Description:

When we take water from its source and use it, we mostly alter various aspects of it. We have straightened our rivers, built canals to connect seas and rivers, and constructed dams and levees to cater for our water use as per our need. Once used, it can be contaminated by chemical substances such as phosphates used in cleaning products, plastic micro beads or cooking oil. Some
Of the pollutants and impurities can remain in the water even after applying advanced waste water treatment. In the case of agriculture, water used for crops can contain residuals of chemicals used in fertilizers and pesticides.
After being used and sometimes treated, some of the altered water returns to a water bodies’ network. Even air-borne pollutants released by transport and industrial equipment can be deposited on water bodies such as rivers, lakes and seas and can impact water quality. Our water use can alter the temperature and salinity levels of water sources. . The water used for cooling in the industrial plans can be significantly warmer than the water sourced.
In the last four decades, India has made significant progress in regulating its water quality, treating its waste water and protecting its marine and freshwater habitats and species. Government policies address a wide range of issues like supplying drinking water, recycling urban waste water, protection of habitats, designating marine protected areas and promotion of single use plastics, reducing industrial emissions and restrictions on the use of hazardous chemicals.