What are the causes of Water Pollution?

Water pollution may be due to two factors.

1. Physical Pollutants:

Like colour, smell, dirt, oil, residue of animals, human excreta, waste and refuse, microorganisms, etc.

2. Chemical Pollutants:

Industrial discharge and waste material in containing acids, alkalis, radio-active material, oil and other toxic substances which pollute the water and spread foul smell.

Pollution of water has different situations and circumstances: Lake, ponds, under-ground water are stagnant water. Such water is easily polluted. The water of the river and sea is not stagnant therefore it does not get easily polluted.

There are a few rivers in deserts, which flow for some distance and then are lost because of aridity and evaporation. Many of the major rivers are perennial go dry in summer with no available water left on the surface.

Our country has been harnessing water by means of dams and barrages for irrigation, power generation, and industries and for drinking purposes. Often there is repetitive use of water, which further impairs the quality of water.

There is hardly any likelihood of dilution of wastewater. There are a number of human factors responsible for water pollution like discharge of city’s waste-water, human excrete, dirty water chemicals, industrial discharge, etc.

Water pollution is maximum where city, towns and industries are located on the banks of the rivers; household wastewater is more in the industrial towns and maximum in densely areas of the town.

Polluted water contains harmful microbes, produces weeds and water plants, which cause foul smell. Sewerage is the major cause of water pollution.

Water resources are not protected from indiscriminate discharges. The polluted water will not only affect food production qualitatively and quantitatively but also cause an increase in waterborne diseases, which are almost 80 percent of the diseases in India.