Water pollution refers to the blend of such substances in river, lakes, ponds, underground and sea water that invalidates water for the use by humans, flora and fauna. It affects the whole of the world, as water is the basis of life.
Water pollution can be defined in many ways. Usually, it means one or more substances have built up in water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and other inland waters can naturally clean up a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly.
Causes of Water Pollution
The major causes of rising levels of water pollution in India are as follows:
Industrial waste and its inadequate disposal.
Improper methods of cultivation (including use of chemical fertilisers pesticides) in agriculture.
Global warming.
Social and religious rituals, such as floating dead bodies in the water, bathing, littering.
The oil spills from ships.
Inadequate sewage water treatment.
Effects of Water Pollution
• Groundwater contamination from pesticides causes reproductive damage within wildlife in ecosystems.
• Sewage, fertilizer, and agricultural run-off contain organic materials that when discharged into waters, increase the growth of algae, which causes the depletion of oxygen.
• Swimming in and drinking contaminated water causes skin rashes and health problems like cancer, reproductive problems, typhoid fever and stomach sickness in humans.
How can we stop water pollution?
There is no easy way to solve water pollution; if there were, it wouldn't be so much of a problem. Broadly speaking, there are three different things that can help to tackle the problem—education, laws, and economics—and they work together as a team.
Education
Making people aware of the problem is the first step to solving it. In the early 1990s, when surfers in Britain grew tired of catching illnesses from water polluted with sewage, they formed a group called Surfers Against Sewage to force governments and water companies to clean up their act.
Laws
One of the biggest problems with water pollution is its transboundary nature. Many rivers cross countries, while seas span whole continents. Pollution discharged by factories in one country with poor environmental standards can cause problems in neighboring nations, even when they have tougher laws and higher standards.
Economics
Most environmental experts agree that the best way to tackle pollution is through something called the polluter pays principle. This means that whoever causes pollution should have to pay to clean it up, one way or another.
Our clean future
Life is ultimately about choices—and so is pollution. We can live with sewage-strewn beaches, dead rivers, and fish that are too poisonous to eat. Or we can work together to keep the environment clean so the plants, animals, and people who depend on it remain healthy.
You can say your opinion on it.
Thank you for reading this.