Water Quality Criteria & Water Quality Management

Central Pollution Control Board promulgates water quality criteria/standards on the basis of which nationwide pollution control programmes are implemented. The water quality criteria evolved in the country during late seventies were based on "Designated Best Use" concept of water. According to this concept, out of several uses a water body is put to, the use which demands highest quality of water has been recognised as designated best use. Over a period, it has been realised that there are some practical problems in its implementation. To overcome these problems, the concept is being revised, with following main features:

·        The criteria values were adopted from Water Quality Criteria/Guidelines of Bureau of Indian Standards, World Health Organisation, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, CPHEEO and other international sources; and,

·        The management strategy has been identified including responsibility of different agencies/authorities.

Strategies for waste disposal especially in water scarce conditions have been identified.

Water Quality Trend

The water quality monitored in the country's water resources between 1990 and 2000 indicates that the organic and bacterial contamination continues to be critical, mainly because of the discharge of untreated or partially treated domestic wastewater from the urban centres. The increase in oxygen demand and bacterial pollution load is also attributed to inadequate flow in the water courses.

An attempt has been made to estimate year-wise percentage of observations falling under different levels of pollution in terms of BOD, total coliform and faecal coliform, out of more than 4,000 observations taken in a year. The data indicate that there are fluctuations in observations falling under different levels of pollution. However, the fluctuations are less in lower pollution ranges. This indicates that cleaner waters, like Himalayan rivers and groundwaters, are still maintaining their cleanliness. The fluctuations in the number of observations under higher pollution level can be attributed mainly to available dilution. Due to over-exploitation of ground and surface water, as also uneven distribution of rainfall the availability of dilution water is fluctuating year by year. A summarised statement on percentage of observations falling under different ranges of BOD, total coliform and faecal coliform is presented below:

Year-wise Percentage of Observations falling under different levels of Pollution

Assessment of Water Pollution from Non-Point Sources

Over the years, reasonable baseline information on water pollution from point sources has been collected, but similar information on non-point sources is not available. During the year, an attempt was made to assess non-point sources of pollution in collaboration with the Punjab State Pollution Control Board. Main findings of the study are as follow:

·        Non-point pollution contribution is  significant particularly during rainy days when surface run-off occurs;

·        Unsewered urban areas, solid waste dumps, industrial waste dumps, leakages and losses during handling of chemicals and other materials, application of fertilizers & pesticides in agriculture, mass bathing, disposal of human and animal dead bodies in the rivers are major contributors of non-point pollution; and,

·        Level of pollution especially nitrate are increasing in groundwater in many parts of the country due to percolation of uncollected sewage and other wastes and application of fertilizers in agriculture.

Experiments are being conducted to quantify pollution load contributed by non-point sources.

Groundwater Quality Assessment

Central Pollution Control Board is monitoring water quality in country's water resources at 507 locations, out of which 25 locations are on groundwater. The groundwater is also monitored in problem areas. The salient findings are as follow:

·        Deterioration of groundwater quality at many places is mostly due to increase in nitrate concentration; and,

·        Increase in nitrate concentration in groundwater is attributable to large amount of uncontrolled sewage & solid waste spread over the urban areas, percolating to the ground water table.

Groundwater around CETP and Common Secured Landfill Sites

To assess the status of groundwater near the Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and Common Secured Landfill (CSLF) sites, a study was conducted at five industrial estates in Gujarat. During the study, leachate and groundwater samples were collected. The salient findings are as below:

·        The groundwater pH varied between 7.0 to 8.0 and total dissolved solids varied in the range of 586 to 4512 mg/l;

·        At all the locations, the standards for alkalinity were violated and values of chlorides in groundwater near Odhav and Vapi were within the limits; and,

·        Sulphate varied between 54 to 694 mg/l and total hardness between 69 mg/l to 577 mg/l.

The leachate samples contained high values of BOD, COD, conductivity, chlorides and hardness.

important mass bathing days at Sangam every hour and five other locations at a frequency of 2 – 6 times a day. In addition, bio-monitoring studies were also undertaken during pre- Kumbh. The observations are as below:

·        The dissolved Oxygen values were found  fit for organized bathing throughout the  Mahakumbh fare;

·        BOD values exceeded the norms at Sangam and at d/s Allahabad   (norm 3 mg/l); and,

·        The total and faecal coliform exceeded the prescribed norms for organized bathing.

Kumbh 2001 :  Water Quality   in  River Yamuna

* Makar Sankranti 14.01.2001

Kumbh 2001  :  Water Quality in  River Ganga

* Makar Sankranti 14.01.2001