POLLUTION MONITORING OF VELI INDUSTRIAL BELT

Funding Agency: World Wide Fund for Nature – India, Newdelhi

Water pollution is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities. Pollutants in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, etc. Air pollution is also an important problem affecting most of our industrial areas and urban centres. Air pollution knows no international boundaries and the problem is a highly complex one. Pollutants act both alone and synergistically to increase natural stresses on ecosystems. The Veli industrial area is situated in the western side of Thiruvananthapuram at a distance of 10 km. from the city. There are a number of large, medium and small industries in the area. The industrial area is affected by acute environmental problems causing adverse effects on health of the people. The major among the industries causing environmental problems are the Travancore Titanium Products Ltd. (TTP) and the English India Clays Ltd. (EIC). In addition to this, the waters at Parvathi Puthanar get polluted from the partly treated and untreated sewage discharged from the Sewage Treatment Plant

This project assessed the water quality of Veli and associated water bodies using Water Quality Index; carried out biodiversity index studies and calculated Sequential Comparison Index (SCI); and monitored the air quality of the area and assessed the impact of air pollution on human health. In addition to the water quality parameters like pH, turbidity, temperature, hardness, Dissolved Oxygen, chlorides, ammonium, iron, faecal coliform count etc., biodiversity studies were also conducted. WQI was calculated for each site and for each sampling. Biodiversity studies were carried out to give qualitative evaluation of the water. Diversity measurements provided an indication of the number of different organisms found in a particular stretch of water. Sequential Comparison Index (SCI), Taxa Richness, and Diversity Index (DI) were calculated from the samples collected from different stretches of the water body. A Regression Analysis of the Water Quality was carried out with DI as the dependent variable and the water quality parameters as the independent variables, to authenticate the effect of water quality parameters on the diversity index.

A detailed house-to-house health survey was conducted in the study area and control area. Secondary information regarding air pollution and its impact on health was also collected. From the analysis of the data, it was found that pollution, both air and water, were the cause of poor health suffered by the residents in the study area. The results of the study emphasized the need for controlling air as well as water pollution. Reduction of power failure in the factories would minimise emission of air pollutants. Using scrubbers to scrub off tail gases and treatment for effluents in the factories etc. were some of the suggestions. Implementation of improved treatment facilities for sewage waters at the Sewage Farm and prevention of discharge of untreated sewage into the canal would turn the beautiful lake and canal system into its original glory.