Latest news with #WaterQualityIndex
Borneo Post
16-06-2025
- Borneo Post
Klang River restoration uncovers over 10 bodies including baby discovered since 2022
File photo of cleaning works being carried out in the Klang River in 2020. – Bernama photo SHAH ALAM (June 16): More than 10 bodies, including that of an infant, have been discovered during the ongoing Klang River Flood Mitigation Project under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative, shedding light on a grim reality behind the restoration of the river. As reported by Sinar Harian, Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) managing director, Syaiful Azmen Nordin, said the discovery of bodies is not an isolated incident but has occurred almost monthly since dredging and widening works began on Nov 1, 2022. 'So far, we have handed over more than 10 bodies to the police and fire department for further investigation,' he was quoted as saying. Aside from the grim finds, the team has also encountered severe pollution, having retrieved various heavy waste items such as refrigerators, lorry tyres, bed frames, mattresses, sofas and even motorcycles from the riverbed. 'I honestly don't understand how a fridge ends up in the river,' he said, describing the current level of pollution as severe and a challenge to the dredging efforts. The mitigation project forms part of SMG's holistic efforts to increase the Klang River's capacity by up to 40 per cent, while also rehabilitating the ecosystem and improving water quality to at least Class III on the Water Quality Index (WQI). – Malay Mail bodies flood mitigation project Klang River Selangor Maritime Gateway
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Dhansiri River: A Silent Cry for Help Amid Pollution and Neglect
MUMBAI: There's a river in the North East that the rest of the country has forgotten. The Dhansiri, which threads through the hills and valleys of Nagaland and Assam, is not just a lifeline for those who live along its banks—it is also an archive of their waste. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It carries with it traces of careless urban planning, unregulated sand mining, the aftertaste of pesticides, and the silent seepage of sewage. But now, for the first time, scientists are listening to what the river is saying, in all four seasons. Led by Dr M. Romeo Singh from the Department of Botany at Nagaland University, a team of researchers spent a year travelling between the upstream serenity, the muddled middle, and the choked tail of Dhansiri. What they found was sobering: in the peak of summer, when the river is thinnest and the heat cruel, its waters breach national and global health standards. Turbidity, total alkalinity, dissolved solids—each measure became a red flag waving from the river's surface. By winter, the water rests and clears, as though it were briefly allowed to breathe. Using the Weighted Arithmetic Index (WAI)—a more nuanced model that gives greater importance to the parameters most crucial to human health—the team developed a Water Quality Index (WQI) that paints an exacting portrait of decline. In the downstream stretch, where urban runoff and religious offerings accumulate, the water was rated 'non-potable' in all seasons. Dhansiri is not the Brahmaputra. It does not command headlines or policy attention. But it is a river of consequence—for the farmers who use it to irrigate, the women who wash their clothes in it, the children who wade into its shallows. For them, this is not just water. It is future. 'The study,' says Dr Singh, 'fills a critical research gap, not only because Dhansiri has long been overlooked, but because it models how science, policy, and community must intersect if we are to reverse ecological collapse.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His recommendations are not flashy: relocate waste dumps, ban direct discharge, invest in wastewater treatment, educate locals. But it's the quiet interventions, he says, that change the course of rivers. If implemented, the measures could prevent disease, improve crop health, and bring back biodiversity that's been driven away by years of unchecked pollution. In later phases, the team hopes to expand the study to include biological indicators—fish, plankton, and microbial life—as silent storytellers of riverine health. And to trace newer threats: heavy metals and emerging pollutants that don't float, but settle—and stay. In 2022, parts of this work were published in the International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. But the story, Dr Singh insists, is not in the journal—it is in the river. Every drop is evidence. Every season is a plea. And somewhere in Nagaland, a river still runs—wounded, but not voiceless.
India Today
10-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Nagaland University calls for urgent action as Dhansiri river pollution worsens
Nagaland University researchers, under the leadership of Dr M Romeo Singh from the Department of Botany, have completed a comprehensive seasonal assessment of water quality in the Dhansiri River—an essential waterway in Northeast India. The study, conducted at three points along the river (upstream, midstream, and downstream), measured 16 physicochemical indicators and calculated the Water Quality Index (WQI) using the Weighted Arithmetic Index show that water quality sharply deteriorates in summer—turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total alkalinity exceeded national and WHO standards—rendering downstream sections non-potable. Winter eased pollution levels, but turbidity remained high drivers include unchecked urban discharge, agricultural runoff, improper waste dumping, religious activities, sand mining, and poor drainage—especially in downstream areas. Dr. Singh emphasised, 'This study forms a crucial first step in restoring Dhansiri and other neglected rivers, combining science, public involvement, and policy to strengthen resilience." TO REVIVE THE RIVER, RESEARCHER PROPOSERelocating dumping zones further from waterwaysBanning direct trash dischargeUpgrading wastewater treatment and drainage infrastructureadvertisementImplementing regional water management frameworksConducting regular water monitoring and community awareness campaignsDr. Singh noted the broader benefits: safer drinking water, reduced disease risk, healthier irrigation, ecological restoration, and support for local biodiversity. He also urged future research into biological indicators, heavy-metal contamination, and emerging chemical landmark study fills a crucial data gap and sets a model for managing smaller, under-studied rivers in India through evidence-based restoration strategies.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
River pollution: Goa among 10 states yet to send info to NGT
Panaji: Goa is one of ten states which has not yet submitted to the principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) its report on 'critical pollution' of some of its rivers. The NGT has granted Goa four more weeks to respond. The tribunal had sought a report from states on compliance with its directions of 2020 in which it asked states to implement facilities for treating 100% of the sewage generated in their regions. The tribunal had taken suo moto cognisance of a report of the Central Pollution Control Board which found that 351 stretches on 323 rivers in the country were critically polluted, and the report asked for their rejuvenation to be prioritised. In Goa, 11 rivers were found to be polluted including stretches of the Sal (Khareband to Mobor), Mandovi (Marcel to Volvoi), Talpona (along Canacona), Assonora (Assonora to Sirsaim), Bicholim (Bicholim to Curchirem), Chapora (Pernem to Morjim), Khandepar (Ponda to Opa), Sinquerim (along Candolim), Tiracol (along Tiracol), Valvant (Sanquelim to Bicholim, Poriem), and Zuari (Curchorem to Madkai). 'The material pointed out by the applicants (states) indicates that the order of the tribunal has not been implemented by all the states in true letter and spirit till now,' the NGT said in Oct 2023. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo 'Hence, we issue a notice to chief secretaries of all the states and the secretary of the ministry of jal shakti with the direction to submit the report in respect of compliance of the order of the tribunal.' However, Goa is among the states which have not submitted its report for seven months now. The tribunal will next hear the matter on Sep 22. Based on NGT orders, a state river rejuvenation committee (RRC-Goa) was formed, which monitors the initiative to improve rivers' water quality. Last year, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) data indicated that water quality in eight of the rivers was now satisfactory. However, it acknowledged that sewage contamination is the major cause of the poor quality of water in the rivers of Mapusa, Sal, Zuari, Tiracol, and Sinquerim. The Water Quality Index for the rivers of Chapora, Kalna, Assonora, Valvanti, Mhadei, Khandepar, Khushawati, and Talpona were found to be satisfactory.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Hit by rapid depletion, Mansa groundwater now faces nitrate, fluoride contamination: Study
Chandigarh: With groundwater depletion worsening in Punjab, a study has raised serious concern over groundwater quality in Punjab's Mansa district. It has highlighted a growing threat from nitrate and fluoride contamination posing significant public health risks in one of the state's most water-stressed regions. As groundwater depletion and contamination worsen in southwestern Punjab, primarily due to heavy reliance on underground water in the absence of adequate surface water, the study was undertaken to assess the extent of nitrate and fluoride pollution in Mansa. Researchers collected 246 randomly selected, grid-based groundwater samples and conducted a comprehensive analysis of key physicochemical parameters, including cations, anions, nitrate, and fluoride concentrations. The findings were concerning: 23.2% of the samples showed nitrate levels exceeding the recommended limits, while 12.6% had fluoride concentrations above permissible levels. According to the Water Quality Index (WQI), 24.6% of groundwater samples were classified as unsuitable for drinking, 36.6% as very poor, 27.2% as poor, and only 11.8% were considered good. The southern blocks of Budhlada, Jhunir, and Sardoolgarh emerged as the most severely affected, while Bhikhi block in the north was the least impacted. Although fluoride presented a relatively lower health risk across most areas—except Sardoolgarh, where children were particularly vulnerable—nitrate pollution was found to be a district-wide concern. Drinking water with nitrate levels above 45 mg/L is known to cause methemoglobinemia, or "blue baby syndrome", in infants. Hydrogeochemical analysis identified sodium-chloride as the dominant groundwater type, followed by mixed and sodium-sulfate-bicarbonate compositions. Elevated electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids indicated high concentrations of total salts, suggesting intensified geochemical activity. The study, titled 'Hydrogeochemical Characterisation and Geospatial Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Alluvial Aquifer of Southwestern Punjab in Association with Health Risk Assessment Due to Nitrate and Fluoride Pollution', was conducted by Jashandeep Singh Sidhu, Sumita Chandel, Sashikant Sahoo, Dhanwinder Singh, Kuldip Singh, Mohit Arora, and Harsimran Kaur. It was published in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Researchers strongly advocate for immediate and sustained intervention. Key recommendations include promoting integrated nutrient and water management to limit fertiliser overuse, encouraging a shift from high nitrogen-demanding crops to legumes, adopting more efficient irrigation techniques such as micro and furrow irrigation, and prioritising drought-tolerant, short-duration crop varieties to reduce nitrate leaching. The study also calls for regular groundwater quality monitoring to guide targeted management strategies. Highlighting elevated health risks, especially for children, researchers stressed the need for investigation into sustainable, cost-effective solutions to mitigate groundwater pollution. The findings serve as a timely warning for policymakers, environmental authorities, and the agricultural community to prioritise water safety and public health before the situation worsened.
