular link between poverty and environment is a tremendously complex phenomenon. Inequality may raise unsustainability because the poor, who rely on natural resources more than the rich, deplete natural resources faster as they have no real prospects of gaining access to other types of resources. Moreover, degraded environment can quicken the process of destitution, again because the poor depend directly on natural assets. It has been observed that poor people migrate to urban areas due to lack of opportunities for profitable employment in villages and the ecological stresses. Extra-large cities are emerging and urban slums are expanding. Such rapid and unplanned development of cities has resulted in ruin of urban environment. It has broadened the gap between demand and supply of infrastructural services such as energy, housing, transport, communication, education, water supply and sewerage and recreational amenities, thus depleting the valuable environmental resource base of the cities. The result is the growing trend in worsening of air and water quality, generation of wastes, the proliferation of slums and undesirable land use changes, all of which contribute to urban poverty. There are some economic factors that lead to environmental degradation. Environmental degradation is the consequence of market failure, that is, the non-existent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services. In this framework, environmental degradation is a particular case of consumption or production externalities reflected by divergence between private and social costs (or benefits). Market misrepresentations created by price controls and subsidies may exacerbate the achievement of environmental objectives. Transport activities intensely effects on the environment such as air pollution, noise from road traffic and oil spills from marine shipping. Transport infrastructure in India has expanded significantly in terms of network and services. Thus, road transport accounts for a major share of air pollution load in cities such as Delhi. Port and harbour projects mainly impact on sensitive coastal eco systems. Their construction affects hydrology, surface water quality, fisheries, coral reefs and mangroves to varying degrees. Effect of agricultural development on the environment ascend from farming activities which contribute to soil erosion, land salination and loss of nutrients.

Effects of Environmental Degradation

1. Impact on Human Health: Human health is greatly impacted by the environmental degradation. Areas exposed to toxic air pollutants can cause respiratory problems like pneumonia and asthma. Most of people loss their life due to indirect effects of air pollution. 2. Loss of Biodiversity: Biodiversity is vital to sustain balance of the ecosystem in the form of combating pollution, restoring nutrients, protecting water sources and stabilizing climate. Deforestation, global warming, overpopulation and pollution are few of the major causes for loss of biodiversity. 3. Ozone Layer Depletion: Ozone layer is responsible to shield earth from detrimental ultraviolet rays. The presence of chlorofluorocarbons, hydro chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere is causing the ozone layer to deplete. As it will deplete, it will emit harmful radiations back to the earth. 4. Loss for Tourism Industry: Speedy activities of tourism industry is also responsible for the worsening of environment that rely on tourists for their daily livelihood. Environmental damage in the form of loss of green cover, loss of biodiversity, huge landfills, increased air and water pollution can be a big turn off for most of the travellers. 5. Economic Impact: The huge cost that a nation may have to borne due to environmental degradation can have huge economic impact in terms of restoration of green cover, cleaning up of landfills and protection of endangered species. The economic impact can also be in terms of loss of tourism industry. The potentials of human economic activity leading to regional and world-wide conflicts especially as the emission of dangerous gases into the atmosphere (environmental degradation) results in changes in agriculture production and inaccessibility of resources eventually causing food scarcities.

Impact of environmental degradation (Source: Chalecki, 2003)

To summarize, Pollution is due to harmful substances or products into the environment. There are several types of pollutions in the environment such as Water Pollution, Air Pollution, Soil Pollution, land pollution. Environmental degradation is the collapse of the earth or worsening of the environment through consumption of assets such as air, water and soil, the destruction of environments and the annihilation of wildlife.

Essay with AI Enhanced writing skills by using CHATGPT as below-

Environmental pollution and degradation are two of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. Pollution refers to the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment, while degradation refers to the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources, destruction of ecosystems, and extinction of wildlife. These issues threaten the health of humans, animals, and the entire ecosystem, making it essential to understand their causes, effects, and solutions.

Types of Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution can be categorized into several types:

• Air Pollution: Contamination of the atmosphere by harmful chemicals or biological materials.
• Water Pollution: Contamination of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and oceans.
• Soil Pollution: Degradation of the earth’s surface caused by the presence of toxic chemicals.
• Noise Pollution: Harmful or excessive levels of noise in the environment.
• Light Pollution: Excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial light.

Causes of Environmental Pollution

Industrial Activities: Factories and power plants release pollutants into the air, water, and soil, contributing significantly to environmental pollution.

Agricultural Practices: The use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers leads to soil and water contamination.

Urbanization and Deforestation: Expansion of cities and the clearing of forests for development cause habitat destruction and increased pollution levels.

Transportation: Vehicles emit large amounts of pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.

Waste Disposal: Improper disposal of industrial, agricultural, and household waste leads to landfills and pollution of air, water, and soil.

Effects of Environmental Pollution

Impact on Human Health: Pollution can cause respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and cancers. Contaminated water can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses and neurological disorders.

Effects on Wildlife and Biodiversity: Pollution disrupts habitats, leading to loss of species and reduced biodiversity. Toxic substances can bioaccumulate in the food chain, harming various organisms.

Climate Change and Global Warming: Pollution, particularly greenhouse gases, contributes to global warming and climate change, resulting in extreme weather events and rising sea levels.

Economic Costs: Pollution and degradation lead to increased healthcare costs, loss of productivity, and damage to property and infrastructure.

Air Pollution

Common Pollutants and Their Sources: Major air pollutants include carbon monoxide (from vehicles), sulfur dioxide (from power plants), nitrogen oxides (from industrial processes), and particulate matter (from construction and agriculture).

Health Impacts: Air pollution can cause asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, and heart diseases. It particularly affects children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions.

Case Studies of Major Air Pollution Incidents: Events like the Great Smog of London in 1952 and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984 highlight the severe impact of air pollution on human health and the environment.

Water Pollution

Sources of Water Pollution: Industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, sewage, and plastic waste are major contributors to water pollution.

Effects on Aquatic Ecosystems and Human Health: Polluted water bodies suffer from eutrophication, harming aquatic life. Humans consuming contaminated water face risks like cholera, hepatitis, and other waterborne diseases.

Examples of Water Pollution Disasters: The Exxon Valdez oil spill (1989) and the contamination of Flint, Michigan’s water supply (2014) are notable examples of severe water pollution incidents.

Soil Pollution

Causes of Soil Contamination: Industrial waste, agricultural chemicals, and improper disposal of waste contribute to soil pollution.

Consequences for Agriculture and Food Safety: Contaminated soil affects crop quality and yield, posing risks to food safety and human health.

Remediation Techniques: Soil can be remediated through methods like bioremediation, phytoremediation, and soil washing, which help remove or neutralize contaminants.

Noise Pollution

Sources and Impacts of Noise Pollution: Common sources include traffic, industrial activities, and construction. Noise pollution can cause hearing loss, stress, and sleep disturbances in humans, and interfere with animal communication and reproduction.

Effects on Human Health and Wildlife: Chronic exposure to noise pollution can lead to cardiovascular problems and mental health issues. Wildlife can experience disrupted migration patterns and breeding cycles.

Mitigation Measures: Strategies to reduce noise pollution include the use of sound barriers, implementation of noise regulations, and promoting the use of quieter machinery and vehicles.

Light Pollution

Definition and Sources: Light pollution is the excessive or misdirected artificial light that brightens the night sky.

Impact on Humans and Animals: It disrupts circadian rhythms, affecting sleep and health in humans. Animals, particularly nocturnal species, face disorientation and disrupted breeding and foraging behaviors.

Strategies to Reduce Light Pollution: Solutions include using lower-intensity lighting, directing lights downward, and employing motion sensors to minimize unnecessary lighting.

Definition and Differentiation from Pollution: Environmental degradation refers to the decline in the quality of the natural environment due to human activities. Unlike pollution, which introduces harmful substances, degradation involves the destruction or depletion of resources and ecosystems.

Causes of Environmental Degradation: Deforestation, desertification, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity are primary causes, often driven by overpopulation, unsustainable agricultural practices, and industrialization.

Causes and Effects of Deforestation: Logging, agricultural expansion, and urban development lead to deforestation, resulting in habitat loss, reduced biodiversity, and increased carbon dioxide levels.

Impact on Ecosystems and Climate: Deforestation disrupts ecosystems, leading to species extinction and altered climate patterns due to decreased carbon sequestration.

Desertification

Causes and Consequences: Overgrazing, deforestation, and improper land management contribute to desertification. Affected areas face reduced agricultural productivity, loss of vegetation, and increased soil erosion.

Regions Most Affected: Areas such as the Sahel region in Africa, parts of China, and the southwestern United States are significantly impacted by desertification.

Biodiversity Loss

Causes of Biodiversity Loss: Habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation of species are major contributors to the decline in biodiversity.

Importance of Biodiversity: Biodiversity is crucial for ecosystem stability, providing resources for food, medicine, and ecosystem services such as pollination and water purification.

Conservation Efforts: Efforts to conserve biodiversity include establishing protected areas, restoring habitats, and implementing sustainable practices in agriculture and forestry.

Climate Change

Link Between Pollution and Climate Change: Emissions of greenhouse gases from industrial activities, transportation, and deforestation contribute to global warming and climate change.

Effects of Climate Change on the Environment: Climate change leads to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, altered precipitation patterns, and impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity.

Mitigation and Solutions

Policy Measures and Regulations: Governments can implement policies such as emission regulations, renewable energy incentives, and conservation laws to mitigate pollution and degradation.

Technological Innovations: Advances in technology, such as renewable energy sources, electric vehicles, and pollution control devices, can help reduce environmental impact.

Role of Individuals and Communities: Individuals can contribute by adopting sustainable practices, reducing waste, and supporting environmental conservation efforts. Community initiatives, like local clean-up drives and tree planting, also play a crucial role.

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Plastic Pollution

Last updated on April 18, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

Global negotiators have agreed to craft a draft treaty to end plastic pollution during the UN talks in Paris. It is a preliminary but crucial step toward tackling one of the most lasting sources of human waste. The committee is charged with developing the first international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, on land and at sea. Read here to learn more.

Plastic is everywhere in our lives, from single-use water bottles to food packaging and personal care items.

Plastic waste produced globally is set to almost triple by 2060, with about half ending up in landfill and under a fifth recycled, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) .

Leaders and politicians throughout the world, including the Government of India, have increased their attention on environmental sustainability in response to the serious environmental danger posed by plastic pollution.

Table of Contents

Plastic pollution

As the world’s capacity to cope with the fast-rising output of throwaway plastic goods becomes overwhelmed.

• In Asia and Africa, where rubbish collection services are either ineffective or non-existent, plastic pollution is most noticeable.
• But wealthier countries also struggle with adequately collecting waste plastics, especially those with poor recycling rates.
• The United Nations has been trying to create a worldwide convention because plastic waste has grown so pervasive.

Fossil fuel-based plastics have been around for a little over a century.

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• After World War II, the research and production of tens of thousands of new plastic goods surged to the point that modern life is inconceivable without plastics.
• Plastics have transformed medicine with life-saving gadgets, enabled space flight, lightened vehicles and planes, reduced fuel use and pollution, and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water.

However, the advantages of plastics have given rise to a culture of waste, which exposes the negative aspects of the substance: Single-use plastics now make up about 40% of the annual plastic production.

• Many of these items, like plastic bags and food wrappers, are used for only a few minutes or hours yet might endure hundreds of years in the environment.
• Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and more durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

How do Plastics move around the World?

Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth’s last sink, flows from land.

• Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which act as conveyor belts, picking up more and more trash as they move downstream.
• Once at sea, much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. But once caught up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the world.
• On Henderson Island, an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Group isolated halfway between Chile and New Zealand, scientists found plastic items from Russia, the United States, Europe, South America, Japan, and China. They were carried to the South Pacific by the South Pacific gyre, a circular ocean current .

Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, often less than half a centimeter across.

• These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water column and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough.
• Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller pieces.
• Plastic microfibers or even smaller nanofibers, meanwhile, have been found in municipal drinking water systems and drifting through the air.

Impact of Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most urgent environmental challenges.

Impact on wildlife

Wildlife, be it terrestrial, avian, or aquatic are greatly affected by plastics.

• Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms.
• Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics.
• Seals, whales, turtles, and other animals are strangled by abandoned fishing gear or discarded six-pack rings.
• Microplastics have been found in more than 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp, and mussels destined for our dinner plates.
• In many cases, these tiny bits pass through the digestive system and are expelled without consequence.
• But plastics have also been found to have blocked digestive tracts or pierced organs, causing death.
• Plastics have been consumed by land-based animals, including elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, camels, cattle, and other large mammals, in some cases causing death.

Impact on human life

Phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), among other chemicals used in plastics, have come under intense examination and regulation.

• Along with medications, colognes, and cosmetics, they can be found in computers, food packaging, automotive upholstery, flooring materials, and medical gadgets.

All these compounds have been detected in humans and are known to disrupt the endocrine system.

Gendered impact of plastic pollution

The gendered effects of this expanding risk are still not taken into account and are not appropriately addressed.

Women, who are frequently marginalized, are leading the fight against the effects of our addiction to plastic. They are particularly susceptible since they work both as main consumers and in the unregulated trash industry in India.

• A substantial portion of disadvantaged populations including women, children, and recent immigrants make up the urban informal waste management economy, which is essential in recycling 30% of India’s annual plastic garbage.
• The risks linked with landfills and dumpsites disproportionately impact women, who make up 49% of garbage pickers in India.

Women consume more plastic than men do.

• Products like sanitary napkins, which are created around 90%, are composed of plastic.
• Women are key consumers of single-use plastics for food and home products since they are the domestic decision-makers.
• Social norms have mandated women’s greater consumption of plastic-packed beauty products.

Way forward

The expense of removing plastics from the environment would be exorbitant given the worldwide scope of plastic pollution. Therefore, the majority of approaches to the issue of plastic pollution concentrate on avoiding improper disposal or even on restricting the initial use of some plastic products.

In recent years, India’s government has launched several audacious projects as a decisive reaction to the pressing problem of plastic pollution.

• Cornerstones in the fight against this environmental threat are the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), Lifestyle for Environment , which encourages thoughtful consumerism, the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 , and banning Single-use Plastics.

The United Nations Environment Programme or the United Nations Development Programme could work together with NITI Aayog to lead research to fill the evidence vacuum and comprehend the particular difficulties, effects, and needs at the junction of women and the plastics sector.

• Waste management regulations must be enhanced to acknowledge and address the gendered effect of plastic pollution, from bettering working conditions and guaranteeing fair salaries to providing protective equipment and access to healthcare.
• Greater partnerships and synergy between government programs and efforts, like the Swachh Bharat Mission and the Smart Cities movement, must be added to this.

Related posts

• Plastic Waste Management: Rules and Regulations
• Single-use Plastics
• Biotransformation Technology
• Environmental Pollution and Degradation
• Microplastics
• Plastic Overshoot Day
• Arctic plastic crisis

-Article written by Swathi Satish

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