Water Contamination In Andhra Pradesh, More Than 200 Fall Ill

Table of Contents

What has happened?

At least 227 persons, including several children, some of them as young as 4 years old, have taken ill,
In Eluru in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Officials suspect it could be due to contamination of drinking water.
But viral encephalitis is also not being ruled out.
So far 70 have been discharged and 76 women and 46 children remain in hospital.
District Collector R Muthyala Raju said that blood samples have been collected to determine the cause of the illness.
The people who fell sick belong to four societies of Ashok Nagar and Arundhatipet in Eluru town, where a case of contamination of drinking water was reported 10 days back.
Health Minister A Kali Krishna Srinivas said that teams of doctors have been rushed from Vijayawada to assist the local doctors and also to investigate the cause of the illness.
“The people who fell sick, especially the children, suddenly started vomiting after complaining of burning sensation in their eyes.
Some of them fainted or suffered bouts of seizures.”
District Collector Raju said that health officials have started a door to door survey of the affected areas to check for water contamination.

Water can be contaminated in several ways.
It can contain microorganisms like bacteria & parasites that get in the water from human or animal feces.
It can contain chemicals from industrial waste or from spraying crops.
Nitrates used in fertilizers can enter the water with runoff from the land.
Various minerals such as lead or mercury can enter the water supply,
Sometimes from natural deposits underground, or more often from improper disposal.

Not only is the agricultural sector the biggest consumer of global freshwater resources,
With farming and livestock production using about 70 percent of the earth’s surface water supplies, but it’s also a serious water polluter.
Around the world, agriculture is the leading cause of water degradation.

The report furnished by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) with respect to pollution of rivers has concluded that-
High-level of Coliform bacteria in the water is why the rivers are getting polluted.
The Coliform values are high because the domestic sewage is joining the rivers in several pockets throughout the State.
The board furnished the data by collecting water samples from various locations of all rivers – Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Nagavalli and Kundu.
Of these, River Krishna has the maximum Coliform bacteria presence.

Establishing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs),
Along with undertaking conventional treatments such as disinfecting the water, adding chlorine to the water before supplying it,
Are sufficient measures to improve the water quality in the State.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Telugu Desam Party has criticised the government for neglecting drinking water
“This is apathy of the AP Government. The drinking water bodies have not been
cleaned since 18 months.”

Q) Which of the following statement is NOT rue about Wular lake?