Toxic Water Source

Toxic Water Source

Main Examination: General Studies Paper-3

(Water Pollution)

August 14, 2023

Foreword:

• Apart from agriculture and horticulture, the water of the mountains is also used for drinking purposes. Wild animals quench their thirst from these water sources. According to the recent news, tigers are continuously decreasing in India. There is no single reason for this. But a new threat to the lives of tigers has emerged in the form of a poisonous water source in the forest. Based on the facts found in the investigation after the death of a tiger in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, scientists are suspecting poisonous water behind it.
• People can be warned by putting a board not to use the water of the water sources in which toxic chemical elements will be found after the test, but how can wild and domestic animals be warned to stay away from such toxic water?

About Toxic Water Bodies:

• According to wildlife experts, there are some contaminated water sources in the forest, in which toxic substances have been found, drinking which can kill any animal.
• Due to continuous consumption of water from these water sources, diseases related to skin, cancer and stomach, head are occurring in wild animals.
• The autopsy of the tiger that died in Uttarakhand recently revealed that the tiger had heavy toxic metals in its body, which became the reason for its death.
• According to scientists, such toxic substances have been found in the water source, which can cause cancer. Apart from this, problems related to head, skin, stomach, eyes can be caused by the poisonous water of these water bodies. In the language of science, if arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, uranium etc. are dissolved in water, then their continuous consumption can cause skin diseases, cancer and many diseases related to stomach and head.

Cases related to Tiger Deaths:

• Uttarakhand's environment is considered most favorable from the point of view of protection of tigers, but now the situation is not the same there. Every year there is a severe fire in the forests of Uttarakhand, due to which thousands of animals and birds are killed. Although tigers are safe from this forest fire.
• 96 tigers died in the last ten years in Uttarakhand. On the other hand, 244 tigers died in Madhya Pradesh, 168 in Maharashtra, 138 in Karnataka. But the death of a tiger after drinking poisonous water has increased the apprehension that if the forest administration is not able to save tigers from drinking water from poisonous water sources, then the problem may worsen.

Other Problems:

• According to the research report of the Uttarakhand Council of Biotechnology, the problem of irrigation of drinking water and agriculture-horticulture will increase in this state by identifying poisonous water sources, because about twelve thousand water sources of the state have dried up due to climate change and other reasons. .
• Significantly, there are about 2.6 lakh natural water sources in Uttarakhand, out of which more than twelve thousand have dried up and lakhs are on the verge of drying up. Tests of the water sources that have been poisoned have shown that it may be due to industrial and human-caused pollution. In Uttarakhand, the water bodies of Terai are drying up more rapidly.
• Due to modern development, small rivers and springs are turning into dirty drains. Chemical toxic elements are increasing in such water bodies. Due to the construction of highways in Uttarakhand, water exploitation has increased rapidly. The situation is that the water sources have started losing their original form and direction. These are gradually turning into wells. Therefore, there should be a thorough investigation of the problems arising out of excessive water exploitation.
• This problem needs to be looked at in totality, because chemical elements are not only increasing in springs, springs, salt wells and other water bodies, but the ground water level is also continuously going down. Continuously decreasing ground water level is not just a problem of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh. The water level is constantly going down in almost every part of India. It has become very difficult to draw water from the tube well. Then, the groundwater is getting poisoned too. Many wild and domesticated animals and birds have been dying due to drinking poisonous water, but no one paid attention to this. The news of the problems of forest areas or villages is also not made because these are incidents happening in remote areas, where the media can rarely turn their eyes and see.

Solution:

• This poisonous water is too dangerous to use for agriculture and horticulture. That's why the forest administration has to understand what kind of measures have to be taken to keep wild and pet animals and birds away from such water bodies.
• Being a national animal, the central and state governments should be careful about the protection of the tiger.
• There should be an in-depth investigation on this. With this, the reasons for the poisoning of the source will be known and the wildlife protection administration will be able to take effective measures to eliminate those reasons.
• The cause of death of the tiger does not come under any section of tiger protection as it is unique. This problem is not only related to tigers, but any animal can be a victim of death due to the effect of poisonous water. There is a need for reform in the Tiger Conservation Act.
• Poisoning of water bodies is a big problem. Therefore, the local authorities have to find strategic and effective solutions.

Efforts of the Government of India for the protection of wildlife:

• Several laws have been enacted at the national level for the protection and conservation of tigers. These laws make concrete arrangements for the protection of tigers.
• On September 4, 2006, the 'Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act 2006' was implemented to protect tigers from poachers at the national level.
• The Act provides for the creation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau (Wildlife Crime Control).
• Various powers have been given to the Tiger Conservation Authority prescribed under section 38 of this act.
• In these, tiger conservation is approved by the state government under sub-section (3) of section 38 of this act.

Conclusions:

• Poisoning of water and due to its effect the incidents of humans and animals getting sick and their death have been happening for years, but the death of the tiger has brought this problem into the discussion. Obviously, if the tiger had not died and the water had not been tested by the government department, this news would have died like other sensitive news.
• It is worth noting that now those water sources will also be investigated, which were not yet under investigation. Due to this, how water pollution is affecting humans and wild animals, this will also be known from the investigation. If the problem is caught in the beginning itself and its solution is deeply contemplated, then the solution to the problem becomes easy.

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Mains Exam Question

Toxic water sources have not only become a threat to the wildlife, but have also created a possibility of imbalance in the environment. Discuss.