Contamination, Pollution and Quality

In this document by CASUMM, the author raises important questions regarding the recent trends towards privatisation of water supply in Indian cities by discussing the case of the water supply scheme project in the K-east ward of Mumbai.

The privatisation of the water supply scheme, which has been implemented through grants by the World Bank (WB) raises serious questions regarding the intentions of the international organisations that fail to take into consideration the local context and the needs of the people and focus exclusively on profit making.

The study deals with identification of water quality monitoring sites on Kshipra river of Ujjain. The location of permanent sampling station is probably the most critical factor in a monitoring network which collects water quality data. If the samples collected are not representative of the water mass, the frequency of samplings as well as the mode of data interpretation and presentation become inconsequential.

The report deals with groundwater table and hydrochemistry of the Kakinada coastal aquifer in East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh.

The report presents a hydrochemical study of the groundwater of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh carried out during 1996 to examine the suitability of water for drinking and irrigation purposes. Under the study, thirty-five water samples representing the shallow groundwater of the region were collected during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in the month of June and November 1996 respectively.

In this report, the suitability of groundwater of the Doon valley, Dehradun has been demonstrated on the basis of standards prescribed by BIS and WHO. The groundwater quality of the valley has been studied during 1996 to examine the suitability of water for irrigation and drinking purposes. Twelve water samples representing the shallow groundwater of the valley were collected during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons and analyzed for various constituents, viz. pH, conductance, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, hardness, chloride, sulphate, phosphate, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

The report attempts to identify sampling sites for water quality monitoring in Narmada basin. The assessment of water quality conditions over a wide area with respect to time and space requires the monitoring of activities to be carried out in a network. The location of a permanent sampling station is probably the most critical factor in a monitoring network which collects water quality data. If the samples collected are not representative of the water mass, the frequency of sampling as well as the mode of data interpretation and presentation becomes inconsequential.

The report reviews compilation of information about arsenic pollution in groundwater experienced by many countries in the world and in particular the eight districts of West Bengal. The science of arsenic pollution and the state of art of arsenic removal have been discussed and some immediate remedial measures suggested.

Dr. G. D. Agrawal Scientist and Rishi

Meeting Dr. G. D. Agrawal in his spartan, two room cottage in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, you would never guess what an accomplished and distinguished scientist he is – first Member-Secretary of the Government of India’s Central Pollution Control Board, former Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at IIT Kanpur and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. The list goes on and on.

Yet this eminent professional sweeps his own floors, washes his own clothes and cooks his own meals. He retains only a few possessions and dresses in homespun khadi. At the age of 76, his main mode of transport within Chitrakoot is a bicycle and when he travels further afield, he goes by ordinary bus and second-class train. These are the deliberate choices of a devout Hindu whose deepest values are for simplicity and reverence for nature. Dr G.D. Agrawal is the doyen of environmental engineering professionals in India. Well past retirement, he continues to teach and inspire students as an Honorary Professor of Environmental Sciences at the Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya, in Chitrakoot (M.P.).

Had the opportunity to attend a recent worldwide gathering on the topic of youth and social entrepreneurship, which gave much food for thought. The event was the 5th Global YES Summit, entitled “ReWork The World”.  Details of the gathering are at www.reworktheworld.org . The message there  was that we need to do something radical in order to find productive work for the vast numbers of youth coming into the workforce especially in developing nations. The new jobs cannot be of the old variety, they need to be green, sustainable jobs. In other words, we need to ‘rework the world’.  The conference was based on the premise that these new jobs will come out of social entrepreneurship.

My house is about 20 years old and is located in R T Nagar in Bangalore. In 1990, I had got a borewell dug. The Borewell is about 150 feet deep and has been giving me excellent quality water until about 2 years ago when I started noticing muddy water. The water that is pumped to an overhead tank contains fine particles of mud which tends to settle down in the overhead tank.