Periyar Pollution Essay Example

of Eloor in Kerala is one of the world’s ‘top toxic hot spots’, according to international environment group Greenpeace. Periyar River is home to more than 247 chemical industries, including the only DDT-producing facility in India. Industries in the eloor industrial zone discharge waste into the river. Highest concentration of toxic substance is found at kuzhikandom Thodu. Its stream is contaminated with 111 toxic substance out of which 39 are extremely toxic. In 1999 Greenpeace declared Eloor as 35th toxic hot spot in the world.

Periyar River is home to more than 247 chemical industries, including the only DDT-producing facility in India. The major water quality problem associated with rivers of kerala is bacteriological pollution. Gypsum a radio active substance is being dumped in large quantities in Eloor. Gas emissions let in to the air include acid mists. Eloor contain 100 organic compounds including DDT,endosulfan,isomers like hexachlorocylcohexane, a persistent pesticide. Recent studies prove the temperature in periyar river is increasing .

The presence of chloride,fluroide,nitrate,phosphate and iron in the water is alarming. One can taste DDT in tender coconut water and in mallard duck eggs. The soil,water bodies and the wetlands in and around eloor have been contaminated with heavy metals like: Zinc,Lead,Cadmium,Chromium and Persistent Organic pollutants like DDT. The largest industrial cluster, the Udyogamandal Industrial Estate is causing a severe danger. Newly established Merchem pose a great threat Eloor area. There are about 250 industries including the prominent ones like FACT, HIL,IREL.

Greenpeace holds the Hindustan Insecticides Ltd (HIL) that has been manufacturing pesticides at its Eloor plant responsible for making the industrial village a toxic hotspot. Chemical pollutants are the

chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, such as DDT, aldrin, and dieldrin. The polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are used in a variety of industrial processes. In the manufacture, many kinds of materials such metals as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and beryllium have been used which cause a severe threat to environment.

 1. Extensive damage of paddy fields and other farm lands in the area.

2. Large scale destruction of aquatic life.

3. An island in the Periyar river, unchecked pollution from HIL has resulted in diseases like cancer, congenital birth defects, bronchitis, asthma, allergic dermatitis and stomach ulcers in the local population. People who ingest polluted water can become ill and with prolonged exposure,may develop cancers or bear children with birth defects.

4. Hearing loss,stress,high blood pressure,sleep loss distraction and lost productivity.

5. It said children face 2. 63 times higher risk of malformation due to congenital and chromosomal aberrations.

6. Chances of death due to an accident are 2. 7 times higher. Chances that children may die due to birth defects have increased 3. 8 times.

7. Death due to bronchitis at Eloor is up by 3. 4 times. Death due to asthma is up by 2. 2 times, the study stated. Gram Panchayat had cancelled the license of Merchem company in 1998. In fact, the Indian Rare Earths Plant on Eloor, a Central Government of India Undertaking under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE),Is storing radioactive waste. An estimated 20,000 tonnes of thorium is stored In six buildings on the riverbank of the Periyar.

The first of these buildings is only two meters away from the

river and once used as a garage, it was converted into a storage place without safety measures.  Certain laws should be stregthenened by the government against the disposal of industrial waste into the rivers. The government and voluntary organisations should take initiatives in creating power awareness among the society regarding the ill effects of river pollution. The panchayathRaj institutions should also take the ability of ensuring cleanliness and good quality of the water resourses including rivers.

All the families in the urban and rural areas have to be provided with sanitary toilets that would avoid the domestic wastes to enter rivers upto a certain level. Community level domestic wastes management systems have to be developed and implemented. Collaboration with international environmental agencies will help the government to create a better policy to protect the rivers. Media should take up the issue of river pollution and should sensitize the people through the most appropriate manner. Different water shed management technique familiarized among the public and voluntary organisation.

The problems associated with water pollution have the capabilities to distrupt life on our planet to a great extent. Governing party has passed laws to try to combat water pollution thus ackowledging the fact that water pollution is,indeed,a serious issue. But the government alone cannot solve the entire problem. It is ultimately up to us,to be informed,responsible and involved when it comes to the problems we face with our water. Industrial pollution has been continues to be major factor causing the degradation of the environment around us,affecting the water we use, the air we breathe and the soil we live on.