Chemical Pollution

This article published in the Journal of Ecobiology describes the technique of phytoremediation, which is increasingly being adopted wherein certain plants are used to adsorb or degrade the pollutants from soil and water.

This article from the Research Journal Of Chemistry And Environment discusses the several

This paper describes the study conducted by People's Science Institute that aimed at determining the threshold level of toxicity of a paper mill effluent, and the level of toxic

This document by the Central Pollution and Control Board (CPCB) highlights the types of polluting industries classified by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Go

Water contamination due to arsenic

This manual is a self-instructional publication of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as part of its case studies in environmental medicine series. 

This paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly describes the case of river Khari in Gujarat, which faced increasing amount of pollution due to the discharge of industrial effluents in the river and the efforts made  to solve the pollution problem.

The phenomenon of pollution started in the 1970s when Naroda, Odhav, Vatva and Narol on the eastern periphery of Ahmedabad city were promoted by the government. While there were zones for industries according to the type of waste generated, environmental considerations were overlooked and no provision was made for the safe disposal of industrial effluents. Most of the factories in the industrial estates were water intensive and all of them discharged effluents into the nearby Kharicut canal, which flows into the Khari river, a tributary of the Sabarmati. As the canal remained dry throughout the year, the government ignored its (mis)use.

The objectives of the case study by TIDE supported by Arghyam on the Tirupur textile industry cluster included:

  Nitrate/Nitrite contamination is a potentially serious problem for India today, after flouride and arsenic. This contamination occurs largely through the mixing of fertiliser run-off and sewage with water meant for human use. New research reveals that Nitrate/Nitrite contamination can cause severe human health problems including cancer. Below are two research papers from the Environment Health Perspectives (EHP) Journal, written in the context of the United States, that give an idea of Nitrate/Nitrite contamination and their impact on human health. Workgroup Report in the November 2005 issue: "Drinking Water Nitrate and Health - Recent Findings and Research Needs". Read the paper here: https://www.indiawaterportal.org/tt/dwm/res/Drinking_Water_Nitrate_and_Health_Nov%202005_EHP.pdf "A Review of Nitrates in Drinking Water: Maternal Exposure and Adverse Contents Reproductive and Developmental Outcomes", appeared in the March 2006 issue. Read the paper here: https://www.indiawaterportal.org/tt/dwm/res/A_Review_of_Nitrates_in_Drinking_Water_Mar_2006_EHP.pdf

The Mazhapolima program is quite unique; it aims to (eventually) recharge about 4.5 lakh dug wells in the district, and do this through community awareness and action. It's driven by the District Collector, Mr. Kurian Baby, who strongly advocates sustainable, local development & innovation.

A Gram Panchayat (GP) in Kerala is fairly large, and has a population of approximately 20000 people, as compared to about 10000 in Karnataka, and about 700 in Uttar Pradesh. GP's have ward divisions, about 20 of them per GP. Each GP has a staff of at least 6-8 people. The GP that we visited - Adat, had about 12 employees , 4 lower division clerks, 3 upper division clerks, 1 Joint Secretary, 1 Secretary, 2 peons and 1 sweeper. Except for the peons and the sweeper, the employees are all usually SSLC-pass, but here in Adat they were mostly graduates. For salaries alone, the GP spends about Rs 1.5 lakhs per month. Adat GP executed 124 projects last year. The GP's annual budget was Rs 1.40 crores, not including NREGA funds. Out of this, Rs 40 lakhs was raised by the GP through property taxes etc. Most other parts of the country, GP budgets are only about 5 to 10 lakhs. The Adat GP office was a large 2 storeyed building. Mr Vijayan, the Joint Secretary proudly showed us their awards, which filled up an entire wall.