This map provides the of levels of water pollution and groundwater depletion due to industrial activities in different parts of India.
Water use in Indian industry is very high due to a combination of factors including obsolete process technology, poor recycling and reuse practices and poor wastewater treatment. Segregation of wastewater from various processes into clean wastewater, (that can be reused) and contaminated water is not done in majority of the cases.
Many industries, especially, thermal power plants, use 'once-through cooling systems', in which water once used for cooling is discharged. Similarly, reuse of non-contact steam condensate is also not favoured in India, though it is virtually clean and can be reused by reducing the total dissolved solids (TDS).
A second aspect to the industrial water use in the country, is groundwater depletion and pressure of local surface water bodies, both of which affect drinking water requirements of local communities.
The map also disputes the findings of the CPCB, which argues that the maximum water-body pollution is caused by Small Scale Industries,. Rather, the map shows that the large and the medium-scale industries are the culprits.
The map can be downloaded from below:
/articles/mapping-water-pollution-and-groundwater-depletion-due-industrial-activities-india