Contamination, Pollution and Quality

High amounts of fluoride (>1.5 ppm) in drinking water is a serious issue in many parts of India. Fluorosis has been a serious issue in Andhra Pradesh, as early as 1999 with maximum reported levels at 29 ppm. Evidence indicates that 70-100% of the state is affected. 

 .  In-situ bioremediation is an attractive alternative for this purpose. To achieve this objective, bacterial strains were isolated and enriched from the contaminated site of Tamil Nadu Chromates and Chemicals Limited (TCCL) premises, Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, India.

 It is an attempt to understand the effect of rainfall, physiography, lithology, slope and aspect, land use practices, vegetation, altitude, soil type and anthropogenic interference (e.g., road construction and settlement etc.) and other characteristics in the spring recharge zone on the water yield and water quality of the selected springs in the mid-altitudinal belt (lesser Himalaya) in western Himalaya (Uttaranchal).

India is often referred as “The land of rivers”. For generations India has had a strong tradition of preserving water judiciously. Our forefathers were visionaries who had the wisdom of thinking ahead of future. They anticipated the growing population which would lead to an increased demand for water in the future. Like today we have civil engineers, hydrologists and architects, who have acquired knowledge through lesser known or prestigious Institutions, our ancestors carried with them the same inborn talent to preserve water, that too without any formal degrees. They were people of intellect and had great sense of developing natural water resources. In a total of about 6.5 lakh villages of the country, approximately 50 lakh ponds and other similar structures exist. Unfortunately, during the past two decades the water quality has deteriorated at a rapid pace. One of the major reasons for this is the untreated waste water reaching the water sources, turning them to be a dirty drain. The Ganga and the Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers of our country are no exception to it. This has been achieved though an association with the World Water Monitoring Day program last year.

The 24^th National Convention of Institution of Public Health Engineers (India) on the theme “Water & Sanitation Utility Services in India and their health implications” will be organised by IPHE(I), Regional Centre, Bhubaneswar during 12^th -13^th  February,2011.

All of us have felt the joy of slaking one's thirst with water, washing away the unforgiving heat of a Delhi summer with a cool glass of water. But have you ever paused to think about where we get our water from? How are we using this resource? Is it finite or will be always get clean water, everyday, for all our needs?

This pollution has been caused by a paper factory that was set up 16 years ago.  The noise, air, land and water pollution that are a direct result of the factory have changed a beautiful and peaceful rural area into one where farmers’ land and crops have been destroyed, the air is full of fine, crystalline ash, the local river is an evil-smelling, stagnant mire of foam-encrusted sludge and the water table has fallen by over 70 feet.

Dear all,

IUCN, with Zoo Outreach Organisation, have today published a new report, 'The status and distribution of freshwater biodiversity in the Eastern Himalaya', which is available online here

The scarcity value of natural resources has risen due to rising pressure of human population and demands made by modern economics progress. As such managing these resources has become very important.

These Articles analyse and detail the issues of rainwater harvesting and river pollution