a)What are the sources of water pollution?

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 the United tates and other 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 from soils"groundwater systems and from the atmosphere via rain water. oils and groundwater#s contain the residue of human agricultural practices $fertili%ers, pesticides, etc..& and improperly disposed of industrial wastes. 'tmospheric contaminants are also derived from human practices $such as gaseous emissions from automobiles, factories and even ba(eries&.

Types
)ater pollution can come from a number of different sources. If the pollution comes from a single source, such as an oil spill, it is called point*source pollution. If the pollution comes from many sources, it is called nonpoint*source pollution. +ost types of pollution affect the immediate area surrounding the source. ometimes the pollution may affect the environment hundreds of miles away from the source, such as nuclear waste, this is called Tran boundary pollution. urface water pollution urface waters are the natural water resources of the ,arth. They are found on the exterior of the ,arth!s crust and include: -ceans .ivers /a(es

These waters can become polluted in a number of ways, and this is called surface water pollution.

-xygen Depleting
+icroorganisms that live in water feed on biodegradable substances. )hen too much biodegradable material is added to water, the number of microorganisms increase and use up the available oxygen. This is called oxygen depletion. )hen oxygen levels in the water are depleted, relatively harmless aerobic microorganisms die and anaerobic microorganisms begin to thrive. ome anaerobic microorganisms are harmful to people, animals and the environment, as they produce harmful toxins such as ammonia and sulfides.

0round )ater
' lot of the ,arth!s water is found underground in soil or under roc( structures called aquifers. 1umans often use aquifers as a means to obtain drin(ing water, and build wells to access it. )hen this water becomes polluted it is called groundwater pollution. 0roundwater pollution is often caused by pesticide contamination from the soil, this can infect our drin(ing water and cause huge problems.

2utrients
2utrients are essential for plant growth and development. +any nutrients are found in wastewater and fertilisers, and these can cause excess weed and algae growth if large concentrations end up in water. This can contaminate drin(ing water and clog filters. This can be damaging to other aquatic organisms as the algae use up the oxygen in the water, leaving none for the surrounding marine life.

+icrobiological water pollution is usually a natural form of water pollution caused by

microorganisms. +any types of microorganisms live in water and cause fish, land animals and humans to become ill. +icroorganisms such as: 3acteria 4iruses 5roto%oa

erious diseases such as cholera come from microorganisms that live in water. These diseases usually affect the health of people in poorer countries, as they do not have the facilities to treat polluted water.

upended matter
ome pollutants do not dissolve in water as their molecules are too big to mix between the water molecules. This material is called particulate matter and can often be a cause of water pollution. The suspended particles eventually settle and cause a thic( silt at the bottom. This is harmful to marine life that lives on the floor of rivers or la(es. 3iodegradable substances are often suspended in water and can cause problems by increasing the amount of anaerobic microorganisms present. Toxic chemicals suspended in water can be harmful to the development and survival of aquatic life.

Industrial and agricultural wor( involves the use of many different chemicals that can run*off
into water and pollute it. +etals and solvents from industrial wor( can pollute rivers and la(es. These are poisonous to many forms of aquatic life and may slow their development, ma(e them infertile or even result in death. 5esticides are used in farming to control weeds, insects and fungi. .un*offs of these pesticides can cause water pollution and poison aquatic life. ubsequently, birds, humans and other animals may be poisoned if they eat infected fish. 5etroleum is another form of chemical pollutant that usually contaminates water through oil spills when a ship ruptures. -il spills usually have only a localised affect on wildlife but can spread for miles. The oil can cause the death of many fish and stic( to the feathers of seabirds causing them to lose the ability to fly.

The issue Ludhiana in troubled waters SUNDAY S !"#AL$ olluted Water$ hi%hli%hted 3y: 3albir ingh ooch, 'dvocate, /udhiana 6 78*9ul*:77; .eply 6 <orward The issue =/udhiana in troubled waters# U2D'> 5,?I'/*=5olluted )ater#* highlighted before the 5anel identifying the units polluting 3uddha 2ullah and also forwarded for information and necessary action to the higher authorities, I felt encouraged by the report. It goes to the credit of =Indian ,xpress# to bring the special report, though its net result may prove only beneficial for those who to monitor the progress and to see the wor( done on the pro@ect, may be materiali%ed without much positive results and the effective remedial action immediately. The action in end, always leads to corruption without any adequate, meaningful action to chec( the menace of pollution of water as experienced by citi%ens so far. I do not underestimate the (nowledge of the 5anel members and the awareness of authorities as the bureaucracy is well experienced to tac(le the monitoring of such pro@ects and progress by the politicians. 2ormally, the action remains on papers without much progress on ground