Effluents

This study commissioned by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) evaluates the operation and maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) established under the centrally funded National River Action Plan. This study was commissioned recognizing the fact that discharge of untreated sewage occurs not only because of inadequate installed capacity of sewage plants, but also due to the inadequate maintenance of existing plants.Read More

This paper published in the journal Current Science discusses the various factors that impact effective water quality management in rural India. The article informs that access to safe drinking water remains an urgent necessity, as 30% of urban and 90% of rural households still depend completely on untreated surface or groundwater.

While access to drinking water in India has increased over the past decade, the tremendous adverse impact of unsafe water on health continues. It is estimated that about 21% of communicable diseases in India are water related.

Although some degree of intervention in terms of chlorination and monitoring of water quality exists in major cities and towns, rural India, which constitutes the bulk (70%) of the population, is usually deprived of such interventions. The population in rural India is mainly dependent on the groundwater as a source of drinking water. As a quality concern the groundwater is often found to be contaminated with fluoride, arsenic, iron and salts. In recent years, fluorosis has emerged as major public health issue in rural India.Read More

This document by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) includes an audit report, which highlights issues related to adequacy, effectiveness of programmes, schemes, interventions made by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to tackle important environmental issues like deforestation, biodiversity and pollution control.Read More

The objective of this report is to create awareness and urgency about conservation and protection of environment, which need to be addressed by the government. It thus aims at sensitising policy makers to look at environmental issues with a holistic approach and address deficiencies in programmes/schemes/policies so that the environment can be conserved effectively.