The survival of each and every species on this planet depends on water. From sustaining wide ranging agriculture to support the functioning of every household, it all boils down to the availability of water. Now, the accessibility to water is one thing, but that water being clean is a whole other challenge.
The quality of water that we consume is ever-decreasing. Water pollution might seem like a topic one would discuss in school textbooks. But in today’s day and age, it is more relevant and evident than ever. Pollutants in the water bodies have increased tenfold over the years.
Residents of the nation are facing a severe drinking water crisis with nearly 163 million people affected by the extreme water stress. In the previous year alone, over 5,500 people fell sick and at least 34 died across cities of the country due to poorly filtered water. Various causes such as industrial discharge, untreated sewage and poorly managed waste systems have resulted in this becoming a matter of public emergency.
Water for Drinking
Contaminants such as E.coli and coliform bacteria have been found in the drinking water supplies, indicating high fecal contamination which raise serious concerns about hygiene. This severely impacts the health of citizens who are consuming water that threatens diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid and even cholera. Additionally, poisoning due to the presence of heavy metals may cause long-term arsenic or lead poisoning. This contamination often originates from untreated sewage, industrial effluents and agricultural runoffs in and around the city.
Water for Daily Use
The level of contamination in water systems is startling. The bacteria level is so high that the safety threshold is commonly surpassed. For example, the national capital of India, Delhi, the Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB) has reported 920 colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 ml in river water used for bathing, exceeding the prescribed safe limit of 500 CFU per 100 ml. The fact is that it is not just bacteria that is reducing the quality of water. It is also the high levels of salts and minerals that is not good for skin and may cause itchiness. Such water directly affects the hair as well making them fall out. There is also persistent odour from the water that makes the activities that are meant to refresh give a feeling of staleness.
Water for Agriculture
Water used in agriculture is simultaneously at risk too. Contaminated water enters the irrigation systems which in turn affects soil health and crop quality. This directly impacts the food that reaches our plates. A study was conducted in 2021 to assess the amount of impact on water quality due to industrial water pollution. The research was based out of Tamil Nadu and the results were so shocking that it was suggested that alternative sources of water for irrigation be researched on high priority. A lot of the local households were also advised to shift to non-farming livelihoods.
Water for Wildlife
The wastewater that is generated in these urban areas meets the rivers and is known as urban runoff. These include contaminants from multiple sources such as chemicals, fertilisers, and untreated sewage all converge with rivers.
These streams do not end their expeditions after entering the city. They flow onwards to forests and natural landscapes. It is important that we note that this contaminated water can silently affect the health of the flora and fauna as well, in ways we may not be able to fully observe or imagine.
All birds inevitably depend on water. However, there are a few water bird species that exclusively depend upon water bodies for survival. They make nests on nearby trees and also hunt for fishes, sometimes by immersing completely in the water. This makes the birds extremely vulnerable due to such a polluted ecosystem.
Not to mention, fishes. The permanent residents of natural and artificial water bodies. Tragic mass death cases of fishes have also been in the news. In the year 2022, the Banganga tank in Mumbai faced serious repercussions of water pollution that was rooted in contamination caused due to human activity. It was shocking to see that it took four trucks to clear out the deceased fishes from the Banganga tank. To make this story even more cruel, it is marked as an ‘annual tragedy’. Every year the fishes lose oxygen in their habitat. One of the exact reasons for such a catastrophe is the religious practice of offering food to the holy water.
Wildlife SOS has contributed majorly towards the regeneration and cleanliness of groundwater through the habitat restoration project being carried out at Ramdurga in Karnataka. The area had seen extreme shortage of water during the months that the heat was unrelenting. This resulted in wildlife and human population almost migrating out of the region completely. Wells were dug to not only extract water but also to act as a catchment to store rainwater. Human intervention to save a very crucial ecosystem was absolutely essential. Today, due to human efforts, we see wildlife reviving in a land that is now covered with trees but was once left barren.
For this World Water Day, let these poetic words “sinking, sinking, drinking water” cited in a famous book remind us of how every single life is completely intertwined with the quality of water. To simply interpret the words according to the current context – the quality of our water is sinking as the contaminated water ultimately becomes a part of the water cycle, flowing through rivers and forests that is responsible for sustaining numerous wild species. In the end, the onus falls upon us as human beings to notice how these warning signs are not just red flags but clocks that tick down to the survival of all living beings on this planet.
The water we pollute does not automatically disappear or filter, it stays in the water cycle and comes back to us. A very real and physical form of karma.
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Feature Image: Suryoday Singh Mann/Wildlife SOS
