CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

2 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 General Natural resources are the important wealth of our country, water is one of them. Water is a wonder of the nature. No life without water is a common saying depending upon the fact that water is the one of the naturally occurring essential requirement of all life supporting activities 1. Natural water contains many vital elements essential for the survival of human beings, animals, birds and plants 2. Water is essential for life, without water, human being cannot survive. This is the reason that civilization had always sprung of on river banks. Water is the prime requirement for all aspects of life. It is imperative to make certain the adequate supplies of water of good quality which is necessarily to be maintained for all the needs of entire population of this planet 3. Water constitutes nearly 90 % of our body weight.it regulates the temperature of the body. Water is required for various purposes of life viz. cooking, drinking, bathing, washing etc. Man, the most wonderful creation of God on earth in his eternal quest for improving the quality of life and satisfying his growing needs has used and abused his physical environment. Water is one of the most important resources which human resource has exploited the most than any other resources for the sustenance of their life.the increasing industrialization, urbanization and growing population and other development activities tend to pollute entire surface resources 4. The sources of water pollution is determined where human activities continue to influence the environment, which include farming, harvesting trees, constructing building and roadways, mining and disposing of liquid wastes & effluents. With intensive agriculture, the leaching of nutrients and Page 1

3 pesticides into the water supply may cause additional problems. Most of the river received million of liter of sewage domestic industrial and agriculture effluent per day. Water also gets polluted due to induced pollutants. Innovative technologies including the improvement in the indigenous technologies are needed to fully utilize limited water resources and to safeguard these resources against pollution. Water pollution management therefore, is not a mere slogan, but dire necessity and unless a serious attention is paid to it, we may reach a point of no return. It is important to understand that pollution can be defined in many ways water pollution is mainly caused by the decomposition of vegetables, animals and leather products. It affects the colour, odour and biological properties of water. In anthropogenic process, water pollution is caused by industrial, agricultural, domestic, radioactive, mining sources, use of fertilizer and pesticides by human being. These pollutants are regularly poured into water causing deterioration of water quality. These pollutants contain simple nutrients as well as heavy metals. In India all the rivers seems to be polluted. The major part of pollution is due to industrialization and domestic sewage as it contains a number of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Water pollution of most rivers is due to millions of liter of sewage, domestic waste and industrial and agricultural effluents containing substances varying from simple nutrient to highly toxic substances such as total heavy metals containing lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury etc. Page 2

4 1.2Ganga River: In the days of early Aryans, the Ganga was one of several river goddesses who were worshipped as a deity Especially for Hindus. The Ganges is the most sacred river and is also as millions of Indians live along its course and fulfill their primary needs from Ganga. According to numerous Legends Ganga is the primary river goddess and full of fabulous qualities.majority of settlement was done on the east coast of the river &it extended eastward.for Hindus it is a divine power named goddess Ganga. It is one of the largest water drains of the world, densely populated and is critical for millions of people s health, prosperity, and spirituality living in the northern part of India. While the severity of ecological stress is clear, the diversity and sheer immensity of the Ganga tributary system makes generalization difficult. For example, metals and bacterial contamination of mainstream rivers is widespread 5-6, but despite significant problems in water quality, massive canalization, and extensive water withdrawal, many reaches in the upper and mainstream Ganga and its tributaries still support a diverse and productive biological community 7-8. Its size, drainage density, ecological diversity, and centrality to the lives of millions of people make the Ganga an obvious candidate for classification based ecological assessment. While data gaps are large, it seems clear that the sustainable use of this river system turns on understanding the combined effects of landscape-scale hydrological, chemical and geomorphic engineering alterations on of ecology of the Ganga watershed. In other words, sustainable use by human populations will require a holistic (ecological) analysis of human impacts and future risks. Regional river assessment approaches were developing in the Great Lakes region seems appropriate and transferable to the Ganga system. Assessing current Page 3

5 ecological status and evaluating future areas at risk are important early steps towards protecting and enhancing the quality of this world-class river. The Ganga River is one of the most utilized rivers in the world. Due to abundant availability of water throughout the year, it has played an important role in the development of Indian civilization and economy. Increased urbanization and industrialization in the basin, has resulted in polluting the river, since the River has been a preferred waste disposal site for industrial and domestic effluents. The measurements of dissolved pollutants in the water are not conclusive due water discharge fluctuations and low residence time of the pollutants. Rapid industrialization resulting in discharging of untreated waste water, coupled with massive abstraction of water for irrigation, industrial and domestic use, are main cause of water quality degradation. About 12,222 MLD of domestic and 2500 MLD of industrial waste water is generated per day in the entire Gangabasin 9. Pollution of rivers in India has now reached to a point of crisis due to unplanned urbanization and rapid industrialization 10.River sediments act as both source and sink for heavy metals and are important sources for the assessment of man-made contamination in rivers 11. Page 4

6 1.3Origin and Length of Ganga: The Ganga river originates in the Himalayan mountain range from the Gangotri glacier in the Indian state Uttarakhand Haridwar as river Bhagirathi at a elevation of 4100 meter above sea level, the river travels total run of 2525km out of which 1,425 km is in Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh, covering 475 km in Bihar and 625 km in West Bengal before its confluence with Bay of Bengal. It also extends into parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh accounts for 26 per cent of India s landmass, 30 per cent of its water resources and more than 40 per cent of its population. 1.4Geographical Description of Ganga: The Ganga River at latitude 30 55' N, and longitude 79 7' E and an altitude of about 4000 m. The important tributaries of Ganga are RamGanga, Ghaghra, Gandaki, Kosi and Damodar. There are about 692 towns and cities distributed over the eight Gangetic States of India. Out of these, some 563, representing over 68.7% of total basin urban population are concentrated in three densely populated states of UP, Bihar and West Bengal. Some of the important cities on the banks of river are Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna and Calcutta. The major water abstraction point on the main Ganga is: The Upper Ganga Canal at Haridwar; the Lower Ganga Canal at Narora: the pumped canals - Dalmau. Zamanie and the Farakka Barrage. Page 5

7 1.5Pollution Sources in Ganga River: The entire stretch of Ganga River from origin to confluence is used for various human activities. The results of these activities are the generation of waste water. Pollutants of all sorts from industries and urban settlement are poured into the river without any treatment is responsible for about 65% of total pollution load of water. Further discharge of gratuitous, discharging corpses, disgorging of human and animal excreta, residues of farm pesticides and insecticides, chemical fertilizers through surface run off, wallowing of cattle along its bank are some of the other major sources of pollution The various sources of pollution are categorized in two groups Point Source of Pollution When the source of pollution is single, well specified and generate significant amount of pollutants such source is known as point source. Urban centers located along or near the bank of Ganga river is the major source of pollution. Rivers are the most important natural resource for human development but it is being polluted by indiscriminate disposal of sewage, industrial waste and plethora of human activities, which affects its physico-chemical and microbiological quality The potential cause of degradation of river water quality due to various point and nonpoint sources 17. Increasing problem of deterioration of river water quality, it is necessary to monitoring of water quality to evaluate the production capacity. The point source of pollution covers two major categories. Page 6

8 Domestic Pollution The domestic pollution is the major source of pollution in Ganga river. The pollution in the river is caused by the domestic sources. The domestic pollution is mainly caused by the urban centers. The major urban centers dumping domestic waste into Ganga river are Haridwar, Kannauj, Farukhabad, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Simaria, Munger, Baharampur and Kolkata. The intensity of impact of domestic pollution on river depends on the efficiency of the wastewater collection system, type and length of the waste transportation system. If waste water gets more retention time within urban premises before reaching to receiving water bodies, in such case the pollution load will reduce due to biodegradation and settling. The organic matters and microorganisms are the main constituents of the domestic waste. Besides these, total salts, chlorides, nutrients, detergents, oil & grease etc. are also contributed by the domestic sources. There are numerous unauthorized colonies exist in various urban centers. Due to non-availability of sewerage system in these colonies, the night soil is collected, transported and dumped either in drains, tributaries or directly into river without any treatment. During last few years because of proliferation of Jhuggi Jhopri settlement this activity increased significantly and now become a major non-point source of river water pollution. Page 7

9 Industrial Pollution After independence, rapid industrialization occurred in the Ganga river basin. There are large clusters of industries established at Haridwar, Kannauj, Farukhabad, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Munger, Baharampur and Kolkata. The categories of industries discharging waste water into Ganga river includes Sugar, Distilleries, Textiles, Leather, Chemical, Pharmaceuticals, Thermal Power Plants, food etc.in order to comply with the environment laws, it is compulsory for these industries to treat the effluent to achieve prescribed standards before discharging effluent into the environment. Even though there are some industries which pollute the Ganga, most notably the leather industry, the main source of pollution is human waste. Untreated raw sewage discharged in the Ganga is estimated to be as much as one million M3 per day 18. The Ganga accumulates large volumes of human pollutants as it flows through highly populated areas. These pollutants carry significant health risks for humans, as well as environmental risks for the sustainability of the ecosystem services provided by the Ganga. Proposals have been made to reduce the amount of untreated raw sewage deposited in the Ganga. The major contribution of pollution in the Ganges River are the leather industries situated in Kanpur, as chromium and other chemicals are used in the industry and large amount of untreated waste are dumped directly in the river. The domestic waste now a day the river water is largely influenced by discharge of industrial as well as while flowing through big towns and increases the water pollution in rivers. Page 8

10 1.5.2 Non Point or Diffused Sources of Pollution Just opposite to the point source the diffused sources are unspecified; numerous in numbers and contribution of each is of less significance. Though, in combination the resultant contribution is significant. This pollution is original in the catchment area of the river and transported regularly or occasionally by leaching, drainage and surface water off during monsoon. The pollutants originated from diffused sources are topsoil, organic matter, plant residues, nutrients, organic chemicals, toxicants, microorganisms etc. The important diffused pollution sources contributing to river Ganga are: - Agricultural pollution sources - Dumping of garbage and dead bodies - Immersion of idols - Pollution due to in-stream uses of water Agricultural Pollution There are three major sources that contribute agricultural pollution in the river: - Agricultural residues - Fertilizer and Pesticides - Animal husbandry - Excess Salts from applied irrigation water The various types of agricultural residues generated in the river basin are degraded naturally as it is a part of saprophytic food chain and thus not contributing much to the river pollution. As a result of the increasing anthropogenic activities in the Gangetic plain, Ganga water quantity as well as quality has declined over the years. Page 9

11 In the Ganga basin the application rate of fertilizer is still low, moreover, due to marginal irrigation in the basin there is little chance of leftover nutrients from fertilizer application to leach, drain or wash away except during monsoon. The nutrients and pesticides are generally adsorbed by the sediment particles and reach to the river along with run off sediments particularly during early floods. These chemicals accumulate in riverbeds, which is not stable due to sandy nature of river bottom. Hence, with the flushing of riverbed by water current these chemicals mixed slowly with the supernatant river water. The solid waste generated from animal husbandry is generally collected dry and rarely washed. Major part of this solid waste is used as organic manure. In rural areas the animal husbandry solid waste particularly animal dung is formed into cakes and dried for burning as dung cakes. Because of this, there is no significant water pollution caused from animal husbandry. However, with the change in cooking style with more and more use of cooking gas, urbanization of rural areas, modernized cattle farming, illegal and unorganized dairy farming in urban centers etc. is increasing the organic pollution from these sources. The plants consume water only through transpiration and the salts present in the applied irrigation water accumulated in the soil and ultimately leached or washed off to adjoining water bodies. The buildup of salinity is frequently observed in parts of Uttar Pradesh In almost entire stretch of Ganga River that lies in the plain area, riverbed is extensively used for farming during the lean period when the river stream shrinks to minimum. The riverbed farming, which mainly includes vegetables, melons, cucumbers starts after monsoon season and continued till the end of summer season. During farming, there is frequent use of pesticide, washing Page 10

12 of vegetables, disposal of farming residues etc., which provides direct impact on river water quality Dumping of Garbage and Dead bodies A large portion of the solid waste generated by the unauthorized inhabitants All along the bank of Ganga River or its tributaries finds its way into the river. The waste includes domestic waste, waste from dairies, unauthorized slaughtering, flowers and other material used during worships carcasses of animals etc. The dumping of human and animal dead bodies is also sometimes observed in the Ganga river. Disposal of infant s dead bodies in the river water is practiced in the entire Ganga stretch. Floating of human dead bodies partially eaten by animals and in rotten state are generally observed in the lower part of the river. Such disposal of dead bodies increases the risk of pathogenic contamination besides other negative impact. Also a large number of municipal wastes are also being discharged and polluted the water of River Ganga Immersion of Idols Immersion of idols, especially during Durga Puja, Ganesh Puja takes place all along the bank of river. Flowers, Straw, Bamboo, Clay / Plaster of Paris, harmful chemicals used for paints, plastic bags are finds its way into the river. As the Durga Puja festival is also getting popularity in Northern India the rate of idols immersion is also increasing every year Pollution Due to In-stream use of Water The various sources of pollution caused by the stream use of water are: - Bathing and clothes washing - Cattle wading - Open defecation Page 11

13 Because of spiritual faith the bathing in River Ganga is very common. Bathing, especially mass bathing, significantly contributes disease causing pathogens in the river water and enhance the bacterial load. The religious activities e.g. offering flowers, milk, sweets etc. into the river water further increase organic loading in the river. Since, the food items are not consumed by aquatic animals due to their limited availability. The other activities associated with bathing are clothes washing. This activity contributes inorganic, organic and biological contaminants in the river water besides detergents. Excessive presence of detergent caused significant foaming at the site of turbulence. Foaming not only hamper the oxygen diffusion rate in the river water, essential for self-purification but also affect various biological activities. The Ganga basin is one of the densely populated river basins in the country.in the basin, due to non-existence of sanitary facilities in rural areas and urban areas, especially in slum clusters, a large section of population use either catchment area or directly to the river for open defecation. The activity contributes organic pollution and pathogens in the river water Discharges From Sewage Treatment Plants Into The River: Sewage treatment plants (STP s) have been constructed at various urban centers to conserve the water quality of Ganga River. The treated, untreated or partially treated sewage from these STP s generally discharged directly or through carrier drain into the river. Prior to installation of STP s the sewage of urban centers was discharged and get mixed with river water at various locations in the wide stretch of river through long & slow transportation system. Page 12

14 The report concludes with its observation that the Ganga suffers from myriad problems, most significant ones being the lean flow during dry season and dumping of nearly 50% untreated and partially treated sewage into the river. River flow in the Ganga is low because of diversion through Upper and Lower Ganga canals, leaving virtually very little flow in the main river, which makes it impossible for fair leather dilution even with the treated sewage. Ganga in Uttar Pradesh demands treatment of sewage and minimum ecological flow for its survival as a river. Since a river is a living eco-system and therefore ultimate goal should be to protect the functioning of the river eco-system. After installation of STP along with swift collection and transport system, the sewage from urban centers concentrated at few places, where STP s are located. The connection of STP with the river sometimes poses great threat to water quality during non-operation of STP due to unavoidable reasons e.g. power failure, mechanical problems or maintenance of plants. In such cases the collected sewage is generally bypassed and discharged into the river at few locations without any treatment. Such problem is very significant in those stretches of river where the STP s are located downstream of the river e.g. Kanpur.The discharges from these STP s located downstream from water abstraction point have impact on the water quality making it unsuitable for various human activities. 1.6 Water Quality Issues in Ganga River: River Ganga is spiritually regarded as mother. People from all over the country take holy dip in river at different places especially at Haridwar for the three-month Kumbh Mela bathing festival, Kanpur, Varanasi-Kashi due to the belief that washes their sins. Thus, the river portrays Indian culture and traditions. Page 13

15 1.7Chromium in water system and its chronic effect on human health: These elements acts as cumulative poisons and accumulate in the bodies of living organisms causing chronic diseases. Chromium toxicity is frequently the result of long term low level exposure to pollutants common in our environment: air, water, food and numerous consumer products Exposure to chromium is associated with many chronic diseases such as dermatitis; ulcer sand perforation of the nasal septum and respiratory illness as well as increased lung and nasal cancer Chromium (Cr) element is also believed to be cancer-causing agents. This hexavalent chromium is known for its negative health and environmental impact and its extreme toxicity. Health effects related to hexavalent chromium exposure include diarrhea stomach and intestinal bleedings, cramps and liver and kidney damage 26. In this case, chromium contaminated water utilized by local population residing in tanneries affected area. The individuals residing in these areas are very prone to infectious diseases such as dermatitis, internal hemorrhage, respiratory problem and indigestion. Approximately population of Jajmau is affected by tanneries effluent toxicity spread over in large area, these individuals utilizing such contamination water for their livestock and domestic purpose. There is need to develop some awareness to avoid chromium contaminated water. Page 14

16 1.8Need For Study: The objective of this work was to assess the impact of the wastes on the physicochemical parameters of the Ganga surface water. The study was conducted at Kanpur which is a leading leather producing centre on the banks of river Ganga of the filtration plant and other sources. Over the past several decades, city populations along the Ganga have grown at a tremendous rate, while Waste-control infrastructure measures remain unchanged. The water quality in the Ganga River and its tributaries is still affected by the discharge of domestic and industrial sewage flow despite the implementation of the Ganga Action Plan and other sanitation projects, by the central government and states concerned, for the last 25 years. It was found that raw tannery effluents, raw Kanpur city sewage, post treated water (mix of tannery effluents and Kanpur city sewage) used either for irrigation or routed to river Ganga and post treated tannery effluents being generated from the Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Unnao. Alarming result levels of Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Nickel and Chromium VI in the research done by different researchers have been found. These are clear pointers to the fact that the leather manufactures at Kanpur and Unnao are using the same in their production cycle. Leather industries were assumed that the hazardous chemical being discharged by the leather industries was chromium, known as carcinogen. The self purifying capacity of the Ganga is derived from its unusually high ability to retain (DO) inherited from this environment. Lack of adequate DO leads to septic condition and rise in (BOD) in the river. According to researcher the holy Ganga has become carrier of garbage and pathogens 27. Page 15

17 1.9 Aims & Objectives: Any research work is performed keeping in view of certain basic objective that may directly or indirectly prove to be beneficial for the society. The present research work Assessment of Chromium in River Ganga Kanpur District and its Removal by Nano ZeroValent Iron is also one of the dedicated efforts in this respect. The purpose of this study is to investigate into the impact of this wastewater on the river water and thus to provide an updated report on the state of water quality of the rive Ganga The main objective of the study is to classify the Ganga river into different water quality classes. The followings are specific objectives: Collection of surface water samples from Ganga river from different Ghats. Analysis of a Physico-chemical parameters viz., Temperature, ph, Total Alkalinity, Electrical Conductivity,Dissolved Oxygen(DO), BOD, Total Dissolved Solids(TDS),Chloride, Nitrate, Phosphate, Magnesium and Chromium To assess the physico-chemical conditions of water quality classes To represent the water quality evaluation of river Ganga in Kanpur that receives tannery industrial effluent, through use of Pearson- Correlation Analysis. To compare the result with national and international standard limit To identify the point source of Chromium pollution in study area Remediation of chromium via using Nano Zero Valent Iron (NZVI). Page 16

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