Tackling Water Quality Issues
Indira Khurana and Romit Sen
Abstract For India, the challenges are twofold: One is to address the growing
water shortage, and the other is to address quality issues. Ample evidence points
toward increasing deterioration of water quality. Both surface and groundwater
sources are contaminated through point and nonpoint pollution sources, and biological and chemical pollutants. Consuming contaminated water has health implications which can be inter-generational. Improving water quality is going to need a
basket of options ranging from policy-level interventions and its implementation,
real-time data that informs decision making, preventive and mitigative technologies, enforcement and public awareness, participation and oversight.
Keywords Water quality Á Water pollution Á Surface water Á Groundwater Á
Health Á Community
1 Introduction
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers
and groundwater) and occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged
into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.
Scientifically, it is defined as an alteration in the physical, chemical and biological
parameters of water, which may cause harmful effects on living organisms.
Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into two categories
based on their origin: point sources and nonpoint sources. Point sources of water
pollution refer to contaminants that enter a water body from a single, identifiable
source, such as a pipe. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from
I. Khurana (&)
Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar, India
R. Sen
Institute for Sustainable Communities, New Delhi, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
G. Chadha and A. B. Pandya (eds.), Water Governance and Management in India,
Water Resources Development and Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1472-9_4
69
Indira Khurana and Romit Sen
Abstract For India, the challenges are twofold: One is to address the growing
water shortage, and the other is to address quality issues. Ample evidence points
toward increasing deterioration of water quality. Both surface and groundwater
sources are contaminated through point and nonpoint pollution sources, and biological and chemical pollutants. Consuming contaminated water has health implications which can be inter-generational. Improving water quality is going to need a
basket of options ranging from policy-level interventions and its implementation,
real-time data that informs decision making, preventive and mitigative technologies, enforcement and public awareness, participation and oversight.
Keywords Water quality Á Water pollution Á Surface water Á Groundwater Á
Health Á Community
1 Introduction
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers
and groundwater) and occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged
into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.
Scientifically, it is defined as an alteration in the physical, chemical and biological
parameters of water, which may cause harmful effects on living organisms.
Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into two categories
based on their origin: point sources and nonpoint sources. Point sources of water
pollution refer to contaminants that enter a water body from a single, identifiable
source, such as a pipe. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from
I. Khurana (&)
Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar, India
R. Sen
Institute for Sustainable Communities, New Delhi, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
G. Chadha and A. B. Pandya (eds.), Water Governance and Management in India,
Water Resources Development and Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1472-9_4
69