Chemical Pollution

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September 9, 2022 Highlights from a new report released by iFOREST
An old coal-fired power plant has been dumping vast quantities of ash out in the open for many years. (Image: Lundrim Aliu/ World Bank; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
August 27, 2022 Study looks at microplastic types in lakes of Ladakh
(Vinay Goel, Wikimedia Commons)
August 11, 2022 This could lead to water quality crisis reinforcing the need for basin-specific management strategies
Around the world, more than a fifth of nitrogen released by human activity ends up in aquatic ecosystems (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
July 14, 2022 The river is faced with the dual problem of flood plain encroachment and growing levels of water pollution
Illegal transverse check dams (Badhals) built on Ichamati near a village in Basirhat (Image: Prithviraj Nath @ TheWaterChronicles)
June 13, 2022 A CEEW study indicates that forecasting systems helped avert extremely severe air pollution episodes last winter.
(Image: Ville Miettinen, Wikimedia Commons)
May 25, 2022 A study develops a decision support tool to identify polluted river stretches
Ulhas river near Khandpe village (Image: Ganesh Dhamodkar, Wikimedia Commons)
Groundwater quality assessment of Jharia coalfield area in West Bengal - A case study in NISCAIR
The study shows that the water is suitable for domestic purposes with some exceptions. Posted on 27 Aug, 2011 06:35 PM

This case study in National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR) by the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad and the Geo-Environment Division (Environment Management Group) deals with groundwater quality assessment of Jharia coalfield area of West Bengal. The physiochemical characteristics of groundwater of the upper catchments of the coalfield were studied to evaluate the water quality.

Water quality study and cost-benefit analysis of rainwater harvesting in Kuttanad, Kerala
The study reveals the urgency of water scarcity and sheds light on the potential remediation strategies. Posted on 25 Aug, 2011 02:23 PM

KuttanadThis thesis by Christina Tang for the Center of Environmental Studies, Brown University deals with a study of water quality and attempts to ascertain the net benefits or costs from rainwater harvesting under a variety of scenarios for households in various water supply conditions.

Eighty percent of the 7,00,000 citizens of Kuttanad, a region in the coastal State of Kerala have no access to clean water. In Kuttanad, intensive untreated human sewage and agricultural activities have caused severe surface water contaminations. At the same time, other sources of freshwater are unreliable for drinking: groundwater is acidic due to the soil conditions and iron leaching; freshwater from public tap is infrequent; and water supply from private vendors is extremely expensive.

Blue harvest – Inland fisheries as an ecosystem service – A report by UNEP
The report highlights the integrative ecosystem approach to inland fisheries. Posted on 24 Aug, 2011 11:34 AM

CoverThis report by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reviews the importance of inland fisheries as an ecosystem service, the pressures upon them, and management approaches to sustain them and thus helps inform future approaches to conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems.

There is an urgent need for major investment in policy and management approaches that address the direct and indirect drivers of aquatic ecosystem degradation and loss of inland fisheries taking into account their role in sustainable development and human well being. The UNEP Ecosystem Management Programme (UNEP-EMP) provides an effective framework for pursuing this challenge.

Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission – Report of an evaluation study by the Planning Commission (2010)
For long-term sustainability of the rural water supply schemes under the Mission, it is imperative to design State-specific plans of action, the study says. Posted on 23 Aug, 2011 10:17 PM

This evaluation study report by the Programme Evaluation Organisation, Planning Commission attempts to document the major achievements in rural water services under Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission. It does so by assessing the extent of coverage and access to improved services in the rural areas.

Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules (2011)
One of the major provisions under the new Rules is the explicit recognition of the role of waste pickers. Posted on 28 Jul, 2011 08:21 AM

This document  on the Ministry of Environment and Forests site includes the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules replaces the earlier Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules,1999 (amended in 2003).

Assessing variability of water quality in a groundwater-fed perennial lake of Kashmir Himalayas using linear geostatistics – A paper in Journal of Earth System Science
This paper in Journal of Earth System Science presents a study on Manasbal lake, which is one of the high altitude lakes in the Kashmir Valley, India. Posted on 17 Jul, 2011 08:47 PM

The study of the hydrochemistry of the Manasbal lake was done to find out whether the lake water was fit for drinking, irrigation and other purposes.

Bamboo charcoal as a natural Water Filter - An indigenous rural application
Bamboo charcoal is rich in a number of minerals including potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium, the article says. Posted on 16 Jul, 2011 07:24 PM

Guest post: Shwetha Kamath (India Water Portal Volunteer)


About 74 per cent of India's total population, currently about 1.25 billion, live in rural areas. More than one third of the water available to them is not potable. In a grim reminder that poor quality of drinking water leads to serious health problems, India has admitted that about 180,000 rural populated areas are afflicted by diseases which are caused due to impure, toxic organic and inorganic substances including tri-halo methane, chlorine, etc. Some states have reported multiple contaminations in drinking water and there is no doubt that the current water situation in India will get much, much worse unless suitable solutions are sought. Most existing purification methods not only remove the impurities but drain out the essential minerals as well. Moreover, they are expensive and require extensive maintenance. Thus a natural filter comprising of bamboo, gravel, pebble and other locally available natural adsorbents is a great alternative to carry out water purification. What makes this filter unique is the use of bamboo charcoal which is not commonly used in any filter designed for domestic purposes.

Water quality status of rivers in India – Report of Central Water Commission
These River Water Quality Reports prepared by the Central Water Commission (CWC) summarise the river water data collected under its long term monitoring programme. The Central Water Commission monitors water quality at 371 key locations covering all the major river basins of India by maintaining a three tier laboratory system for analysis of 41 water quality parameters. Posted on 15 Jul, 2011 06:19 PM

The Level-I Laboratories are located at 258 field water quality monitoring stations on various rivers of India where physical parameters such as temperature, colour, odour, specific conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH and dissolved oxygen of river water are observed.

Launch of film 'Mercury in the Mist', NFSC, July 1, 2011, Chennai
Posted on 01 Jul, 2011 11:10 AM

National Folklore Support Centre (NFSC) Organizers:

Multi-district assessment of water safety (M-DAWS) in Gujarat - A study by Water and Sanitation Management Organisation
This report survey assesses the condition of drinking water quality in the Gujarat in the context of severe water shortages. Posted on 15 Jun, 2011 12:08 PM

WASMOThis report by the Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) is based on the analysis of Multi-District Assessment of Water Safety (M-DAWS) carried out in 8 districts of Gujarat (Vadodara,Valsad, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Kachchh, Surat, Ahmedabad and Dangs) , where ensuring adequate and safe drinking water to the people has been looked upon as a huge challenge needing urgent action during years 2007 and 2008 .

The Multi-District Assessment of Water Safety (M-DAWS) programme was undertaken by Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) with financial and technical support from UNICEF.

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