Impact of pollution

Pollution has both acute and chronic health impacts (Adams, 2001). The impact of pollution on human health and fisheries and other ecosystems and its association with fewer recreational opportunities have been highlighted in many cases (World Bank, 2000). Researchers have found a connection between poor water quality and water-borne diseases in humans. Mercury pollution among the fishing community in Minimata in Japan due to industrial discharges, causing birth defects in children, is a well-documented example (Yorifuji, Tsuda & Harada, 2013). Ebenstein (2012) has estimated that the deterioration of water quality by a single grade point (on a six-grade scale) increases the digestive cancer death rate by 9.7 per cent.

Back home, there are a few studies which have highlighted the impact ofpollu-tion on human health, livestock and agriculture produce. A study (Mudrakartha, Sheth & Srinath, 2006) has observed that the villages downstream of Ahmedabad have been suffering from land and water pollution. Health-related problems include skin diseases, stomach and intestinal ailments and bronchial problems. People are forced either to drink this polluted water or walk long distances to procure better quality water. Livestock casualty and reduction in milk yield have adversely affected the village economy. During the period of 2002—03, the bore wells downstream, up to a depth of 200 feet, had started yielding coloured water.

Parthasarathy & Raja (2013) have also made similar observations on the implications of the polluted Sabarmati downstream of Ahmedabad. The villages downstream use the polluted river water for irrigation and livestock. This has resulted in chemical contamination of fruits and grains and has led to a lower yield of certain crops, in addition to causing health problems such as intestinal problems, skin irritation and joint pain. These health issues have mainly affected the agricultural labourers and lower caste villagers who have been in direct contact with the river water. Animals have shown a drastic reduction in milk production and have shown weakness at a very early age by frothing at the mouth, swelling at the throat and acquiring foot rot.

Another study (Winrock International India, 2005) on the impacts of urban wastewater on livelihoods, health and environment has included Ahmedabad along with Kanpur, Delhi and Kolkata. The impacts on Ahmedabad have been studied in the villages along the Sabarmati, downstream of Ahmedabad, till the river meets the Gulf of Khambat. The communities in these villages are agrarian and a majority belong to the backward caste (Winrock International India, 2005: 75). The wastewater flowing in the river was traditionally used for irrigation and was a vital resource as it ensured a reliable supply of water to the farmers, even in the lean season. The community had a strong belief that as long as treated wastewater was being provided for irrigation, the impact on crop productivity and income generation would be positive. Only when the treated water started getting mixed with the industrial effluents and untreated wastewater, the negative impacts became visible. The deterioration of the quality of wastewater has negatively affected the local agrarian system. The fruit-bearing capacity of the orchards declined considerably over the years. The pollution has taken a toll on the agricultural crop patterns and soil fertility. The health impacts reported include gastric disorders, stomach distension, skin disorders and joint pain (predominantly of leg joints). The pollution has even contaminated the groundwater and wells in villages like Gyaspur, Fatehpur and along the river Sabarmati have been pumping coloured water. The groundwater is not fit for use and neither is the surface water but in the absence of any other alternate source, the villagers have to depend solely on polluted water.

Recently, a study (Mitra, 2014) has made similar observations about the quality of water in the Sabarmati and its impact on the villages downstream. Other than these, there have been social implications of pollution as well—the villagers have not been readily able to find brides for eligible bachelors given the infamy of the pollution-ridden village (Smitha, 2013).