Quality of Water
How does the quality of freshwater decline? What
are the causes of such declines? Let us look at these questions.
When the humans began to settle down permanently in some areas, the
waters in those areas declined in quality through their economic activity.
Increasing population, agriculture, industrial activities and urban needs make
a large demand on the freshwater sources. With the changing climate, there is a
general decline in rainfall as well. Besides these, bio-degradation, salination
through irrigation and such other events cause declines in quality. Nowadays,
the wastes or effluents disposed from the industries such as the solid wastes,
heavy metals, radioactive materials, nitrates and minute carbon pollutants
create problems in water quality. Acidification of the waters of the lakes and
streams and declines in oxygen content in the coastal waters are expected to
create major problems in water quality in the near future.
We have now seen how the water quality declines due to various reasons.
Our life is intertwined with the protection of the water resources. A quality
assessment of the freshwaters made by the World Watch Institute has indicated
to the declining quality worldwide. This assessment has also indicated to
improving quality of the freshwater in some of the industrialised countries. It
is pointed out that the quality of freshwater and the protection to it are
still not adequate worldwide. The controls remain weaknesses. Just as quality,
quantity has also become a worldwide problem. Increasing population further
compounds this problem. Water scarcity is likely to become a Crisis of the
Future.
Problems and Prospects
In the developing countries, water scarcity and indiscriminate disposal
of industrial wastes together account for a general crisis. Freshwater sources
such as the lakes, rivers and ponds have been disposal sites for domestic
wastes, industrial solid and chemical wastes. Bathing, washing clothes and open
defecation all go to make these sources highly polluted and these have become
daily occurrences as well. These sources are indeed the sources of drinking
water for several communities. Hence, 80 per cent of all diseases spread
through water. Particularly, diarrhea is the most dangerous disease of the
developing countries. This disease afflicts a large number of children below
five years of age.
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