Pollution means the spreading of harmful, unwanted and unpleasant substances. Inland water is often polluted by several chemical substances, sewage and tiny living organisms. Water is called polluted if it is not potable or fit for bathing and washing. Substances polluting water are called pollutants. Water being the most important substance required for all living things, it is necessary that natural water be protected from pollution. Polluted water may be merely unpleasant or it may destroy all life in the polluted environment.
Major Causes of Water Pollution and its Harmful Effects:
Water is a good solvent. It is due to this property that many undesirable substances get dissolved in water and make it polluted.
Disposal of waste: This waste include sewage, garbage and liquid waste from factories and homes. Wastage from chemical factories contain many toxic or poisonous chemicals. These are discharged into rivers. The river water becomes poisonous for fish and other aquatic animals and plants.
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides: Farmers use fertilizers for plant growth, and pesticides to kill insects that damage crops. Fertilizers and pesticides which are good for plants, may be harmful to human beings and animals. Many of these chemicals get dissolved in rain water which flows into ponds, canals, rivers and seas.
Disposal of human excreta and animal dung: The rain washes away human excreta and animal dung into rivers, ponds and lakes. Drinking this polluted water may cause several water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, typhoid and cholera. Polluted river water can cause diseases to the whole population, that are called epidemics.
Prevention of Water Pollution:
Abundant, clean water is necessary for good health. Water pollution is a community problem. It is necessary not to let the industrial waste to find its way to natural waters (rivers, canals and seas) without proper treatment.
There should not be any accumulation of garbage and excreta near a river or any source of water. This is to avoid any chance of the garbage flowing into the river during the rains.
Dead bodies of humans and animals should not be thrown into the rivers. Bathing and washing near the river should be avoided.
The water of rivers and lakes should be purified from time to time. Such a project should be undertaken by the industries and the government. The Ganga Purification Project is one of the projects undertaken by the Indian Government for the purification of the river Ganga. Also an attempt should be made to use those chemical fertilizers and pesticides that will decay on their own or get decomposed by microbes and hence there will not be any accumulation of these compounds. Substances that decay naturally are called biodegradable. A biodegradable compound can be broken down by bacterial action. Soap is a biodegradable compound.
Pollution of existing water sources cause accute water shortage. We must protect our natural sources of water. We must find more efficient ways of producing fresh water from sea water.
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