Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

Concern over rising pollution in water bodies

HYDERABAD, MARCH 22. The need to conserve, preserve and protect drinking water was the message that was taken across to schoolchildren by the Forum for a Better Hyderabad here on Monday on the occasion of `World Water Day'.

While India accounted for 17 per cent of the world population, it had only four per cent of world's run off water. Yet, no adequate measures were being taken by the State and Central Governments to check shrinking of water bodies like lakes and rivers and their pollution with hazardous industrial and domestic waste, speakers lamented at a meeting that was attended by several NGOs like Samata, Programme for Environmental Awareness in Schools (PEAS). The Forum, which tested three water bodies in the twin cities - Hussainsagar, Osmansagar and Himayatsagar - for 10 parameters, released its findings.

R. Ravi of Samata said that pollution levels were mounting in Hussainsagar, with the inflow of sewage and other effluents. The dissolved oxygen (DO) content was much below the required level, resulting in organic pollution, while the high phosphate content was leading to growth of algae, odour and colour formation. Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, main drinking water resources, showed fluoride content above the permissible limits and algal bloom that was hazardous to health. Groundwater samples taken from bore-wells near these resources also showed fluoride content beyond permissible limits.

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