Contamination, Pollution and Quality

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Featured Articles
September 5, 2024 The current state of play regarding sewage treatment standards in India
Clogged pipes: India's sewage treatment crisis (Image: Trey Ratcliff, Flickr Commons; CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
September 2, 2024 Recommendations made by an expert committee, the NGT's subsequent orders, and a critical analysis of these developments
Drum screens at Bharwara sewage treatment plant (Image: India Water Portal)
August 30, 2024 This article traces the evolution of the legislative framework for water pollution in India and its implications for wastewater treatment standards in the country. 
Open drains in Alwar (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
August 22, 2024 The journey of sewage treatment standards and the challenge of treating India’s growing wastewater
Need to fix wastewater effluent standards (Image: Kristian Bjornard)
August 1, 2024 Recognising the limitations of relying solely on herbicides, a strategic shift towards preventive measures is crucial
Relying solely on chemicals to keep weeds at bay isn't sustainable and can harm the environment. (Image: Needpix)
June 12, 2024 Leveraging research to optimise water programs for improved health outcomes in India
Closing the tap on disease (Image: Marlon Felippe; CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
The 'arrogant neighbour' - Newly launched Udupi Power Corporation Limited commits gross environmental violations - A two-part report from The Manipal Journal
Ash produced after burning the ‘world’s dirtiest fuel’ found place in an erstwhile fresh-water lake. Low lying fields were water-logged under the hot summer sun. Posted on 14 Apr, 2011 10:47 AM


“Reddy” remedies - A look at the Satwant Reddy Committee report on the issue of pesticide residues in packaged drinking water and packaged natural mineral water - Article from Down to Earth magazine
BIS should have a core group of scientists from various fields to keep track of recent scientific and technical developments in critical areas. Posted on 14 Apr, 2011 10:28 AM

Satwant Reddy committee: Report of the committee on the pesticide residue in packaged drinking water and packaged natural mineral water.

Setting standards

Killing groundwater in Bangalore - Why this apathy?
The pollution of groundwater in Bangalore is death by institutional and legal apathy. Posted on 14 Apr, 2011 09:58 AM


Dissemination of NDM-1 positive bacteria in the New Delhi environment and its implications for human health - An environmental point prevalence study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2011)
This study measures the prevalence of NDM-1 β-lactamase-producing bacteria in the drinking water and seepage samples in New Delhi, India. Posted on 13 Apr, 2011 03:15 PM

 Plasmid-encoding Carbapenemase-resistant Metallo-B-Lactamase (PCM or NDM-1) is an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant, not only to a broad range of antibiotics such as carbapenems and other β-lactam, but also to multiple other antibiotic classes, leaving very few treatment options available, when a person gets infected with such bacteria.

Bio-remediation project announced for Buddha Nala, Ludhiana - MoEF Press release
This speaks of the use of in-situ bio remediation to restore the Buddha Nala in Ludhiana Posted on 13 Apr, 2011 11:14 AM

Following the invitation of Member of Parliament (Ludhiana) Mr. Manish Tewari, the Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Forests Mr. Jairam Ramesh along with officials of the Ministry of Environment and Forests including the Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board, visited the site of the Buddha Nala in Ludhiana, Punjab in September of 2010.

Organic farming and food security - A model for India - A paper by Society for Organic Agriculture Movement
This paper discusses the need to shift from chemical intensive agriculture to organic farming. The authors in their vision for a chemical-free agriculture also stress that organic agriculture is a way to achieve food security. Posted on 13 Apr, 2011 12:52 AM

This paper discusses the need to shift from chemical intensive agriculture to organic farming. The authors in their vision for a chemical-free agriculture also stress that organic agriculture is a way to achieve food security.

The authors begin with the current crisis in Indian agriculture. Stating that though the Green Revolution made India self-sufficient in food production in the shortest time it also resulted in a host of problems. The indiscriminate use of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides has created problems of decline in the soil fertility, pollution of water resources, and chemical contamination of food grains, amongst the many similar issues now linked to the Green Revolution.

"A rock and a hard place" and "Tackling the P problem" - Dependence of agriculture on phosphate fertiliser - Issues and the way out - Papers by Soil Association and J Venkateswarlu
Two reports discussing the dependency of agriculture on phosphorous and the ways to mitigate the problem, the need for finding alternatives to obtaining phosphorous and eliminate mining. Posted on 13 Apr, 2011 12:17 AM

These two reports discuss the dependency of agriculture on phosphorous and the ways to mitigate the problem.

The first report looks at agricultural dependence of chemical nutrients on a global scale and even discusses the potential international political fallout of a reduction in phosphorous. The second report is focused on ways to tackle the dependency on this mineral, in the Indian context. However, both speak of the need for finding alternatives to the current methods of obtaining phosphorous, which is largely through mining.

Groundwater use in Aurangabad – A survey and analysis of social significance and policy implications for a medium-sized Indian city by GW MATE and World Bank (2008)
Aurangabad, a city in central Maharashtra is in a drought prone region, and being a rapidly urbanising town, is facing a lot of pressure on ots water resources. Besides importing water there has been an increasing trend of ground water extraction. Posted on 12 Apr, 2011 01:17 AM

Aurangabad, a city in central Maharashtra is in a drought prone region, and being a rapidly urbanising town, is facing a lot of pressure on ots water resources. Besides importing water there has been an increasing trend of ground water extraction.

In this context, a survey of groundwater use was conducted as part of a World Bank study on Indian groundwater management. The study was a collaboration between GW MATE(Groundwater Management Advisory Team) and GRASP (Grass Roots Action for Social Participation), an Aurangabad-based civil society organization working on community-based natural resource management.

Indian standard code of practice for installation of septic tanks (IS: 2470) - Bureau of Indian Standards (1986)
Treating the Sewage and Maintaining health: the IS Code defines the requirements to be met for minimum standards Posted on 11 Apr, 2011 03:46 AM

This IS Code provides various requirements that have to be met while constructing a septic tank, so that it meets minimum standards. This Code is dictated by the Bureau of Indian Standards, and ensures that the sewage is treated in a way that maintains health and hygiene of the community.

While the first standard for small septic tanks was first printed in 1963 and then revised in 1968, the standard for disposal of effluent from septic tanks was published later in 1964 and revised in 1971.

This code has been sourced through City Managers' Association Karnataka (CMAK), a non profit that provides technical expertise to urban local bodies.

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