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)
Eliminate garbage naturally
A Mumbai-based scientist comes up with an effective solution to Kashmir’s mounting garbage problem. Posted on 23 Jan, 2018 06:19 PM

Kashmir was once known for its pristine mountains, lakes, beautiful landscape and clean environment. In the last few decades, however, things have changed. An increasing amount of untreated garbage produced by humans is becoming a critical problem affecting not only the health of the residents of Kashmir but its environment, too.

A screenshot from the film Untreated Waste--Invitation to Disaster (Source: Abdul Rashid Bhat)
Open water data for integrated water science
Datameet and Centre for Internet and Society have released a prototype web app that allows users to access daily rainfall data from Jan 1981 till Dec 2017 for a watershed of their interest. Posted on 23 Jan, 2018 03:30 PM

Understanding water in all its forms in every part of the water cycle is vital to ensuring its sustainable and equitable management. Whether there is a scarcity of water or an excess of it, knowing precisely the quantum of water, whether underground in aquifers, embedded in the soil as soil moisture or in numerous lakes, reservoirs and rivers is vital.

Image courtesy NASA
The Open Water Data Paper
A paper by Datameet and CIS for information on openly available water data. We hope this will open up a conversation around these datasets and help improve the quality of debate around water data. Posted on 23 Jan, 2018 02:47 PM

The paper seeks to take one step forward in the direction of better water data, by highlighting currently available data relevant to water resources management, generated from remote sensing sources, government, citizens and other relevant global meteorological data.

Open Water Data in India
Book Release and Discussion on ‘Alternative Futures: India Unshackled’, a book edited by Ashish Kothari and K. J. Joy
The book is a collection of 35 essays containing dreams, visions, and pathways of reaching a just and sustainable India.
Posted on 22 Jan, 2018 10:40 AM

Alternative Futures: India Unshackled is a riveting new book that brings together scenarios of an India that is politically and socially egalitarian, radically democratic, economically sustainable and equitable, and socio-culturally diverse and harmonious.

Alternative Futures: India Unshackled
A remarkable, first-ever collection of 35 essays on India’s future, by a diverse set of authors – activists, researchers, media practitioners. Posted on 22 Jan, 2018 10:39 AM

Alternative Futures: India Unshackled is a book that brings together scenarios of an India that is politically and socially egalitarian, radically democratic, economically sustainable and equitable, and socio-culturally diverse and harmonious.

Alternative Futures: India Unshackled
Coughing out coal
A study from Chhattisgarh finds that coal mining leads to severe health risks and environmental damage and questions the current policy emphasis on the use of coal for energy generation in India. Posted on 22 Jan, 2018 10:08 AM

The coal mining sector is all set to receive a boost in India as the government plans to open up the sector to commercial players by 2018. 

A villager looks at the changing landscape due to coal mines at Kosampalli village in Raigarh (Image source: IWP photo by Makarand Purohit)
Delhi’s e-waste problem
Toxic heavy metals from electronic waste piles in Delhi contaminate groundwater and soil. Posted on 21 Jan, 2018 08:49 AM

Widespread use of digital devices--mobile phones, tablets, computers, smart watches and more--has made electronic waste a new environmental problem. Discarded gadgets result in massive piles of e-waste, which is contaminating soil and groundwater in the national capital, a new study has pointed out. 

Heavy metals from e-waste leach into the ground polluting the groundwater and soil.
The 3rd National Summit Sustainable Water & Sanitation India kicks off in Bengaluru
Experts from government, NGOs and industry gathered at the Sheraton Grande Hotel for the two day summit. Posted on 19 Jan, 2018 09:52 AM

Sustainable water supply and sanitation has become extremely important due to the increase in water scarcity, the impact of climate change and the need for adaptation, and the increasing demand in water and competition among different usages.

National Summit Sustainable Water and Sanitation kicks off in Bangalore
A step towards better air, water
Four new projects launched for real-time monitoring of air and water quality. Posted on 17 Jan, 2018 09:58 AM

Four new research and development projects for real-time monitoring of air and water quality were today launched jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Corporate Research Council of Intel.

Real-time monitoring of air and water quality can reduce pollution. (Source: IWP Flickr photos, photo for representation only)
Purify water safely
Ultraviolet lamps free of mercury developed to purify water. Posted on 17 Jan, 2018 09:49 AM

The use of ultraviolet lamps in water purifiers is common but the presence of mercury in these lamps could be potentially hazardous. Now a group of Indian scientists have developed a mercury-free ultraviolet lamp that can be used in water purifiers.

The new mercury free UV lamp water purifier.
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