WATER POLLUTION

BY- Naman, Rashi, Prarthna,

Megha and Mahima Batheja
 What is water pollution?
Water pollution is the contamination of water
bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and
groundwater), very often by human activities.
It occurs when pollutants (particles, chemicals
or substances that make water contaminated)
are discharged directly or indirectly into water
bodies without adequate treatment to get rid
of harmful compounds.
 Sources of Water Pollution
The two chief sources of water pollution can
be seen as Point and Non-Point.

•Point : When a source of pollution can be easily

identified because it has a definite source and
place where it enters the water, it is said to come
from a point source.
Examples-
▫ discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a
factory,
▫ a city storm drain .
• Non-point source pollution
Non-point source (NPS) pollution refers to
diffuse contamination that does not originate
from a single discrete source.
When a source of pollution cannot be readily
identified, they are said to be non-point
sources or diffused sources of pollution.
Example: Agricultural run off,
Acid rain
 What are the
types of water
pollution?
 1. Nutrient Pollution

Nutrient pollution, a form of water pollution, refers to

contamination by excessive inputs of nutrients. It is a
primary cause of eutrophication of surface waters, in
which excess nutrients, usually nitrogen or phosphorus,
stimulate algae and weed growth.
This makes the water undrinkable, and even clog
filters. Too much algae uses up all the oxygen in the
water, and other organisms in the water die out of
oxygen starvation.
 2. Surface water pollution
Surface water includes natural water
found on the earth's surface like rivers, lakes,
lagoons and oceans. Hazardous substances
coming into contact with this surface water,
dissolving or mixing physically with the water
can be called surface water pollution.
 3. Oxygen Depleting

Water bodies have micro-organisms.

These include aerobic and anaerobic
organisms. When too much biodegradable
matter ends up in water, it encourages
more microorganism growth, and they use
up more oxygen in the water. If oxygen is
depleted, aerobic organisms die, and
anaerobic organism grow more to produce
harmful toxins such as ammonia and
sulfides.
 4. Ground water pollution
When humans apply pesticides and
chemicals to soils, they are washed deep into
the ground by rain water. This gets to
underground water, causing pollution
underground. This means when we dig wells and
bore holes to get water from underground, it
needs to be checked for ground water pollution.
 5. Suspended Matter

Some pollutants (substances, particles

and chemicals) do not easily dissolve in
water. This kind of material is called
particulate matter. Some suspended
pollutants later settle under the water
body. This can harm and even kill aquatic
life that live at the floor of water
bodies.
 6.Chemical Pollution
• Industrial and agricultural work involves the use of many
different chemicals that can run-off into water and
pollute it.
• Metals and solvents from industrial work can pollute
rivers and lakes. These are poisonous to many forms of
aquatic life and may slow their development, make them
infertile or even result in death.
• Pesticides are used in farming to control weeds, insects
and fungi. Run-offs of these pesticides can cause water
pollution and poison aquatic life. Subsequently, birds,
humans and other animals may be poisoned if they
eat infected fish.
 7. Oil Spillage
Oil spills usually have only a localized
effect on wildlife but can spread for
miles. The oil can cause the death to
many fish and get stuck to the feathers
of seabirds causing them to lose their
ability to fly.
Other causes of water pollution
Sewage and waste water
Sewage is the term used for wastewater that
often contains feces, and laundry waste. The
sewage and waste water that is produced by
each household is chemically treated and
released in to sea with fresh water. The
sewage water carries harmful bacteria and
chemicals that can cause serious health
problems. Pathogens are known as a common
water pollutant.
 Ocean and marine dumping
Again, think of the rubbish we all
make each day. Paper waste, food waste,
plastic, rubber, metallic and aluminum
waste. In some countries, they are
deposited into the sea. All these waste
types take time to decompose.
 Underground storage and tube
leakages
Many liquid products (petroleum
products) are stored in metal and steel
tubes underground. Other sewage
systems run in underground tubes.
Overtime, they rust and begin to leak. If
that happens, they contaminate the soils,
and the liquids in them end up in many
nearby water bodies.
 Effects of Water Pollution
1.Death of aquatic animals:
The main problem caused by water pollution is that it
kills life that depends on these water bodies. Dead
fish, crabs, birds and sea gulls, dolphins, and many
other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by
pollutants in their habitat (living environment).
2.Diseases:
People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating
seafood that has been poisoned. In many nations, there
is always outbreak of cholera and diseases as a result
of poor drinking water treatment from contaminated
waters.
3.Disruption of food-chains:
Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well.
Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten
by tiny animals. Later, these animals are
consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food
chain continues to be disrupted at all higher
levels.
 THE STATE OF INDIA’S
RIVERS:
Most rivers in India are worshipped and named after
gods,goddesses or saints. Ironically, these rivers
suffer from severe pollution.
Urbanisation,industrialization,excessive withdrawal of
water, agricultural run-off, and various religious and
social practices all contribute to river pollution in India.
Ganga,Yamuna,Cauvery,Krishna,Damodar and Gomti are
all facing water pollution. In 1995, the National River
Conservation plan was launched to clean up all the
rivers in India.
 SAVE GANGA
• The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) – Way back in 1986, the then
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi launched Rs 462-crore project to
clean the Ganga in Varanasi. Under this plan sewage treatment
plants were set up, raw sewage was cut off and diverted, electric
and wood crematoria was set up and low-cost sanitation facilities
were provided. The Ganga Action Plan was not successful so
refuted on 31 March 2000 but phase II of the programme got
approval. Till Feb 2014 Rs 939 crore had been spent on the
Ganga Action Plan including 524 different schemes.

• Supreme Court of India – Closure and relocation of industrial

plants along the Ganges is tackled by the Supreme Court of
India. Stretch of the river between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi has
been termed as ‘eco-sensitive zone’ in 2010.
• The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NRBA) – Former Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh was the head of the National Ganga River
Basin Authority (NRBA), a regulatory body formed in February 2009
with an objective to reduce pollution and to conserve the Ganga. But he
along with two more members resigned from the post because of lack of
accountability and commitment. NRBA had been granted fund of Rs
3,031 to operate 56 schemes in 44 towns. As per available data Rs 785
crore had already been spent till September 2013. NRBA was supported
by the National Ganga River Basin Project.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Varanasi and showed a hope to

clean the holy River Ganga during his election campaign. He made certain
changes in the administration to perform the task. The Ganga Action
Plan which was part of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)
has now been shifted under Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti.
 YAMUNA ACTION PLAN
• The Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) is a bilateral project
between the Government of India and Japan. It is
one of the largest river restoration projects in India.
The government of Japan, via the Japanese Bank for
International Cooperation (JBIC), has provided
financial aid of 17.7 billion yen to carry out the
project, which is being executed by the National
River Conservation Directorate, the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, and the Government of
India
TREATMENT OF WATER

Industrial treatment
• Before raw sewage can be safely released back into the environment, it
needs to be treated correctly 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.
• The sewage first goes through a primary phase. This is where some
of the suspended, solid particles and inorganic material is removed by
the use of filters.
• The secondary phase of the treatment involves the reduction
of organic, this is done with the use of biological filters and
processes that naturally degrade the organic waste material.
• The final stage of treatment is the tertiary phase; this stage must be
done before the water can be reused. Almost all solid particles
are removed from the water and chemical additives are supplied to get
rid of any left-over impurities.
 Prevention of Water Pollution
Dealing with water
pollution is something that
everyone (including
governments and local
councils) needs to get
involved with. Here are a
few things you can do to
help:
Never throw trash in water. This includes
places like the beach, riverside and water
bodies. Always look for the correct waste bin.
If there is none around, please take it home
and put it in your trash can.
 Do not throw chemicals, oils, paints and
medicines down the sink drain, or the toilet. In
many cities, your local environment office can
help with the disposal of medicines and
chemicals. Check with your local authorities if
there is a chemical disposal plan for local
residents.