The Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT) has taken discover of a January 2025 report by the Paani Earth Basis on excessive ranges of chemical air pollution within the Arkavathi River – which flows via the western a part of Bengaluru – to take up a suo motu case towards the Karnataka State Air pollution Management Board.
The Arkavathi River, as soon as thought of the lifeline of Bengaluru, is now contaminated with a number of dangerous pollution, Paani Earth’s report highlighted in January 2025. The report, ‘Uncovering the Hidden Air pollution within the Arkavathi: Rising Contaminants Impacting Bengaluru and Past,’ was produced in collaboration with the Worldwide Centre for Clear Water.
The report was based mostly on research carried out in February and March 2024 on the water high quality within the Arkavathi because it flows via what was as soon as the western periphery of Bengaluru however is now an integral a part of the burgeoning metropolis.
The examine carried out throughout seven places revealed that the river is unable to interrupt down chemical compounds coming into it, ensuing within the accumulation of pollution.
As a part of the Paani Earth examine, researchers examined 65 parameters in water samples and 20 parameters in soil samples throughout the seven websites and targeted on pesticides, industrial and unsafe natural pollution, and heavy metals.
The examine “confirmed the presence of rising contaminants and poisonous pollution, many exceeding worldwide requirements and posing long-term dangers to ecosystems and human well being.” Concentrations of banned pesticides like Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and Endosulfan sulfate had been recorded as much as 25,000 instances above accepted limits by the examine.
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“India’s regulation of chemical compounds is loads on paper, however not on the bottom. So, we weren’t stunned once we discovered pesticides within the river that had been banned by the Stockholm conference,” stated Madhuri Mandhava, a trustee at Paani Earth Basis.
Heavy metals like Mercury had been discovered to be 26 instances in extra of worldwide requirements; industrial pollution like polycyclic fragrant hydrocarbons had been discovered to be 3,000 instances in extra, and extreme phosphorus ranges had been discovered in any respect websites.
Widespread use of phosphate-based detergents is what has led to foaming within the rivers, which may trigger irreversible harm. Though phosphate-free alternate options can be found, they continue to be very costly, and adoption of this is not going to occur robotically, Mandhava stated.
Primarily based on the findings, the Paani Earth Basis submitted petitions to the Central Air pollution Management Board and the Bangalore Water Provide and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to provoke measures to scale back the air pollution within the river.
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In March this 12 months, NGT took up a case towards the Karnataka State Air pollution Management Board on the idea of the findings of the report. The case has been adjourned, and the subsequent listening to shall be taken up in July.
The Paani Earth Basis, in its petition to the Central Air pollution Management Board, has sought growth of the parameters monitored underneath the Nationwide Water High quality Monitoring Programme to cowl rising contaminants and upgradation of monitoring infrastructure.
In its submissions to the BWSSB, the Paani Earth Basis has sought measures to arrest the movement of commercial wastewater into the Arkavathi River and sewage remedies in quickly urbanising areas like Nelamangala within the upstream places of the Arkavathi.
(Brinda Srinivasa is an intern with The Indian Specific)