Environmental problems of Kerala
Thursday, October 20, 2011
6:40 PM
Posted by
Indira
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environment
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Increase in population coupled with rapid urbanization and industrialization and consumerism, without due regard to environmental considerations, have led to extensive pollution of air, water and land.The raw materials consumed during these activities has resulted in the dwindling of non renewable resources and accumulation of wastes.These wastes are indescriminately disposed and as a consequence the water air and land becomes more polluted.Added to these the recurrence of drought and water scarcity and sand mining resulting in the death of rivers and rivulets, change in land use pattern leading to severe soil erosion, depletion of biodiversity, increasing incidence of natural disasters like earth quakes, landslides and so on are undermining the once serene and splendid environment of this 'God's own land.
Deterioration of water quality: The major water quality problem associated with rivers and open wells is bacteriological pollution. The dumping of solid waste, bathing and discharge of effluents also create problems. Low pH, high iron etc, are common in well waters in the laterite covered midland areas. High concentrations of fluoride over the permissible levels have been reported from certain parts of Palakkad and Alleppey districts. The salinity level is frequently high in the coastal belt.. Clean water has become a precious commodity and the quality is threatened by activities such as agricultural discharge, domestic sewage, municipal solid waste burial grounds and industrial effluents in Kerala. Managing and protecting surface and groundwater is essential for sustaining life. A continuous water quality monitoring program and proper water safety plan are essential to preserve and improve the water quality.
Groundwater Quality Problems
The ground water quality problems of Kerala are associated with mineralogical origin, human interference, industrial effluents, agricultural wastes, municipal solid waste burial grounds etc. Generally, the ground water problems in Kerala in coastal areas are due to the presence of excess salinity, high fluoride, hardness, and coliforms, low pH, high iron content, high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and excess chloride concentration. The ground water problems due to high fluoride content are reported from Palakkad and Alapuzha districts of Kerala.. Ground water contamination due to industrial pollution has been reported from places of Cochin, Palakkad some parts of Kollam, Kozhikode and Kannur. The municipal and industrial landfills operating in various parts of Kerala is causing great concern to the quality of ground water.
Kerala since early nineteen eighties have been resorting to tube well construction to take underground water even from 500 feet deep tube wells. Water that took over 10,000 years, to accumulate in underground aquifers has been mined dry in the last 30 years with consequent environmental problems such as drying up of nearby wells, intrusion of salt water due to lowering of underground water level, and drying up of a large number of tube wells themselves.
Over exploitation of ground water resources can be tackled through a process of intensive education on the adverse impacts and resorting to the merging practice of rain water harvesting . At the macro level, it is very necessary to dig tanks and canals, plant trees and collect rainwater. At the micro level, each individual should avoid water wastage through simple measures like tightening taps, maintaining delivery lines, using low HP pumps and motors and collecting and storing rainwater. Appropriate ground water laws should be framed to regulate indiscriminate exploitation of the limited ground water availability in the state.
Kerala, a narrow coastal strip, is nourished by a large network of 44 living rivers. Our rivers die due to a variety of reasons such as lack of rain,deforestation, unchecked and indiscriminate mining of sand ,encroachment of the banks by unautorised settlers, Wet land filling, construction of dams and barrages, deepening of land along the river banks to manufacture bricks, indiscriminate use of fertilizers and pesticides, pollution caused by the discharge of effluent from industries, civic bodies and domestic wastes, salinity intrusion, soil erosion, siltation, dam construction and deforestation and drying up of rivers in the summer season. The rivers of Kerala have been increasingly polluted from the industrial and domestic waste and from the pesticides and fertilizer used in agriculture. Industries discharge hazardous pollutants like phosphates, sulphides, ammonia, fluorides, heavy metals and insecticides into the downstream reaches of the river. The major rivers namely Periyar and Chaliyar are apt examples for the pollution due to industrial effluents. It is estimated that nearly 260 million liters of industrial effluents reach the Periyar river daily from the Kochi industrial belt.. The death of rivers has resulted in severe shortage of drinking water and drought conditions in the state.
Fresh water lakes face a number of adverse environmental impacts due to many factors such as draining the water from the lake, reclamation of low lying areas for agriculture, increasing the depth of the lakes due to siltation as a result of soil erosion ,using the lake areas for building houses, construction of bunds in the lakes for pisciculture growth of algae in water, pollution thorugh fertilizers, chemicals from agriculture and disposal of wastes.
Uncontrolled sand mining: The greatest single factor that has contributed to the destruction of river ecology in Kerala is indiscriminate unscientific sand nining from rivers. All the 44 rivers in Kerala are facing a big crisis because of sand mining . The construction boom, fueled by the inflow of remittances from non-resident indians and the inherent nature of people to construct ostentatious residential buildings, leads to indiscriminate mining of sand from rivers. This has pushed the water table down, reduced the water holding capacity and adversely affected the diversity of life forms thriving in the riverine eco system. The sand holds water and fills the nearby ponds and lakes by raising the water level. When the sand is removed from the river bed ,it reduces the availability of water in the wells and canals near the river. Removal of sand has resulted in lowering or sinking of riverbeds which encourage the intrution of saline water into fresh water,causing serious threats to drinking and irrigation. Other staggering ill-effects of uncontrolled sand mining in Kerala are: Damages the ecosystems of rivers and the safety of bridges, Affects fish breeding and migration, Increases saline water in the river. Spells disaster for the conservation of many bird species such as storks, sandpipers and egrets that feed on the riverbeds
Coastal erosion: The coastal area is about 16.4% of the state’s total area, extending over a length of 580 km. There are about 27 estuaries and 7 lagoons or kayals. Almost 30% of the total population live in the coastal area. The population is the most prominent driving force which exert pressure on the marine and coastal environment. Besides, many industries are situated in the coastal stretches. About 300 medium and large scale and about 2000 small scale industries are discharging effluent directly into marine or fresh water bodies. It is estimated that about one million m3 of sewage is generated per day in the coastal areas and about 30000m3 of this reaches the surface water bodies. Over exploitation of resources such as mangroves, fisheries, Sand and landspace is evident. Infrastructure development including Ports and Harbors, Sand Mining for industrial and construction purposes, siting of industries recreational activities and house holds have contributed to coastal erosion.
Private entrepreneurs, in the name of tourism and development, have taken control of the coast. Their sphere of activity extends all along the coasts in the form of luxury hotels & boats, swimming pool, chains, of cottage and helicopter services. Developmental projects in the name of tourism are damaging the highly fragile ecosystem of the coasts. Developers are also destroying the mangroves known as 'tidal forests,’ which constitute the fascinating ecosystem. About 30 to70 Km of Kerala coast is subject to coastal erosion of various magnitudes .The erosion tendencies may increase with human activates such as urbanization, construction of dams, development of harbours etc.
Deforestation: Kerala’s forests are under severe threat. High population density, flawed State decisions in opening up for cultivation, artificial fires and corruption even among the law enforcing agencies in encouraging illegal encroachments the deforestation has resulted in the destruction of forests. As fosrests are destroyed, the suitability of the habitat for their wild animals is also seriously jeopardized, with the result that a number of forest animals have become scarce if not extinct. Moreover this has skewed the rainfall pattern, substantially reducing the water in its rivers, creating a drought condition even in traditionally water rich areas.
Sustained development of the forest resources of Kerala would call for a rational and dynamic approach, which among other things should include management of existing natural forests for non destructive uses,such as conservation of biodiversity, rehabilitation of degraded natural forests through protection and care, promotion of'agroforestry and social forestry for meeting local needs and promotion of effective people's participation in all types of forest activities, particularly plantation forestry.
Noise Pollution : The major causes of air and noise pollution in the state are due to automobiles and industries. Vehicular emission and noise from these vehicles are severe in the three major cities of Kerala, viz., Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The pollution from industries are mainly contributed by the four major industrial areas of the state, three in Ernakulam (Eloor, Ambalamughal and Udyogamandal) and one in Kanjikode at Palakkad. Bulk of the major/medium industries and the maximum number of vehicles are in Ernakulam which has naturally resulted in an adverse impact in the air quality.. The unplanned urban growth also augments the air quality and noise pollution considerably. Indiscriminate use of loud speakers contributes to the sound pollution problem in the state.
Noise pollution:Noise pollution is a serious threat to the quality of man's environment. Loud noise as a pollutant is injurious to health. The body absorbs the sound and often reacts to it in terms of adverse physiological and psychological responses. But noise pollution has never been put on the agenda of legislators and planners. Noise control should be a cooperative venture between three agencies- the government, the society and the industry. In addition to the creation of an extensive information system for the public for awareness and education, political forces in the country should be mobilized not only to strictly implement present laws and formulate new ones
Plastic pollution: In Kerala, which is a consumer State, there is an unprecedented increase in the use of plasticsthat cause deadly pollution whose ill effects are irreversible. The major chemicals that go into its making are highly toxic and cause serious threats to public health. Some constituents like benzene and vinyl chloride are known to cause cancer while many others are gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons that vitiate air and earth. When burned, plastic releases a host of chemicals into the air including dioxin, the most toxic substance known to science. The only way to reduce the hazard of plastic is to reduce its use and thereby force a reduction in its production. Educating the masses on the damage potential of plastic is no easy task mainly since its ill effects are not immediate or tangible as with vehicle smoke or factory fumes. On direction from Hon. Supreme Court, the Kerala the State Pollution Control Board has introduced a ban on plastic bags with less than 30 microns thick in 2003. None of the bans on plastic ags has been accompanied by fiscal measures to either encourage alternatives or discourage plastics
Vehicular Pollution: As a result of rapid urbanization and industrialization, the quality of air in almost all the cities have dangerously declined. Increase in the number of motor vehicles has contributed to rise in air pollution. In 1991 there were only 5.81 lakhs vehicles in the State, it increased to 53.97 in 2010 Studies have now proved that motor vehicles cause 60% atmospheric pollution. The pollutants released from the exhaust such as carbon comes from petrol vehicles hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxides, lead, sulphur oxides etc. have rendered the pollution of the air. Sound of horns also have become a major cause of noise pollution. Not only the metropolitan cities but even small cities are already under high concentration of pollutants like small particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen and oxygen . All these cause diseases of different types such as headache, vomiting lung diseases, heart diseases and cancer. Sound beyond 100-dB tend to cause deafness.
A major reason for vehicular pollution is due to carbo n monoxide produced from the exhaust. To control air pollution, unleaded petrol and desulphurised diesel have been introduced to reduce emission of lead and sulphur respectively. Use of air horns has been banned. The accelerated renovation of road network would help to reduce vehicle emissions and noise levels created by them. Incentives, subsidies and tax benefits are extended to industries by the Government to help them implement the latest pollution control Beside Vehicles, which are older than I5 years, should not be allowed to run. In order to reduce traffic jam and the resultant atmospheric pollution, more roads and flyovers should be constructed . There should be timely repair and maintenance of roads. The Pollution Control Board and Motor Vehicles Department and Police Department should be more vigilant to implement the rules and regulations to reduce air pollution and sound pollution.
Pesticide Pollution: Pesticides and fertilizers, used indiscriminately in Kerala to coax the land to produce more, have resulted inlethal environmental impacts: excessive mortality, produce more, have resulted inlethal environmental impacts. Through our crop fields, the poison has seeped in to our food chains, vegetables, fish, grains, meat and even in the breast milk.Studies has shown that less than 0.1 per cent of chemical pesticides in India reach the target pest. The remaining is absorbed by humans, livestock and the natural biota. It has been reported that the The aerial spraying of the pesticide endosulfan on cashew plantations by Plantation Corporation of Kerala has created much environmental concern among the people of Kerala for the last few years. Government records show aerial spraying of endosulfan killed 486 people and affected the health of thousands of others up until 2008 in Kasargod. About 4,000 have been affected over the past 25 years since the spraying began on government-owned cashew plantations in the district.On May 18,2011 Kerala’s new government banned use of endosulfan in the state.
Loss of Biodiversity : The Western Ghat region is one of the 24 biodiversity hot spots in the whole world. The state contains more than 4500 species of flowering plants. The major causes for the loss of indigenous agriculture and domesticated biodiversity is due to the degradation of native agri-ecosystems, large conversion of agricultural land, introduction of exotic crops, mechanised farming etc. There are 102 species of mammals, 476 species of birds, 169 species of reptiles, 89 species of amphibians and 202 species of fresh water fishes, reported from Kerala. The degrading of natural forests due to factors such as unregulated / illegal harvest, forest fire, weeds, diversion for non-forest purposes, soil erosion, harmful effects on management and poor regeneration leads to loss of biodiversity.
The rapid urbanization, constant change in consumption pattern and social behaviour have increased the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Kerala beyond the assimilative of capacity of our environment and management capacity of the existing waste management systems.. All types of waste including solid, hazardous and biomedical waste generation in the state are more compared to other states in the country.The average waste generation per capita in Kerala is high compared to the national average. The lack of proper management of waste disposal systems has resulted in a menace of contagious diseases and unhygienic environment, casting shadow over the health and growth of the entire state.Kerala is having the highest number of health care institutions. Its number and sophistication is also changing. More over, there is a trend that more and more foreigners are making use of the health care facilities in the State.
Environmental problems of tourism : As and when tourism increases, the environmental problems also increase proportionately, due to various reasons like the construction of buildings that are not suitable to the environment, encroachment of the beach, unscientific waste disposal system, indiscriminate d isposal of plastics, etc. Deforestation, pollution of air, water and land, as well as visual and imbalance in the environment are direct results of tourism because tourist zones are ecologically sensitive areas like rain forests wetlands, mountain slopes, coastal tracts and santuaries.The indigenous communities have always been immediate victims of unplanned tourism development. Well-planned ecotourism has proved to be one of the most effective tools for long-term conservation of biodiversity
Climate Changes: The consumption of the fossil fuel is increasing with population and per capita consumption. Due to the pressure of population, forest areas are under threat which lead to higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Similarly, coconut husk retting which is a major activity in the coastal areas of the state generates methane (second important green house gas) along with the hydrogen sulphide. Methane emission from various sources when converted to equivalent CO2 in terms of global warming potential accounts for about 16% and Nitrous Oxide contributes another 2%. Together, they contribute more than 93% of the warming potential of the green house gas emissions from Kerala. The study of the average annual mean maximum and minimum temperatures in Kerala from 1961 to 2003 confirms the raising trend of maximum, minimum and average temperatures of the order of respectively 0.80C, 0.20C and 0.50C. The climatic changes will take place not only due to the emission of green house gases but also due to the significant contribution from population increase and also due to the changes in land use pattern. However, climate change being a global phenomenon, the environmental impact of such activities with the state is bound to be minimal.
Land based oil pollution :Land based pollution mainly from accidental oil spills from storage tanks and pipelines and also durirg transportation of oil through automobiles. Components of oil such as methane and ethane can cause suf focation. Benzene is toxic and its inhalation can cause anemia and components of sulphur can damage the liver and kidneys. Suspended particulate matter released in to the air by refineries can cause lung diseases.
Environmental problems caused by stone crusher: The main complaint of the affected people was that inhaling the air containing the dust formed as a result of blasting of rocks caused several diseases in the area such as silicosis, asthma, and allergy. Sound pollution produced during the operation of the stone crusher units created hearing problems and disturbed the learning capacity of school children in the area. The dust and fragments of rocks from the units fly in the air and fall into the nearby wells and water systems whereby polluting thern. The particulate matter and dust fall on the trees nearby preventing the pollination of flowers. The particulate matter also falls on all the household articles causing lot of inconvenience. The Pollution Control Board has very effective rules and r egulations to control them, but unfortunately 99% of Stone Crusher Units had not implemented those regulations
Destruction of Mangrove Forests: Evergreen mangroves known as 'tidal forests' constitute a fascinating ecosystem by the sea..For centuries, this ecosystem has been of great use and value to mankind. It helps in preventing soil erosion, floods and other natural calamities, Mangroves’ protective buffer zone helps shield coastlines from storm damage and wave action, minimizing damage to property and losses of life from hurricanes and storms. Mangroves have been useful in treating effluent, as the plants absorb excess nitrates and phosphates, thereby preventing contamination of near-shore waters.
Mangroves absorb carbon dioxide and store carbon in their sediments, thereby lessening the impacts of global warming; and help in the protection of associated marine ecosystems,. provides food, fuel, fodder and a host of other useful products. Mangrove estuaries are the breeding ground for many estuarine species and nursery ground for many marine species. Many birds also find their habitat in mangrove forests.
Mangrove Forests are largely facing deforestation. Mangrove forests are treated as “wastelands,” or useless swamps. During the beginning of the last century, Kerala had 700 sq. kilometers of Mangrove forests. Today they are reduced to just 17 sq.kms. and restricted to isolated areas . The reasons that have contributed to its decline are encroachment due to high population density on the coasts commercial prawn farming , Sand mining, dumping of wastes. The efforts for eco-restoration of mangroves are outdone by the ongoing process of converting the wetlands for construction of hospitals, hotels and flats. . Environmental activists continue to raise their concern that the wet lands and sensitive mangrove ecosystems will soon vanish if these fragile areas continue to be reclaimed unchecked in the name of development
Conversion of paddy fields : Paddy fields help in recharging the ground water reserves by holding rain water and helps in mitigating floods. The area under paddy cultivation in Kerala continues to be reduced as a result of reclamation of land. In Palakkad district, known as the 'granary of Kerala', Kuttanad, rice bowl of the State hundreds of acres of paddy fields, have been converted for setting up industries., which contributes nearly 20% of the total paddy production, is also not free from the menace with fields being filled up increasingly. The real estate operators are all over Kerala buying up paddy fields, filling it up, selling it fragmented or constructing luxury villas and multistoried apartmeits. the sharp decline of paddy cultivation in Kerala can be directly attributed to clay mining; But ever since the construction boom started in the early eighties, vast tracts of rice fields have been converted into clay mines to feed Kerala's almost insatiable demand for bricks and roof tiles.
Landslides : In some hilly parts of Kerala people have begun to experience the severity of a relatively new phenomena of natural disaster, landslides . Such landslides have become quite common in Idukki districts especially during rainy seasons due to the environmental degradation of the region, particularly deforestation and soil erosion.
Clay mining: Kerala's lush countryside is under threat due to unrestrained sand and clay mining, posing a serious environmental problem in Kerala. In the eighties when the construction boom started, vast tracts of paddy fields in the in the districts of Thrissur , Malappuram, Kozhikode and Palakkad, Ernakulam and Kollam have been converted into clay mines to meet the increased demand for bricks and roof tiles. In the rainy season the pits which were abandoned,were filled with water,leaving the neighbouring In the rainy season the pits which were abandoned,were filled with water,leaving the neighbouring lands with little or no water for irrigation.These pits became the breeding ground for mosquitos and dumpin g rounds for wastes.
Ecological Impacts of Monoculture
Monoculture, consisting of only one type or species of vegetation is the most noticeable feature of the agricultural system of Kerala. Monoculture invites several ecological problems. Many plant pests have very specific requirements for their food and so they attack only one variety of plants . Traditional agriculture mixes varieties of plants .So if the crops are attacked, only some of them will be affected. The use of exotic and hybrid varieties of plants and chemicals used as insecticides, pesticides, herbicides exhaust the land and kill small animals and microorganisms as against natural farming practices. These small animals and plants including microorganisms play an important role in the preservation of biodiversity and maintaining the ecological balance.
Destruction of sacred groves
Sacred Groves, the unique Islands of biodiversity is fast disappearing in Kerala. They are the home of the local flora and fauna, a veritable gene pool and a mini biosphere reserve. Within these groves are locked ancient secrets of herbs and traditional medicine.. In addition to functioning as a cradle of biodiversity, sacred groves are responsible for water cycling, nutrient cycling and water conservation areas.The upper soil of sacred groves containing decaying leaves and crores of microorganisms of are responsible for slowing the flow of water and absorbing the water into the underground. People are prevented from entering into kavu and taking even a dried branch or leaf of tree, and if one does so, it is believed that he will have the curse of God. Disappearance of the 'tharavadu system', human interference through grazing, poaching and other antisocial activities and changing socio economic scenario are the major threats to the sacred groves of Kerala. The preservation of fast disappearing sacred groves of Kerala is as important as preserving the forests for protecting biodiversity and securing the underground water table.
Species invasion
Species invasion is an emerging environmental problem of the current century. Species invasion is an inevitable consequence of globalization. Coastal and inland waters of Kerala are being invaded with foreign species .These exotic species can multiply and cause extinction of native species, bring many diseases and disrupt the natural cycle. Among the invasive species that have already caused ecological problems: are Ichornia that arrived from Brazil in 1902, and Salvinia that reached Kerala from South Africa in1955, ucalyptuses from Australia and Lantana from South America have extensively colonized in Kerala. The latest arrivals are Uppatorium oderatum Cammunist paccha) which was not present in Kerala until about 25 years ago, and (Parthenium, a weed that causes severe allergy in many people, are rapidly spreading in Kerala. Foreign flowers have become status symbols of the globalization infected post-modem Kerala culture. Among domesticated animals indigenous species are almost completely replaced by foreign species or their hybrid varieties.
Hotspots of Corporate Excesses
A typical example of corporate excesses in India is Dow Chemicals, which has taken over Union Carbide, the company responsible for the Bhopal gas leak, despite being warned of outstanding criminal charges against Carbide. The Plantation Corporation of Kerala, Grasim Industries, Kozhikode and Eloor Industrial Estate in Cochin have in no way played a much lesser role. The aerial spraying The aerial spraying of the highly dangerous pesticide endosulfan on cashew crops by the Plantation Corporation of Kerala has led to an abnormally high rate of deformities, cancers and diseases related to the central nervous system. The Grasim Industries, Kozhikode is another example. For nearly 30 years, forests in the Western Ghats were cut down to feed a rayon factory operated by the Birla Group's Grasim Industries. . Effluents polluted the Chaliyar River in Kerala, devastating local fisheries, even while air pollution made life. unlivable in surrounding villages. Now the company is shut down leaving jobless workers, a devastated ecosystem. The Coca Cola factory, Plachimada is now charged with sucking ground water and depriving local villagers of water to drimnk and polluting the underground water
Increasing Environmental Refugees
They are people who can no longer gain a secure livelihood in their homelands because of drought, soil erosion, desertification, deforestation industrialization and other environmental problems. Eloor, which is the State's largest industrial belt where 247 chemical factories operate within the vicinity of this residential area has become a standing monument of growing number of environmental refugees . Local people who have been exposing instances of toxic pollution caused by these industries are now moving out as environmental refugees to safer places. The number of environmental refugees in Kerala will continue to increase due to the broad scale environmental degradation, severe population pressures, absolute poverty, pollution and landlessness.
Kerala is a state considered to be having a developed modern society. The consumption of more resources results in the generation of more waste. All types of waste including solid, hazardous and biomedical waste generation in the state are more compared to other states in the country.
TheState Government set up the State Pollution Control Board in 1984 to address issues arising out of pollution of air and water as well as hazardous wastes. Several sectoral departments such as forest and wildlife, water resources and local self government have been addressing issues relating to forest and wildlife, to river pollution and solid waste management respectively. The Clean Kerala Mission has been set up by the Government of Kerala with the objective of having a litter free state. A Coastal Zone Management Authority has been set up top administer issues relating to Coastal Regulation Zone notification. Recently, State Biodiversity Board has been set up to the Government in accordance with Biodiversity Act, 2003.In spite of all these efforts the environmental pollution has been rising .So what is needed is a change in attitude of the people towards the environment
