Water pollution and its causes in the city
Pollution is referred to as addition of such substances in the environment which are harmful to it and it mostly consists of wastes of humans & industries. Among different types of pollution present water pollution is an important one. Pure water has a specific standard to be met with according to which pure water is colorless, odorless, and has no harmful bacteria present in it. Water pollution has deleterious effects on the marine life including fishes we consume. This in turn causes problems for us as the polluted fish is containing different pollutants and most of these are carcinogenic. Other pollutants in water can lead to different skin allergies which can cause itching and even ulceration of the skin. Polluted water is also a good ground for harmful parasites and bacteria to grow. These can lead to diseases like amoebic dysentery and Ascariasis.
Polluted water is also a good ground for mosquitoes to grow which further cause diseases like Malaria and Dengue.
Water pollution is a common thing in cities especially in developing countries. In a city the water pollution is mostly caused by the Industrial waste which is released into the rivers and freely flowing waters. Most of the waste is not treated before being released.
This waste mixes with the water which is consumed in household and leads to dangerous consequences. Industrial waste consists of all sorts of chemicals in it. Some of these are just poisons used in pesticides manufacturing, and others are dyes used in making paper and clothing. Other chemicals released into water include pungent smelling chemicals and mercurial and sulphur compounds. These compounds not only damage the water but also make the soil infertile. They are also damaging to marine life and seafood. The compounds tend to accumulate in the bodies of animals and have toxic effects on the humans that consume these marine animals. The smoke released from the industries is also a cause of water pollution. The gases released from the industries rise above in the atmosphere and accumulate in clouds. These chemicals combine with the water in the clouds and result in Acid rain. The acid rain along with causing an increase in water pollution is also damaging to land, trees and buildings. One of the most important results to be considered is corrosion of important buildings like TAJ MAHAL.
Second major cause of water pollution in cities is lack of sanitation systems. This problem too is more common in developing and underdeveloped countries. The sanitation system sometimes fails to separate the sewage water and consumer water and as a result the water gets polluted. During monsoon when heavy rains occur the drainage system gets overloaded and water accumulates on roads and paths. This leads to an increase in water pollution and water gets muddy.
Alongside these major causes of water pollution another cause is overcrowding in cities. Whenever there is an increase in population density of an area there is an increase in sewage waste and human waste which results in increased levels of water pollution. People in overcrowded areas also lack a considerable knowledge of cleanliness and mostly consists of poor population so; this becomes a cause of water pollution in those areas.
The problem of water pollution can be corrected by imparting knowledge to the individuals and also making laws which prevent the throwing of untreated waste in rivers and seas. Major steps are needed to be taken by the governments as a whole to tackle the problem of water pollution as only 1% of the earth’s water is freshwater and it is also getting polluted.
With an ever increasing population there will be an ever increasing need by people for pure clean water.
