Lockdown Made Kaveri and Tributaries Cleaner | 31 Mar 2020

Why in News

  • According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the strict enforcement of 21-day lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the pollution in Kaveri river and its tributaries.
    • However, the Board will test the water samples at the regional laboratory in Mysore under the national programme ‘Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources' and Global Environmental Monitoring Scheme.

Key Points

  • Untreated sewage from residential areas; pollutants from industries; religious waste material from pilgrims, and construction debris had been polluting the rivers.
  • These rivers were flowing with hazardous elements such as lead, fluoride, faecal coliform, and some suspended solids in highly dangerous quantities.
  • The prohibition of industrial and religious activities has helped in reducing pollution levels in the rivers.

Kaveri River

  • Kaveri is a sacred river of southern India. It rises in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats and falls in the Bay of Bengal south of Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu.
  • It forms the sacred islands of Srirangapatna and Shivanasamudra and Shivanasamudra falls and also a wide delta.
  • Total Length of the river is about 760 km.
  • Its main tributaries are Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati, Kabini, Shimsha, and Lakshmana Tirtha.
  • It's basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS)

  • It was introduced in 1975 at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.
  • It is a global operation that collects information to better understand and protect the Earth’s environment.
  • This effort is made with the cooperation of other countries, who contribute data to the GEMS.

Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources (MINARS)

  • MINARS is a National Programme of monitoring national aquatic resources.
  • It was started in 1984, with a total of 113 stations spread over 10 river basins.
  • The present network comprises 870 stations on rivers, lentic water bodies and subsurface waters.

Source: TH