Industrial effluent management strategies to control the surface water pollution : case study of Hindon River (Gazhiabad city)

Abstract

The “National Water Policy of India” of April 2002 states ‘Water is part of a larger ecological system it has to be treated as an essential element of environment for sustaining all life forms. The rising population, and subsequent industrial boom have brought monumental issues, one of them is continuous degradation of the water bodies. Previously known as Harnadi, a main tributary of Yamuna River that originates, from Upper Shivalik in Lower Himalayan Range is contaminated and becoming poisonous due to toxics entering in river from metal, chemical, rubber & plastic industries and the organic waste from food, beverages, paper & pulp industries. Due to uncontrollable industrialization and urbanization, Hindon becomes a trunk sewer of the urban towns, carries a heavy load of pollutant released from the effluent discharges without treatment in the river. In the study area Ghaziabad, Untreated Industrial effluent discharged in Hindon River which subsequently contaminating underground water in the city directly by seepage from waste line and indirectly by the polluted river water percolating in the ground water. At present, along the Ghaziabad city, the dissolve oxygen level is zero in adjoining stretch of Hindon River, and presence of heavy metals are also detected in the water of river due to which there is no aquatic life exist in the river. At present, the ground water is getting effected at considerable level. The Okhla Bird Sanctuary which offers the habitat for 250 species of birds are also impacted due to the pollution in the river. The study is started with identification of type of the industrial effluent and their generation and disposal status, to determine the contamination level of water in Hindon River based on the prevailing national standards. Also by assessing the pollution impact, through water test to determine variation on the different key location within the selected stretch of Hindon River to evaluate the pollution level due to different pollutant. A total of three points are selected for the sampling of water for water quality, covering the upstream, midstream and downstream sites of Hindon in the city, were selected for this study. The major drainages of the city that carries the industrial effluents and the quantity of industrial areas of the city iniii the river are identified and mapped. Area wise industrial scenario is analyzed by identifying the critical industrial zones in the city with major type of industries creating pollution which can help in giving possible economic solutions. As per BIS and CPHEEO standards, for the quality of potable water, it was found during various water quality test for the level of contamination is more or less high against the requisite permissible levels with respect to dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total coli form, and ph. Strategies for management are suggested after the assessment of the level of different Parameters (pH, Electrical Conductivity, Alkalinity, BOD, COD, TDS, DO, Chloride) and also HEAVY METALS test (ZINC,IRON, CHROMIUM, COPPER, LEAD) in Hindon River, Ghaziabad (UP). This thesis focuses on the strategies for the management of industrial wastewater discharging in Hindon River stretch traversing through Ghaziabad Municipal Area. Suitable strategies and proposals are recommended after Identification of key issues of pollution and critical zones. These strategies are providing remedies against the adverse impact of polluted water and for it long-term through policy and design interventions. An attempt has been made to identify the relevant management strategies to improve the wastewater management to reinvent Ghaziabad as loveable city. To maintain the expected outcome based on the proposed remedial strategies, it may be considered for the future studies to well define the industrial development for upcoming ventures in Ghaziabad city.