As per the data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the faecal coliform level in the Ganga river is found to be three to 12 times higher than the permissible level at most inter-state boundaries. At 12 times the permissible limit, the highest faecal coliform (FC) in the Ganga river was found at Khagra in West Bengal. The Central Pollution Control Board released the data of water quality of the Ganga river at nine inter-state boundaries passing through states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. Only at two boundaries--Sultanpur in Uttarakhand and Bijnor in UP--the faecal coliform was within the permissible level.
As per a new study that monitored the water quality of Yamuna river at 12 sites, the stretch of Yamuna river that extends from Delhi to Etawah in Uttar Pradesh is highly polluted. The study that monitored the pollution load at 12 points from Paonta in Himachal Pradesh to Pratappur in Uttar Pradesh classified the stations along the river stretch into four groups to study it. The water at group one stations (Paonta, Kalanaur, Mawi, and Palla) was found to be suitable for drinking, irrigation, and aquatic life. At group two stations (Delhi, Mohana, and Mathura), however, it was not fit for drinking and bathing and only marginally fit for fish culture. Water at group three stations (Agra and Etawah) was not fit for drinking and bathing as this stretch is highly polluted while group four stations (Auraiya, Hamirpur, and Pratappur) had better water quality and could be used for various purposes.
According to a report by a voluntary non-profit organisation, Pathey Budget Centre, Gujarat is staring at a grave water crisis in case of failed monsoon. The report added that although the Gujarat government spent Rs 1.25 lakh crore in the last 13 years on providing drinking and irrigation to people, the efforts are nowhere close to implementing a sustainable and long-lasting water security model. The report recommended that in order to adopt a short-term or a long-term view to ensure water security of the state, the government needs to take up scientific surveys and stock-taking for estimating the actual present requirements, availability and future requirements.
To protect Mumbai's mangroves from debris dumping and encroachments, the state government has initiated to build mangrove walls, a project worth Rs 13 crore. The walls will be constructed in different locations across the city, between the buffer zone and where the reserved forest begins. The sites chosen for the project include Mandale, Mankhurd and Kanjur in the eastern suburbs and Malad-Malwani, Madh and Charkop. The forest department is also experimenting with bio-fences, or protective barriers made from plants. The first bio-fence has been installed in Versova.
According to new research by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, most forests in India are highly resilient to impacts of climate change on rainfall. The study which compared long-term trends in the spatial distribution of Indian forests against corresponding rainfall records found that while the wetter forests in India are resilient to large rainfall changes, forests in drier landscapes, such as the Deccan peninsular region, are most vulnerable to significant climate change. The research has generated a forest cover resilience map which could be used to frame uniform and improved climate-adaptive conservation and management policies in India.
This is a roundup of important news published between May 22 - 28, 2019. Also read policy matters this week.