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)
Ganga clean up: It’s all talk and no action
While crores of rupees have been allocated for cleaning up Ganga, the river continues to flow filthy. Posted on 19 Sep, 2018 12:06 PM

As the Ganga emerges from the glaciers and glides along the foothills of the mighty Himalayas through the towns and cities with their sprawling ghats, engineered embankments, hydroelectric dams, and interrupted flows at barrages, the icy chilliness of its waters is lost.

The Ganga at Garhmukteshwar (Image: Chicu Lokgariwar, India Water Portal)
Lake congestion worsened Kerala floods: CWC
News this week Posted on 12 Sep, 2018 08:05 AM

Clean chit to dam management, CWC says congested Vembanad lake worsened floods in Kerala

Vembanad lake in Kerala (Source: ATREE via IWP Flickr photos)
Dealing with disasters in the Valley
Frequent disasters the Kashmir Valley witnesses are both man-made and natural. What’s the solution? Posted on 10 Sep, 2018 11:57 AM

Witnessing a multitude of disasters from destructive floods to catastrophic earthquakes, the vulnerabilities arising out of natural disasters are ever increasing in Jammu and Kashmir.

Destruction caused by September 2014 floods at a posh locality in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajbagh. Over 300 people lost their lives, thousands were rendered homeless and property worth billions was damaged during the floods. (All photos courtesy: Afsana Rashid)
Monsoon takes 1400 lives
News this week Posted on 05 Sep, 2018 05:55 AM

More than 1000 people dead in three months in India due to heavy rains

A man wades through knee-deep water with his belongings during flood. (Source: 101Reporters)
The art of saving a river
Artist and environmentalist Madhavi Kolte is on a mission to save the dying Mutha in Pune through her drawings and sculptures. Posted on 03 Sep, 2018 03:01 PM

River Mutha, the pride of Pune, lovingly called 'Muthai' or 'mother Mutha', is dying a slow death, thanks to the rapidly urbanising city which is depositing huge amounts of untreated sewage and dirt in its water. The pollution of the river is consistently rising.

The highly polluted Mutha river as it flows through Pune. (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Footwear industry pollutes, villagers put their foot down
When the environmental pollution caused by the footwear industry in a growing Haryana village goes unchecked, villagers gather to demand their rights. Posted on 23 Aug, 2018 08:09 PM

As per the regional plan 2021 chalked out by the national capital regional planning board in 2005, Bahadurgarh, a small town in Haryana is a part of the Delhi metropolitan area. The town, located in Jhajjar district, is growing at a fast pace.

Leftover materials tossed out by the factories at the footwear park. These will end up in landfills and pollute the environment. (Image: India Water Portal)
Simplifying defluoridation
A new device makes defluoridation simple and easy to execute in remote areas where fluorosis is found to be severe. Posted on 19 Aug, 2018 09:12 AM

Estimates suggest that about 10 million Indians are affected by fluorosis, a sickness associated with the consumption of increased concentrations of fluoride, mostly through water. Bones get weakened due to excessive accumulation of fluoride in them which results in increased hip and wrist fractures. Dental enamel gets eroded.

The Superfloc promises a sustainable and cost-effective solution to fluorosis. (Image: Martijn Nitzsche)
Maharashtra’s plastic ban: Another missed opportunity?
The blanket ban on plastic has missed an opportunity to show how government and citizens can work together to deal with the plastic menace. Posted on 09 Aug, 2018 11:03 AM

The recent plastic ban in Maharashtra has opened a can of worms and has raised many uncomfortable questions—about the setting of rules with clarity and foresight, better research to understand the challenges in implementing them and the role of citizens in making it a success.

Increasing plastic waste is a problem in Maharashtra. (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Toxins on our plate
There is a need for better regulation and monitoring to bring toxin-free food to the Indian market. Posted on 08 Aug, 2018 03:45 PM

“The recent scare due to the detection of formalin-laced fish across Goa, Kerala, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya points to a link between water quality and food safety. Fish traders find it cost-effective to use formalin, a carcinogen, instead of ice to prevent the decomposition of fish during transportation to distant markets.

The quality of food products and their safety are mostly decided at the primary production stage itself which is unregulated. (Image: Masahiro Ihara, Flickr Commons CC BY 2.0)
Yamuna river at its healthiest due to floodwater: Experts
News this week Posted on 07 Aug, 2018 06:58 PM

Yamuna river water quality improves, thanks to floodwater: Experts

Yamuna river in Delhi (Source: Sudhanshu Malhotra via IWP Flickr Photos)
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