A
STUDY REPORT
ON
WATER POLLUTION
IN
KATHMANDU VALLEY
SUBMITTED BY:
BISHNU PRASAD DEVKOTA
063BCE026
(CHAIRMAN)
COMMISION FOR STUDING THE WATER POLLUTION
KATHMANDU, NEPAL
COMMISION FOR STUDING THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE WATER POLLUTION
KATHMANDU, NEPAL
DECEMBER, 2007
A
STUDY REPORT
ON
WATER POLLUTION
IN
KATHMANDU VALLEY
SUBMITTED TO: -
R. N. SHRESHTA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER AND SUPPLY
SUBMITTED BY: -
BISHNU PRASAD DEVKOTA
(CHAIRMAN)
COMMISION FOR STUDING THE WATER POLLUTION
KATHMANDU, NEPAL
APPROVED BY: -
Er. HARI PRASAD PAUDEL
SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER
COMMISION FOR STUDING THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE WATER POLLUTION IN KATHMANDU
DECEMBER, 2007
PREFACE
The report includes the detail study that carried out to recognize the nature and the extent of the water pollution of the valley and the problems to serve it. In Kathmandu valley the main contribution of water pollution comes from poor drainage system followed by wastages, power plants, industrial units.
Mainly the peoples ignore for the dusty in the narrow street of Kathmandu valley are taking part in this problem and this is increasing day by day. Due to this increment of Water Pollution NEJ (Nepal Environment Journalists) has been compelled to take steps on it. A request from every sector of the valley people is made to Chief Engineer of Kathmandu Municipality has assigned to central Institute.
This Environmental institute has been working to this field of study about 15 years. So we all are appreciating good spike of this Institute.
After the completion of work million of people in the valley would get advantages.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I acknowledge here a number of people who have been helpful during this work. First of all I would like to thanks Mr. R. N. Shrestha, my respected teacher, for his kind cooperation, his invaluable suggestions and guidelines.
This report is based on the resent research carried out by the group including leader Bandanna Pradhan, PhD Department of Community Medicine & Family Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal in September 2007. I acknowledge my deep sense of gratitude to all of them.
I wish to express my gratitude to all my seniors and my friends for their kind help and suggestions. Above all, I am indebted to my friend’s G. D. Adhikari and Kiran Thapa for their co-operations.
Finally I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all that has helped directly or indirectly in this work.
BISHNU PRASAD DEVKOTA
063BCE026
ABSTRACT
Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, is in the central part of the country. The city is situated in the southern Himalayas, at an altitude of about 1220m (about 4000 ft.), near the confluence of the Baghmati river. It is the mountain kingdom’s largest city and its chief economic, administrative, and cultural centre.
The water pollution in the Kathmandu valley is major problem for entire nation. This is because of increasing the no of people day by day. This project not only regarding the explanation of the water pollution but also works for development of people’s lifestyle increasing the economic standard of the people.
After the completion of this project, the environmental condition of the capital city will be no longer polluted. Then the people will feel healthy and mind capacity of the people bearing good personality. Not only this the environmental of the city will be very qualitative and more tourists will come to visit the city.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Preface ………………………………………………………………… (i)
Acknowledgement…………………………………… …………………... (ii)
Abstract…………………………………………………… ……………… (iii)
1. Introduction………………………………………………… 1
2. The causes & effect of water pollution…………………….. 2
Water pollution …………………………………… 3
Sewage……………………………………………… 4
Nutrients…………………………………………… 4
Waste water………………………………………..... 5
Chemical waste……………………………………… 6
Alien species………………………………………… 7
Other forms of pollution…………………………… 7
3. Source of water pollution…………………………………… 8
4. Controlling the water pollution……………………………… 9
Around the house………………………………….... 9
Automobiles………………………………………… 9
Agriculture………………………………………… 10
5. Improvements……………………………………………….. 10
6. Conclusion/Recommendation………………………………… 11
7. Lists of references…………………………………………… 12
Figures
Ø Fig.1 Sources of pollution that resulted in beach advisories & closings
Ø Fig.2 Polluted condition on water in Baghmati River
Ø Fig.3 table of investigation for ingredients in water of Baghmati river
Ø Fig.4 graph for condition of water in Baghmati river
1. INTRODUCTION
Comprising over 70% of the Earths surface, water is undoubtedly the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. Without the seemingly invaluable compound comprised of hydrogen and oxygen, life on Earth would be non-existent: it is essential for everything on our planet to grow and prosper. Although we as humans recognize this fact, we disregard it by polluting our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Subsequently, we are slowly but surely harming our planet to the point where organisms are dying at a very alarming rate. In addition to innocent organisms dying off, our drinking water has become greatly affected as is our ability to use water for recreational purposes. In order to combat water pollution, we must understand the problems and become part of the solution.
The total geographical area of the Kathmandu valley is 500 square kilometer (Central Bureau Of Statistics 1990) of which about 25% account for hill. The climatic condition is subtropical and has suitable weather. Over the past few year the population of the Kathmandu valley is increasing in the geometrical ratio.
What is water pollution?
One kind of water pollution, which is usually the most common, is called CONVENTIONAL and is made up of conventional pollutants. Conventional pollutants are solid particles and matter found in our water. Most of the pollution you can see is conventional. Cans, bottles, paper--just about anything--can be a conventional pollutant. You can see conventional pollutants in the picture above.
Conventional pollutants cause a wide variety of environmental problems. The solids suspended in the water can block the sun's rays, and this blocking disrupts the carbon dioxide/oxygen conversion process. This process is vital to an aquatic food chain. Sometimes the solid pollution is so bad, the water becomes unusable to humans and animals. The best way to remove conventional pollutants is to run the water through a treatment plant. In treatment plants the water is skimmed, run through several filters, and settled. This removes about 60 percent of the pollutants. The remaining pollution is decomposed by tiny pollution-eating microorganisms. Microorganisms are living things that are so tiny you need a microscope to see them.
Another type of pollution is called NON-CONVENTIONAL and is made up of non-conventional pollutants. Non-conventional pollutants are more dangerous to the environment than conventional pollutants. Non-conventional pollutants are dissolved metals, both toxic (harmful) and nontoxic (not harmful). Many factories dump these pollutants into the water as byproducts of their production process.
Water pollution can also be defined in many ways. Usually, it means one or more substances have built up in water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and other inland waters can naturally clean up a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly. If you poured a cup of black ink into a river, the ink would quickly disappear into the river's much larger volume of clean water. The ink would still be there in the river, but in such a low concentration that you would not be able to see it. At such low levels, the chemicals in the ink probably would not present any real problem. However, if you poured gallons of ink into a river every few seconds through a pipe, the river would quickly turn black. The chemicals in the ink could very quickly have an effect on the quality of the water. This, in turn, could affect the health of all the plants, animals, and humans whose lives depend on the river.
Thus, water pollution is all about quantities: how much of a polluting substance is released and how big a volume of water it is released into. A small quantity of a toxic.
2. CAUSES OF WATER POLUTION
Many causes of pollution including sewage and fertilizers contain nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates. In excess levels, nutrients over stimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae. Excessive growth of these types of organisms consequently clogs our waterways, use up dissolved oxygen as they decompose, and block light to deeper waters. chemical may have little impact if it is spilled into the ocean from a ship. But the same amount of the same chemical can have a much bigger impact pumped into a lake or river, where there is less clean water to disperse it.
Most water pollution doesn't begin in the water itself. Take the river: around 80 percent of river pollution enters our seas from the land. Virtually any human activity can have an effect on the quality of our water environment. When farmers fertilize the fields, the chemicals they use are gradually washed by rain into the groundwater or surface waters nearby. Sometimes the causes of water pollution are quite surprising. Chemicals released by smokestacks (chimneys) can enter the atmosphere and then fall back to earth as rain, entering seas, rivers, and lakes and causing water pollution. Water pollution has many different causes and this is one of the reasons why it is such a difficult problem to solve.
2.1 Water pollution in Bagmati River
Fig.1 Pollution on water
Fig.2 Pollution on water in Bagmati River
2.2 Sewage
With over 8 billion people on the planet, disposing of sewage waste is a major problem. In developing countries, many people still lack clean water and basic sanitation (hygienic toilet facilities). Sewage disposal affects people's immediate environments and leads to water-related illnesses such as diarrhea that kills 3-4 million children each year. (According to the World Health Organization, water-related diseases could kill 135 million people by 2020.) In developed countries, most people have flush toilets that take sewage waste quickly and hygienically away from their homes.
Yet the problem of sewage disposal does not end there. When you flush the toilet, the waste has to go somewhere and, even after it leaves the sewage treatment works, there is still waste to dispose of. Sometimes sewage waste is pumped untreated into the river. In theory, sewage is a completely natural substance that should be broken down harmlessly in the environment: 90 percent of sewage is water. In practice, sewage contains all kinds of other chemicals, from the pharmaceutical drugs people take to the paper, plastic, and other wastes they flush down their toilets. When people are sick with viruses, the sewage they produce carries those viruses into the environment. It is possible to catch illnesses such as hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera from river and sea water.
2.3 Nutrients
The elements phosphorus and nitrogen are necessary for plant growth, and are plentiful in untreated wastwater. Added to lakes and streams, they cause nuisance growth of aquatic weeds, as well as "blooms" of algae, which are microscopic plants. This can cause several problems. Weeds can make a lake unsuitable for swimming and boating. Algae and weeds die and become biodegrable material, which can cause the problems mentioned above (and below). If the water is used as a drinking water source, algae can clog filters and impart unpleasant tastes and odors to the finished water.
2.4 Waste water
A few statistics illustrate the scale of the problem that waste water (chemicals washed down drains and discharged from factories) can cause. Around half of all ocean pollution is caused by sewage and waste water. Each year, the world generates 400 billion tons of industrial waste, much of which is pumped untreated into rivers, oceans, and other waterways.
Factories are point sources of water pollution, but quite a lot of water is polluted by ordinary people from nonpoint sources; this is how ordinary water becomes waste water in the first place. Virtually everyone pours chemicals of one sort or another down their drains or toilets. Even detergents used in washing machines and dishwashers eventually end up in our rivers and oceans. So do the pesticides we use on our gardens. A lot of toxic pollution also enters waste water from highway runoff. Highways are typically covered with a cocktail of toxic chemicals—everything from spilled fuel and brake fluids to bits of worn tyres (themselves made from chemical additives) and exhaust emissions. When it rains, these chemicals wash into drains and rivers. It is not unusual for heavy summer rainstorms to wash toxic chemicals into rivers in such concentrations that they kill large numbers of fish overnight. It has been estimated that, in one year, the highway runoff from a single large city leaks as much oil into our water environment as a typical tanker spill. Some highway runoff runs away into drains; others can pollute groundwater or accumulate in the land next to a road, making it increasingly toxic as the years go by.
2.5 Chemical waste
Detergents are relatively mild substances. At the opposite end of the spectrum are highly toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). They were once widely used to manufacture electronic circuit boards, but their harmful effects have now been recognized and their use is highly restricted in many countries. Nevertheless, an estimated half million tons of PCBs were discharged into the environment during the 20th century. In a classic example of transboundary pollution, traces of PCBs have even been found in birds and fish in the Arctic. They were carried there through the oceans, thousands of miles from where they originally entered the environment. Although PCBs are widely banned, their effects will be felt.
For many decades because they last a long time in the environment without breaking down Another kind of toxic pollution comes from heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. Lead was once commonly used in gasoline (petrol), though its use is now restricted in some countries. Mercury and cadmium are still used in batteries (though some brands now use other metals instead). Plastics
If you've ever taken part in a community beach clean, you'll know that plastic is far and away the most common substance that washes up with the waves. There are three reasons for this: plastic is one of the most common materials, used for making virtually every kind of manufactured object from clothing to automobile parts; plastic is light and floats easily so it can travel enormous distances across the river; most plastics are not biodegradable (they do not break down naturally in the environment), which means that things like plastic bottle tops can survive in the marine environment for a long time.While plastics are not toxic in quite the same way as poisonous chemicals, they nevertheless present a major hazard to seabirds, fish, and other marine creatures. For example, plastic fishing lines and other debris can strangle or choke fish. (This is sometimes called ghost fishing.) One scientific study in the 1980s estimated that a quarter of all seabirds contain some sort of plastic residue.
2.6 Other forms of pollution
These are the most common forms of pollution—but by no means the only ones. Heat or thermal pollution from factories and power plants also causes problems in rivers. By raising the temperature, it reduces the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water, thus also reducing the level of aquatic life that the river can support.
Another type of pollution involves the disruption of sediments (fine-grained powders) that flow from rivers into the sea. Dams built for hydroelectric power or water reservoirs can reduce the sediment flow. This reduces the formation of beaches, increases coastal erosion (the natural destruction of cliffs by the sea), and reduces the flow of nutrients from rivers into seas (potentially reducing coastal fish stocks). Increased sediments can also present a problem. During construction work, soil, rock, and other fine powders sometimes enters nearby rivers in large quantities, causing it to become turbid (muddy or silted). The extra sediment can block the gills of fish, effectively suffocating them. Construction firms often now take precautions to prevent this kind of pollution from happening.
3. EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what locations.
Many bodies of water near urban areas are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by industries.
The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water-based ecosystems. Dead fish, birds, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat.
Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels.
Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned.
Ecosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt humans.
“Pollution, contamination of earth’s environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning of ecosystem. Although some environmental pollution is a result of natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, most is caused by human activities.”
4. SOURCE OF WATER POLUTION
There are many causes for water pollution but two general categories exist: direct and indirect contaminant sources.
Direct sources include effluent outfalls from factories, refineries, waste treatment plants etc.. that emit fluids of varying quality directly into urban water supplies. In many countries, these practices are regulated, although this doesn't mean that pollutants can't be found in these waters.
Indirect sources include contaminants that enter the water supply fromsoils/groundwater systems and from the atmosphere via rain water. Soils and groundwaters contain the residue of human agricultural practices (fertilizers, pesticides, etc..) and improperly disposed of industrial wastes. Atmospheric contaminants are also derived from human practices (such as gaseous emissions from automobiles, factories and even bakeries).
Contaminants can be broadly classified into organic, inorganic, radioactive and acid/base. Examples from each class and their potential sources are too numerous to discuss here.
Some of the principal sources of water pollution are:
Ø Geology of aquifers from which groundwater is abstracted.
Ø Industrial discharge of chemical wastes and byproducts.
Ø Discharge of poorly-treated or untreated sewage
Ø Surface runoff containing pesticides or fertilizers
Ø Slash and burn farming practice, which is often an element within shifting cultivation agricultural systems
Ø Surface runoff containing spilled petroleum products
Ø Surface runoff from construction sites, farms, or paved and other impervious surfaces e.g. silt
Ø Discharge of contaminated and/or heated water used for industrial processes
Ø Acid rain caused by industrial discharge of sulphur dioxide (by burning high-sulphur fossil fuels)
Ø Excess nutrients are added (eutrophication) by runoff containing detergents or fertilizers
Ø Underground storage tank leakage, leading to soil contamination, and hence aquifer contamination
Ø Inappropriate disposal of various solid wastes and, on a localized scale, littering
.4 Sources of pollution that resulted in beach advisories & closings
5. CONTROLLING THE WATER POLLUTION
Science provides many practical solutions to minimizing the present level at which pollutants are introduced into the environment and for remediating (cleaning up) past problems. All of these solutions come with some cost (both societal and monetary). In our everyday lives, a great deal can be done to minimize pollution if we take care to recycle materials whose production creates pollution and if we act responsibly with household chemicals and their disposal. Additionally, there are choices we make each day that also can affect the quantity of pollutants our actions will introduce into the environment. Heavily packaged foods, for instance, contain boxes, cartons, bottles etc.. made with polluting dyes, many of which are released from groundwater at municipal land fills. Whether we choose to drive to the corner store rather than walk or ride a bicycle will determine how much we personally contribute to acid and hydrocarbon emissions to the atmosphere (and ultimately to global fresh water supplies).
In the end, there are many choices on the personal and societal level that we must make (consciously or not) that affect the amount of pollution our town or country will be forced to live with. Our standard of living and very way of life is based upon practices which are inherently "dirtier" than those of our distant ancestors, although they too polluted their environment to some extent. Without taking a step backward in terms of our standards of living, the answer seems to lie in a combination of many small changes in our daily practices and paying more for goods and services, so that manufacturers of various materials and drivers of automobiles (for instance) will have cleaner devices with which to conduct their activities.To keep our used water from spoiling our water resources, we have to remove the pollutants before the water gets back into the environment. In urban areas in most developed countries, the wastewater from homes, businesses and factories is collected by a system of underground pipes-- sewers-- which carry it to one or more central treatment facilites. Most of these are located near bodies of water into which the treated wastewater is discharged.We all thrive on clean water. It is the source of all life, without it life would be nonexistent. That is why we all need to do our part protect. Controlling water pollution is our only hope of keeping the waters of the world clean.
5.1 Around the House
Ø Recycle reusable objects.
Ø Dispose of chemicals properly
Ø Dispose of pet waste in garbage or toilet.
Ø Don’t use pesticides, or fertilizers frequently.
Ø Use absorbent materials to clean spills from surfaces.
Ø Plant a ground cover and stabilize erosion prone areas.
Ø Encourage your town to develop ordinances on controlling.
Ø Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves, and debris out of street gutters and storm drains.
5.2 Automobiles
Ø Wash cars at commercial car washes, or wash them without soap over grass.
Ø Make sure your car doesn’t leak oil, antifreeze and other fluids.
Ø Dispose of used motor oil and antifreeze at a service station with a recycling center or to a toxic waste center.
5.3 Agriculture
Ø Manage animal waste.
Ø Reduce soil erosion by using processes like no-till, contour farming, and strip cropping.
Ø Use planned grazing procedures.
Ø Dispose of pesticides, containers, and tank reinstate in a an approved manner.
6. IMPROVEMENTS
Expanding recycling process can help to reduce solid waste problems lies in reducing the amount of waste generated ,waste prevention ,or source reduction ,such as altering the way products are designed or manufactured to make them easier to reuse ,reduces the high cost associated with environmental pollution. hazardous waste are solid ,liquid or gas wastes that may be deadly or harmful to the people or the environment and tend to be persistent or non degradable in nature . Such wastes include toxic chemicals and flammable or radioactive substances , including industrial wastes from chemicals plants or nuclear, agricultural wastes such as pesticides and fertilizers medical wastes, and household hazardous wastes such as toxic paints and solvents. To improve all the above mentioned polluting phenomenon, the rules and regulations formulated by the government should be accepted by the People. A well organized, grassroots, environmental justice movement has arisen to advocate equitable environmental protections. Green peace is an active organization that focuses international attention on industries.
7. CONCLUSION
The project which we are going to initializing is very fruitful for the people living in Kathmandu valley who are suffering from water pollution for many years. If the project will be successfully completed it can be a model for new Nepal although it is a challenging to successfully implement .If the project get help from government as well as the people living in these cities hearty accommodate the team could successfully completed.
The project team must be experts of related field in order to complete this project.
We should hire to expect the help from NGO’S, INGO’S which are working in the related field.
All the workers should be managerially distributed in all sectors and perfect supervision should need in order to avoid mistakes.
8. LIST OF REFERENCES
Communication skills in English -R.K.Yadav, Usha Ashikari, R.N.Shrestra
Encarta Reference Library 2005
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
And other internet sites
