1

CHAPTER 5

AIR, NOISE AND WATER POLLUTION

2

CONTENTS

Air Pollution

Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) status of different cities of Karnataka

Air Quality Index (AQI) and Contributory Factor

Major contributors of air pollution

Transportation – Air, land, water

Initiatives for curbing Air Pollution in Transportation sector

Industrial Air Pollution

Health impacts of air pollution

Best practices of controlling air pollution

Methods of control of air pollution

Recommendation to policy makers

Noise Pollution

Noise sources and levels at different zones

Best practices of controlling noise pollution

Recommendation to policy makers

Water Pollution

Water Resources

Consumption Pattern – At Regional level

Water Quality Status of Major Rivers of Karnataka

Ground Water Qualities Status in Major Cities

3

Pollution Control Measures

Augmentation of water resource

Best practices of controlling water pollution

Recommendation to policy makers

References

TABLES

Table-1: Annual average values of air pollutants at 13 locations in Bangalore City during the

2015-16 (April-2015 to Mar-2016)

Table-2: Annual Average values of AAQ in other districts of Karnataka during 2015-16

Table-3: Status of Category-wise number of AQI in cities during March 2016

Table-4: Major sources of air pollution in Bengaluru City

Table-5: Consumption of major petroleum product in Karnataka

Table-6: Coal sold by KSSIDC

Table-7: Year wise Paddy cultivation in the State

Table-8: Livestock Population in Karnataka during 2003, 2007 and 2012

Table-9: Number of Fire spots of forest fire in Karnataka

Table-10: Details of forests burnt in the Protected Areas during the period 2011-12 to 2015-16

Table-11: Details of number of Fishing Boats

Table-12: Details of Road transport system in Karnataka

Table-13: Methods of Air Pollution control with example

Table-14: Ambient Air Quality Standard in Respect of Noise in India

Table-15: Noise levels monitored by KSPCB in 2015-16

Table-16: Methods of Noise Pollution Control with examples

Table-17: Consumption of Chemical Pesticides in Karnataka during 2010-11 To 2015-16As on

09.11.2016(Tech. Grade)

Table-18: Year-wise and nutrient-wise use of fertilizers in Karnataka State

4

Table-19: Per capita Resource Demand and Waste generation of a citizen

Table-20: Water Samples Analyzed by Central Laboratory and Regional Laboratories

Table-21: Industrial waste water samples analyzed by Central Laboratory and Regional

Laboratories

Table-22: The revised sewage discharge standards for sewage treatment plant stipulated with

direction on 05.12.2015

Table-23: Trends in urban population and sewage generation

Table-24: Methods of Pollution control with examples

FIGURES

Fig. 1: Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) With Respect to PM10 in Bangalore

Fig. 2: Air Quality Status at Different Zones of Bangalore

Fig. 3: AAQ Status at Export Promotional Park, ITPL., Bangalore

Fig. 4: AAQ Status at KHB Industrial Area, Yelahanka, Bangalore

Fig. 5: AAQ Status at Peenya Industrial Area, Bangalore

Fig. 6: AAQ Status at AMCO Batteries, Bangalore

Fig. 7: AAQ Status at Yeshwanthapur Police Station, Bangalore

Fig. 8: AAQ Status at Central Silk Board, Bangalore

Fig. 9: AAQ Status at DTDC Office, Victoria Road, Bangalore

Fig. 10: AAQ Status at Kajisonnenahalli, Bangalore

Fig. 11: AAQ Status at Victoria Hospital, Bangalore

Fig. 12: AAQ Status at Indira Gandhi Child Care Centre, NIHMANS

Fig. 13: Status of AAQ at Continuous AAQ Monitoring (CAAQM) Stations at Bangalore City

Fig. 14: Annual Average values of CO at CAAQM city Railway station for the year 2012-16

5

Fig. 15: Annual average values of Air pollution at Saneguruvanahalli for the year 2012-16

Fig. 16: Annual average values of CO at Saneguruvanahalli for the year 2012-16

Fig. 17: Traffic increases Pollutants

Fig. 18: Narrow streets are good for air pollution trapping and bad for dispersion

Fig. 19: Dust suspension deposited on trees

Fig. 20: Typical lung of urban resident with pollutant trapped in alveoli of lungs

Fig. 21: Noise levels monitored by KSPCB in 2015-16

Fig. 22: Death of trees adjacent to waste dump due to infiltration of leachet into aquifer

Fig. 23: Classification of River Water Quality in Karnataka

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AIR, NOISE AND WATER POLLUTION

Air Pollution 5.1. Increase in air pollution is one of the greatest menaces to the health of people, causing a

threat to their survival. Air pollution not only leads to deteriorating environmental conditions,

but also has adverse effects on the health of people. According to the World Development

Indicators report, 1.5 billion people are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution (World

Bank, 1997). According to Kapoor, S. (1997), about 15 to 18 million children in developing

countries are affected by high levels of lead in their blood, which could be the result of emissions

from vehicle exhaust and they suffer from respiratory/lung related illnesses. United Nations

Development Programme (1998) and World Health Organization (1997) estimated that air

pollution kills about 2.7 million to 3 million people every year- i.e. 6% of all deaths annually.

5.2. Air pollution kills an estimated 673,000 people in India, comprising of 589,000 deaths

from indoor pollution and the remaining 84,000 deaths from outdoor pollution. India is one of

the environmentally degraded countries and is paying heavy health and economic price for it.

According to a World Bank sponsored study (1999), estimated environmental damage in the year

1992 amounts to US $ 10 Billion or Rs 34,000 crore, which is 4.5 % of total GDP of the country.

Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) status of different cities of Karnataka

5.3. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is monitoring the Ambient Air

Quality (AAQ) in various places of Karnataka. Bangalore is a highly polluted city in Karnataka

due to increased concentration of particulate matter (PM) in the ambient air. It is monitored at 13

different locations (Table-1, Fig. 1). Figs. 2 to 16 provide bar charts for air quality in

Bangalore. Burden of diseases of the respiratory system in Karnataka is discussed in chapter 8:

Health.

Table-1: Annual average values of air pollutants at 13 locations in Bangalore City during

the 2015-16 (April-2015 to Mar-2016)

Sl.

No.

Name of the Station Zone SO2µg/

m3

NO2µ

g/m3

PM10

µg/m3

PM10

exceeded

to the

National

Standards 1 Export promotional park

ITPL, White field,

premises of Graphite India

Ltd, Bangalore

Industrial 3.8 21.1 189.0 215.0 %

2 K.H.B Industrial Area,

Yelahanka

Industrial 3.6 15.5 109.0 82.0 %

3 Peenya Industrial Area

(RO)

Industrial 3.9 20.2 127.0 112.0 %

4 Swan Silk PeenyaIndl Area Industrial 2.0 36.0 117.0 95.0 %

5 Yeshwanthpura Police

Station

Mixed Urban zone 3.6 22.6 105.0 75.0 %

6 AMCO Batteries, Mysore

Road

Mixed Urban zone 4.0 20.2 119.0 98.0 %

7 Central Silk Board , Hosur

Road

Mixed Urban zone 3.9 21.1 165.0 175.0 %

8 DTDC House Victoria

Road

Mixed Urban zone 3.7 17.5 135.0 125.0 %

7

9 Kajisonnenahalli , Mixed Urban zone 3.6 12.6 75.0 25.0 %

10 Continuous Ambient Air

Quality Management

System (CAAQMS) at

City Railway Station

Mixed Urban zone 9.0 45.6 104.0 73.0 %

11 CAAQMS at S,G,Halli Mixed Urban zone 3.7 25.7 72.0 20.0 %

12 Victoria Hospital Sensitive 4.0 23.0 99.5 66.0 %

13 Indira Gandhi Institute of

child health

Sensitive 3.8 17.5 113.0 88.0 %

Standards/National limits 50.0 40.0 60.0

(Source: KSPCB, Bangalore, 2015-16)

Fig. 1: Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) With Respect to PM10 in Bangalore

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Fig. 2: AAQ Status At Different Zones Of Bangalore

Fig. 3: AAQ Status at Export Promotional Park , ITPL., Bangalore

Fig. 4: AAQ Status at KHB Industrial Area, Yelahanka, Bangalore

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Fig. 5: AAQ Status at Peenya Industrial Area, Bangalore

Fig. 6: AAQ Status at AMCO Batteries, Bangalore

Fig. 7: AAQ Status at Yeshwanthapur Police Station, Bangalore

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Fig. 8: AAQ Status at Central Silk Board, Bangalore

Fig. 9: AAQ Status at DTDC Office, Victoria Road, Bangalore

Fig. 10: AAQ Status at Kajisonnenahalli, Bangalore

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Fig.11: AAQ Status at Victoria Hospital, Bangalore

Fig. 12: AAQ status at Indira Gandhi Child Care Centre, NIHMANS

Fig. 13: AAQ status at Continuous AAQ Monitoring (CAAQM) Stations at Bangalore City

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Fig. 14: Annual Average values of CO at CAAQM city Railway station for the year 2012-16

Fig. 15: Annual average values of Air pollution at Saneguruvanahalli for the year 2012-16

Fig. 16: Annual average values of CO at Saneguruvanahalli for the year 2012-16

5.4. The salient features of AAQ status in Bangalore are:

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The concentration of PM10 has exceeded the national AAQ standards for the years 2012-

2016.

The concentration of NOx is within the national AAQ Standards for the year 2012-2015

except for the year 2015-16.

The concentration of SO2 is well within the national AAQ Standard during the years from

2012-2016.

The concentration of CO is well within the national AAQ standard during the year from

2012-2016.

5.5. The KSPCB is also monitoring the ambient air quality in other districts of the state at

different traffic junctions. The monitoring locations are selected based on the guidelines issued

by CPCB. Table-2 gives annual average values of AAQ in other districts of Karnataka during

2015-16. The results reveal that the PM10 concentration is exceeding the standards at some

locations. The increase of PM10 at some of the monitoring stations is mainly due to the large

scale construction activities and vehicular movement and the re-suspended road dust.

Table-2 Annual Average values of AAQ in other districts of Karnataka during 2015-16

Sl.

No.

Location SO2 µg/M3 NO2 µg/M3 PM10 µg/M3

1 Regional Officer (RO), Kolar 2.0 19.0 63.0

2 RO, Tumkur 2.0 21 118.0

3 RO, Mandya 8.4 21.2 40.0

4 K,R.Circle, Mysuru 9.2 22.2 53.0

5 RO, Mysuru 8.6 21.7 39.0

6 RO, Chamarajnagar 9.4 22.2 57.0

7 RO, Hassan. 5.8 19.4 25.0

8 RO, MangaluruIndl Area. 8.0 9.5 35.0

9 RO, Karwar 5.2 16.4 40.0

10 RO, Chitradurga 2.1 4.6 46.0

11 VISL Bhadravathi 2.2 4.6 38.0

12 HPF Intake Point, Davangere 3.2 5.9 46.0

13 Mothi Talkies, Davangere 5.7 10.7 216.0

14 RO, Davangere 2.3 4.6 59.0

15 RO, Dharwad 5.5 20.3 69.0

16 Gokul Road- Hubbali 5.5 21.1 80.0

17 RO, Belagavi 2.0 17.0 64.0

18 KalaburagiGovt.Hospital 2.2 13.0 76.0

19 RO, Raichur 5.9 11.1 87.0

20 RO, Ballari 5.0 11.1 57.0

21 RO, Bidar 6.7 11.9 57.0

NAAQ Standards µg/M3 50.0 40.0 60.0

(Source: KSPCB, Bangalore 2015-16)

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5.6. Karnataka has seen dramatic shift in terms of air quality during the period 2011-2015.

The PM10 has significantly increased over the years in certain locations due to use of old

vehicles, possible fuel adulteration, re-suspension of dust due to increased traffic, absence of

water spraying, emission from traffic jams, obstruction to movement of pollutants, use of DG

sets during power cuts, low wind velocity and inversions during winter and nights. Increase in

the number of high rise buildings is obstructing wind movement, thereby making pollutants

almost stagnant in the city.

5.7. An adult at rest breathes 15 - 18 respirations per minute (0.5 m3/h) while at harder work,

the rate is 3 to 6 times more (1.5 - 3 m3/h). These add up to 11,000 litres of air in a day. A human

being uses about 550 litres of pure oxygen (19 cubic feet) per day. But with increased

migration, vehicles, fuel combustion and reduced green cover, per capita availability of oxygen

has reduced and exposure to polluted air has increased.

5.8. Despite several control measures adopted and exercised by the Government of Karnataka

under precautionary principle, an increasing trend in air pollution has been observed. This trend

could possibly be linked to the factors such as sharp infiltration of IT/BT and other professionals

into the city that resulted in a boom in the real estate sector, transport and personal vehicles,

restaurants and eateries and other service sectors. It is also due to the fact that the purchasing

power of an average citizen has significantly increased.

5.9. Major policy interventions to control air pollution during the period in the country are1

1. Increase in supply of fossil fuel through pipeline into Karnataka, which reduced

transportation of petroleum products.

2. Introduction of Ethanol Blended Petrol (EPL)2, since 02.01.013 throughout the country.

3. Introduction of MS (Motor Spirit/Petrol) (BS-IV) and High Speed Diesel (HSD) (BS IV)

since 1.4.2016 in the whole of Karnataka.

5.10. The above ‘actions’ were in addition3 to,

1. Introduction of Biodiesel since 01.01.2006.

2. Introduction of MS (BS-IV) and High Speed Diesel (HSD) (BS IV) since 01.08.2010 in

Karnataka.

3. Introduction of MS (BS-III) and HSD (BS-III) since 31.07.2010 in Karnataka.

Air Quality Index (AQI) and Contributory Factor

5.11. An “Air Quality Index” is defined as a single number for reporting the air quality with

respect to its effects on the human health (Thom and Ott, 1976; Bortnicket al., 2002; Murena,

2004). For the AQI, a maximum operator system has been adopted which is free from ambiguity

and eclipsing, as shown below: AQI=Max (I1,I2,...,In)

1Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MPNG) 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.

2As per ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Gazette Notification No. G.S.R. 4(E ). Dated 02.01.2013,

Oil Marketing companies shall sell Ethanol-blended-petrol with percentage of ethanol up to 10 % and as

per the Bureau of Indian Standard specification to achieve 5 % ethanol blending across the Country as a

whole. 3Ministry of Petroleum &Natural Gas - MPNG 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.

15

5.12. Table-3 gives the status of category–wise number of AQI in cities during March 2016.

Among all the cities where AQI is documented, AQI at four locations in Bengaluru was poor,

alarming the situation and demanding immediate corrective action.

Table-3: Status of Category-wise number of AQI in cities during March 2016

City Total AQI

numbers

in cities

Good (0-50) Satisfactory

(51-100)

Moderate

(101-200)

Poor (201-

300)

Very Poor

(301-40)

Severe

(401-500)

Hubli 19 0 18 1 0 0 0

Hassan 9 8 0 1 0 0 0

Raichur 6 0 0 6 0 0 0

Mangalore 8 0 6 2 0 0 0

Bengaluru 58 0 17 37 4 0 0

Kolar 9 0 9 0 0 0 0

Tumakuru 9 0 0 9 0 0 0

Vijayapur 9 1 4 4 0 0 0

Source: CPCB (2016)

5.13. According to the 2011 Census, Karnataka’s population has increased by 15.6 per cent to

touch 6.10 crore (6,10,95,297) during 2001-2011. The urban population has registered a growth

rate of 31.54 per cent, higher than the growth rate of 29.15 per cent recorded in 2001 Census.

The population in Bengaluru Urban District has witnessed the highest decennial growth rate of

47.18 per cent followed by Yadgir, with 22.81 per cent.

5.14. In terms of urbanization, the State has witnessed a rise of 4.68 per cent, in the proportion

of urban population in the last decade.

5.15. In addition to influx of people from different places, there has been alarming increase in

air pollutants (Fig. 17). The rise in construction activities has increased the dust re-suspension, in

addition to dust from dry earthen surface. Traffic congestion due to increase in number of

vehicular population and old narrow streets (Fig.18) have significantly contributed to

accumulation of pollutants in the ambient air environment of urban settlement.

Fig. 17: Traffic increases Pollutants

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5.16. About 1,47,84,9614 vehicles were registered in the state as on 31.3.2015. Out of these, 55,59,730

5

(total Transport +non-transport vehicles) vehicles are registered in Bengaluru Metropolitan city as on

31.03.2015 alone. Major sources of air pollution in Bengaluru City are tabulated in Table-4.

Table-4: Major sources of air pollution in Bengaluru City

Sl. No. Source Source PM10 (TPD) % Contribution

1 Transport 22.4 42

2 Road dust 10.9 20

3 Domestic 1.8 3

4 DG Set 3.6 7

5 Industry 7.8 14

6 Hotel 0.1 -

7 Construction 7.7 14

Total 54.3 100

Source: Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring & Statistics, Government of Karnataka (2016a)

Major contributors of air pollution

Industries

5.17. Contribution to air pollution from the industry sector is discussed in detail in subsequent

paragraphs. It is observed that the contribution of industry to air pollution is only 14% compared

to 42% of contribution from Transport sector (Table-4).

Fossil Fuels

5.18. The 2011 census reveals that 64.33% of households in urban areas use LPG/PNG for

cooking purposes, followed by firewood (21.23%), kerosene (11.67%) and the remaining

households use other sources such as crop residue (0.91%), biogas (0.80%), electricity (0.21%),

4Annual Report of Transport Department, GoK, 2015

5Annual Report of Transport Department, GoK, 2015

Fig. 18 Narrow streets are good for air

pollution trapping and bad for dispersion

17

coal/lignite (0.11%), cowpat (0.10%) and other sources (0.11%). Table-5 shows the

consumption of major petroleum product in Karnataka. Table-6 gives details of sale of coal by

KSSIDC for household consumption.

Table-5: Consumption of major petroleum product in Karnataka

Description

March

2012

March

2013

March

2014

March

2015

March

2016

Consumption of

major petroleum

products ('000

Tonnes) 8075 8504 8931 9577 11051

Source: MPNG (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

Table-6: Coal sold by KSSIDC

Sl.No Year Achievements (MTs)

1 2008-09 16670

2 2009-10 39665

3 2010-11 36582

4 2011-12 31702

5 2012-13 40781

6 2013-14 35415

7 2014-15 26294

Source: Economic survey, GoK

5.19. Consumption patterns of coal by the energy sector are discussed in Chapter 9. Coal

consumption for Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) was 0.721 Kg/KWh and has shown

decreasing trend since the previous year. Coal consumption has also decreased in Bellary

Thermal Power Station (BTPS) during 2015-16 to 0.665 Kg/KWh and the plant availability

factor has improved as compared to the previous year. The power sector (electricity – 35.9%) is

the major contributor of GHGs emission followed by Agriculture (20.2%). The state with

well‐developed transportation sector has contributed 10.4% to the state’s total GHGs emission.

Except the agriculture sector which emits a major amount of CH4, most of the other sectors emit

CO2 as main GHG, mainly due to combustion of fossil fuels (coal and petroleum products)

(EMPRI & TERI, 2011).

Waste burning

5.20. Waste burning takes place in two ways: (a) controlled combustion inside incinerator/kiln

at prescribed temperature, and (b) open burning. Details of waste quantity have been dealt in

Chapter 10.

Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

5.21. Combustion, biodegradation, spraying agrochemicals, fumigation and tobacco curing are

the major activities which release air pollutants. Combustion of crop residues especially in sugar

cane fields is practiced widely to cut down labor cost. Further, most of the agro waste is used as

fuel for cooking. The state has extensive areas under paddy cultivation; as a result, considerable

18

volumes of marsh gases comprising methane, a major GHG, are released from paddy fields

(Table-7).

Table-7: Year wise Paddy cultivation in the State

Sl.No. Year Area

1. 1960-61 10.28

2. 1970-71 11.7

3. 1980-81 11.14

4. 1990-91 11.73

5. 2000-01 14.84

6. 2010-11 15.39

7. 2011-12 14.16

8. 2012-13 12.79

9. 2013-14 13.40

10. 2014-15 13.26

Sources: (1) Government of Karnataka (2015), (2) State Department of Agriculture (2015),

5.22. Table-8 shows livestock population in Karnataka during the years 2003, 2007 and 2012.

The manure from factory farms can release Nitrous Oxide, Methane, Carbon Dioxide, Ammonia

and Hydrogen Sulphide (Onegreenplanet, 2017).

Table-8: Livestock Population in Karnataka during 2003, 2007 and 2012

Particular Livestock Census (No in Crore)

2003 2007 2012 Percentage change in 2012 over 2007

Cattle 0.95 1.05 0.95 -9.52

Buffalo 0.40 0.43 0.35 -18.60

Goat & Sheep 1.18 1.57 1.44 -8.28

Other Livestock 0.30 0.24 0.16 -33.33

Total Livestock 2.83 3.29 2.90 -11.85

Poultry 2.44 4.24 5.34 25.94

(Source: Onegreenplanet, 2017)

Forest fires and other anthropogenic fire accidents

5.23. Forest fire requires intense attention due to its effects on biodiversity. Inappropriate fire

regimes can lead to major changes in community structure, including substantial risk of

extinction. As per the National Institute of Disaster Management, 95 per cent of forest fires are

caused by human beings. Forest fires and fire management are therefore increasingly recognized

as important factors in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. Year-wise

details regarding the number of fire spots of forest fire detected in Karnataka are given in Table-

9 and details regarding the extents of forest burnt in the protected areas (PA) between 2011-12

and 2015-16 are given in Table-10.

Table-9: Number of Fire spots of forest fire in Karnataka

Year Number of fire spots

19

2011-12 859

2012-13 505

2013-14 486

2014-15 316

2014-15 735

Source:Forest Survey of India http://117.239.115.44:81/smsalerts/index.php accessed on 14.11.2017

Table-10: Details of forests burnt in the Protected Areas during the period 2011-12 to 2015-

16

Protected Area 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Bandipur Tiger Reserve 650.00 972.62 548.500 216.460 219.360

Bhadra Tiger Reserve - - - 50.000 -

BRT Tiger Reserve 60.00 49.04 166.590 24.060 20.000

Cauvery Wildlife

Sanctuary

1.75 262.40 570.000 386.000 -

Dandeli-Anshi Tiger

Reserve

1.70 3.50 0.704 0.600 -

Kudremukh National Park 307.94 240.60 194.60 167.950 553.000

MM Wildlife Sanctuary 10.00 - - 50.000 2.020

Total 1,902.76 16664.04 1682.194 1110819 1265.006

Source: Comptroller and Auditor General of India (2017)

Re-suspension of dust

5.24. Re-suspension of dust from roads, agricultural fields, waste dump yard, wasteland, etc. is

a major concern considering the prolonged droughts in the states.

Others

5.25. Apart from the significant contributors to air pollution like vehicles, construction

activities, solid waste burning, etc, other sources of pollution which need attention are:

Fig.19: Dust suspension deposited on

trees

20

• Emission from marshes;

• Emission from cattle;

• Tobacco curing;

• Emission from waste dumping/management;

• Emissions from cooking from fire wood and other fossil fuels;

• Emissions from pot making activity;

• Emissions from burning fields;

• Emissions from de-husking and grain separation processing;

• Spraying of agrochemicals;

• Pollen grains; and

• Re-suspension of Soil in tilled land.

Transportation – Air, land, water

Air Transport

5.26. Apart from defence air ports, the state has airports at Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mysore,

Ballari, Hubli, Belgaum.

Water Transport

5.27. Karnataka has one major port, namely, the New Mangaluru Port and ten minor ports,

namely, Karwar, Belekeri, Tadri, Honnavara, Bhatkal, Kundapur,

Hangarkatta, Malpe, Padubidri and Old Mangaluru. Details regarding the number of fishing

boats are given in Table-11.

Table-11: Details of number of Fishing Boats

Mechanized Boats Motorised boats Traditional boats Total

Trawlers – 778

Multiday trawlers – 2431

Purse seiners – 274

Others -297

Gillnetters (OBM)-6978 8,119 18,877

Source: Economic survey 2015-16, GOK

Land Transport

5.28. The total length of Rail track has increased from 2,806 km in 1970-71 to 3,172 km in

2014-15, while the total road length has increased from 70,383 km to 2,31,767 km during this

period. But the most striking increase is in respect of the number of vehicles in the state, from

about 123, 000 in 1970-71 to 1,06,446,000 in 2014-15 (Table-12).

Table-12: Details of Road transport system in Karnataka

Particulars Unit 1970-71 1980-81 1990-91 2000-01 2010-11 2013-14 2014-15

Railway Route

Length

km 2806 2875 3093 3172 3172 3172 3172

Total Road

Length

km 70,383 1,09,551 1,30,924 1,54,204 2,22,431 2,30,690 2,31,767

Motor Vehicles ‘000s 123 400 1,433 3,691 9,930 13,335 106,446

Source: Economic survey, GoK

21

5.29. A number of reforms have been introduced in the transportation sector since 1991 to

control air pollution control:

1991 – Idle CO Limits for Petrol Vehicles and Free Acceleration Smoke for Diesel Vehicles,

Mass Emission Standards for Petrol Vehicles.

1992 – Mass Emission Standards for Diesel Vehicles.

1996 – Revision of Mass Emission Standards for Petrol and Diesel Vehicles, mandatory

fitment of Catalytic Converter for Cars in Metros & sale of Unleaded Petrol.

1998 – Cold Start Norms Introduced.

2000 - Unleaded Petrol mandate throughout India.

2000 – India 2000 (Equivalent to Euro I) Norms, Modified IDC (Indian Driving Cycle),

Bharat Stage II Norms for Delhi.

2001 – Bharat Stage II (Equivalent to Euro II) Norms for all the Metros, Emission Standards

for CNG & LPG Vehicles.

2003 – Bharat Stage II (Equivalent to Euro II) Norms for 13 major cities.

2005 – From 1 April Bharat Stage III (Equivalent to Euro III) Norms for 13 major cities.

2010 – Bharat Stage III Emission Norms for 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers for the

entire country whereas Bharat Stage – IV (Equivalent to Euro IV) for 13 major cities for only

4-wheelers. Bharat Stage IV also has norms on OBD (similar to Euro III, but diluted)

2013- Introduction of EPL throughout the country.

2020 – Proposed date to adopt Bharat Stage VI norms for cars, Skipping Bharat Stage V

norms.

Analysis of Critical pollutants in Ambient air viz SO2, NO2, and breathing level Ozone

5.30. From the most recent (2015) analysis of the Global burden of Disease, exposure to PM2.5

was the 5th

highest ranking risk factor for death, responsible for 4.2 million deaths due to heart

disease and stroke, lung cancer, chronic lung disease and respiratory infections. An additional

254,000 deaths were attributable to exposure to ozone and its effect on chronic lung disease

(Health Effect Institute, 2017). The SO2, NO2 concentrations have been indicated in paragraphs

5.3 and 5.4.

Initiatives for curbing Air Pollution in Transportation sector

5.31. Transportation has become an important element of modern development. Transportation

has deep impact on every economic activity, be it of an individual or an industrial unit.

Transportation is also very important determinant of land use patterns. Transportation sector

including road, air and waterways is also a major GHGs emitter in the state (10.4%). Most of the

petroleum products like ATF (aviation turbine fuel) HSD, (high speed diesel), LDO (light diesel

oil), etc. are used in transportation sector. In 2007‐08, emissions due to transportation were 8.35

million tons in Karnataka. The present emissions from the transportation sector, at state GDP

growth rate of 8%, are likely to be 23 million tons (EMPRI and TERI, (2011)).

5.32. Hence, it is necessary to evolve a strategy to combat air pollution from this sector. As a

part of administrative reforms and in order to provide better, timely and cost effective service,

Government has approved Effective Transport Management initiatives:

22

By amending Section 52 of Motor Vehicle Act 1988, provision has been made for use of

LPG in vehicles. The Department has already approved 38 LPG Kit models and given

permissions for 72 retro fitment centres in Bangalore City and 195 retro fitment centres in the

State.

It is mandatory for owners and drivers to check their vehicles for air pollution at least once in

every six month and keep the Emission under Control Certificate, while using the vehicle on

road.

To check the quality of fuel at fuel dispensing stations and to stop adulteration of fuel during

transportation; road side sale of fuel, unauthorized sale of naphtha, sale of low 24 class

lubricants, etc. have been prohibited.

Joint checking team has been constituted, in association with the district administration, Food

and Civil Supply Department, checking squads of Oil companies and Police department. The

joint checking team will randomly make surprise inspection/checking at all the dispensing

stations for adulteration of fuel to ensure quality.

The emission level is high in old vehicles compared to new vehicles and hence it is necessary

to identify the old transport vehicles with more than 15 years of service, which are emitting

excess smoke. A Red colour band is painted on such vehicles for easy identification for

inspections. At the time of inspections these vehicles are subjected to stricter check for

emission standards.

With a view to reducing vehicular air pollution, vehicle manufacturers are introducing new

vehicles in the market with eco friendly alternative fuels like electricity, Battery operated

LPG &/ CNG fitted, etc. which has less or zero emission of pollutants.

Industrial Air Pollution

5.33. Industrial sector is a substantial contributor of pollutant emissions (22.5%) as well as a

large consumer of electricity (24%). This sector also has led to a lot of GHG emissions in the

form of reducing the capacity of natural carbon sinks i.e. land‐use change by demanding land

diversion from agriculture and forestry. Since it also demands a lot of water and minerals, the use

of all of which leads to emission of air pollutants, the need for responsible management of this

sector becomes paramount. Since the Industrial Revolution, concentrations of carbon dioxide

have increased by nearly thirty percent, concentrations of methane have more than doubled, and

nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about fifteen percent. These gases are released

through the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal, which are used to operate

cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses, and run factories.

5.34. The KSPCB issues conditional consent to establish/operate water/air polluting industries

stipulating discharge standards. The KSPCB has set time schedule for inspection and monitoring

of industries/organizations falling under Red, Orange and Green Categories. The Red category

industry is inspected once in a month, Orange category is inspected once in six months and

Green category is inspected once in a year. KSPCB has set itself goals to meet the environmental

challenge through initiatives that will ensure cleaner air, safe water and ensure compliance by

stakeholders. Statistics about air pollution control status of industries is discussed in Chapter 11.

23

Stack monitoring analysis sector wise

5.35. KSPCB monitored 1,609 industrial stacks during the year 2015-16 (KSPCB, 2016).

Generally air pollutants like PM and SO2 are being monitored based on the industrial sectors.

The Chimneys established at Cement Plant, Thermal Power Plant, Sugar Plants, Distilleries,

Pharmaceutical industries, incinerators, etc are being monitored regularly by the Board.

5.36. Air pollution is a complicated issue and is most often a symptom of inadequate planning.

Lack of power supply leads to the use of diesel generator sets; lack of buses to support the public

transport leads to higher use of personal vehicles; lack of infrastructure to promote walking and

cycling leads to more motorized transport; lack of road maintenance and traffic management by

allowing on-road parking leads to congestion; lack of an adequate waste management system

leads to garbage being left behind and often burnt in residential areas; and lack of paved or

covered roads leads to re-suspension of dust, when vehicles are passing by.

5.37. The fact that air pollution is an externality from multiple sectors implies that it needs to

be addressed by multiple ministries that are willing to coordinate with one another. Technical

solutions alone, like introducing CNG or changing standards for vehicles and industries, will not

be sufficient to control air pollution in Indian cities. We need a change in the institutional setup

in ways that will allow Departments and Ministries to work together and in sync.

5.38. Air pollution damages health of human, animal and plants. It also impacts on agricultural

production as well as forests, causing yield losses. The emission of mercury from solid waste,

and medical activity needs further in depth monitoring and documentation; so is the emission

from incineration/crematorium.

Health impacts of air pollution

5.39. Air pollution is one of the serious environmental problems faced by the people globally,

especially in urban areas of developing countries. Air pollution is associated with short-term and

long-term increase in ill-health and mortality, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory

diseases, upper and lower respiratory infections, and lung cancer (Cohen et al 2004). New

epidemiological studies conducted over the last decade have identified adverse health effects

caused by air pollution, even at low ambient concentrations that generally prevail in cities in

North America and Western Europe (Health Effects Institute 2004).

Fig. 20: Typical lung of urban resident with pollutant trapped in alveoli of lungs

24

5.40. Apart from pollutants monitored, there are innumerable numbers of chemicals that are

discovered all over the world. As on 22nd

May 2017 more than 130 million organic and

inorganic substances and 67 million sequences were registered in Chemical Abstracts

Service (CAS) which is a division of the American Chemical Society (CAS, 2017). These

chemicals which are part of various products would obviously escape to environment in different

quantities, whose impact on environment is little or hardly understood.

Change in Lung spaces/land use on air Environment

5.41. The Land use and its changes can significantly contribute to overall climate change.

Vegetation and soils typically act as a carbon sink, storing carbon dioxide that is absorbed

through photosynthesis. When the land is disturbed, the stored carbon dioxide along with

methane and nitrous oxide is emitted, re-entering the atmosphere. The clearing of land can result

in soil degradation, erosion and the leaching of nutrients, which can also possibly reduce its

ability to act as a carbon sink. This reduction in the ability to store carbon can result in additional

carbon dioxide remaining in the atmosphere, thereby increasing the total amount of GHGs. The

WHO has recommended a minimum green space of 9.5 M2/person considering the services like

Oxygen, moderation of micro-climate, etc, and goods of an urban environment. Estimates

indicate that about six tons of carbon is sequestered by one ha of forest annually, and this

averages out as the carbon sequestration of 6 kg/tree/year. Per capita respiratory carbon ranges

from 192 – 328 kg/year depending on the physiology of human. Generally, the carbon dissipated

through respiration varies from 525 – 900 gm/day/person.

Impact on AAQ

5.42. There are two types of land use change: direct anthropogenic (human-caused) changes

and indirect changes. Average temperatures in city centers can increase even more due to the

high density of construction materials such as pavement and roofing materials, since they tend to

absorb, rather than reflect, sunlight. The phenomenon of higher urban temperatures, compared to

lower temperature in the surrounding area is known as urban heat island.

5.43. Many lung spaces, which were part of urban landscape, vanished due to real estate boom

and migration. Open spaces like lakes, parks, playgrounds, unoccupied government/private

lands, etc. became slums, make shift market, parking lot, dump yard or gated communities.

Reduction in the green cover due to cutting of trees for infrastructure development also

contributes to increase in dust concentration in the ambient air.

Best practices of controlling air pollution

5.44. Air pollution is a complicated issue and is most often a symptom of inadequate urban

planning. The cities across the globe adopt combination of different strategies, which include

spraying of water on roads, development and protection of green spaces, congestion tax, proper

parking policy, imposing heavy fine for owning 2nd

car, encouragement of green fuel, usage of

solar energy, electric vehicles, preference to green taxies, green procurement by government

agencies, etc.

Industrial Sector

5.45. The best practices to control air pollution from industrial sector across the globe include:

adoption of green technologies, adoption of 5R strategy, shifting of polluting industries to less

populated and less sensitive area, control of emission by required air pollution control equipment

and development of green belt over larger area.

25

Transportation sector

5.46. Optimized profile descent (OPD) or Continuous descent approach (CDA) has been

used in many airports to reduce noise and air pollution. In this method, an aircraft approaches

the airport in a smooth, constant-angle descent during landing instead of a stair step fashion

requesting permission to move down to each new altitude. In-flight operations cover climb-out to

about 914 m above ground and descend from 914 m to ground. The 914 m elevation is assumed

to be the top of the temperature inversion below which atmosphere dispersion would be poor.

The pollutants below this level would most likely affect the community near the airport, whereas

above 914 m the pollutants are dispersed more thoroughly (John, 1977). Good practices in road

transportation sector include:

Motor vehicle restraints

Creation of Automobile-free zones;

Ban of inefficient vehicles;

Encouraging non-motorized transport (animal driven, bicycle, walking, push/pull

cart);

Regulation of office/business timings;

Regulation of school timings;

Restriction on delivery times; and

Selective vehicle entry permits.

Control of fuel

Ensure zero fuel adulteration;

Increase number of electric vehicles;

Increasing cost of fuels;

Restrict the amount of fuel per vehicle/person for vehicles used by private

transports.

Reduce sulphur content from fuel; and

Phase out leaded fuel with un-leaded fuel.

Motor vehicle emission reduction

Changing or improving the technology;

Interdiction of Gasoline vapour control;

Idling limitations; and

Inspection and maintenance.

Improvement of mass transportation

Bus lanes on city streets, as well as freeways;

Introduction of trams, metros, rapid transportation system;

Improving service of public transportation;

Creating One way streets to buses only; and

Reducing cost of public transportation.

Regulation

Banning old vehicles;

Introduce Bicycle lanes;

Proper Land-use/urban planning;

Introduce Parking policy;

Introduce Parking surcharge;

Increase minimum age requirement for obtaining driving licence;

Relocating industry/university/government offices to reduce population;

Introduce Road user tax; and

26

Incorporate proper urban planning.

Voluntary approaches

Car-pooling;

Car-pooling and ride-sharing; and

Use of video conferencing rather than physical meeting.

Traffic flow improvements

Congestion tax;

Loading regulation;

One way street operation; and

Parking restriction.

Methods of control of air pollution

5.47. The strategies for controlling point sources of pollution can be categorized in terms of

legislative regulation, management improvement (including economic incentives) and

technology applications. Setting laws, regulations and standards has proved the most successful

control strategy in most countries around the world. Management improvement is attracting

increasingly wide attention, and is often found to be a very cost-effective supplement to law

enforcement. There are a substantial number of technologies available for reducing pollution

loads from point sources, but the emphasis has largely shifted from “end-of-pipe” treatment to

cleaner production and efficient industrial ecology. These approaches have shown significant

potential for preventing air pollution, and need more continuous development effort. Table-13

gives the methods of air pollution control with examples.

Table-13: Methods of Air Pollution control with example

Type of

pollution

Level Mode of

control

Example

Air 1 Engineering Change in fuel, Change in composition of fuel,

Improvement in engine technology, improvement in road,

Improvement in manufacturing technology, improvement

in pollution control equipment

2 Administrative Legislation, financial instrument (tax, fine, subsidy, tax

rebate, awards and rewards), issuing directions, case

against defaulters, disconnection of power/water supply,

imprisonment, migration policy, changing investors

destination, Change in age limit for driving license,

increase in number of enforcing officers, build capacity of

enforcing institutions, awareness, increase in trees, urban

planning, proper solid waste management

3 Personal

protective

equipment

Protective clothing, respirator, goggles, face shield

5.48. Curbing air pollution needs long-term and short-term planning. Short-term planning

includes spraying water in urban areas, either by vehicle mounted water tanks or by fixed pipes

27

using treated sewage. Spraying not only reduces the re-suspension, but it also reduces urban heat

island effect.

5.49. Long-term planning includes counter-urbanization by reducing influx of people and moving jobs

outside the polluted cities. Reducing influx of people can be done by stopping establishment/expansion of

industries and educational institutions. Jobs can be moved outside the city by providing incentives to

industries, shifting government authorities, research institutions and universities. The 1946 New Towns

Act in England established an ambitious programme for building new towns. It gave the government

power to designate areas of land for new town development. It was intended to accommodate the

overspill of population from London. Since 1950, counter-urbanization has been occurring in Most

Economic Developed Countries (MEDCs), as urban areas are becoming unpleasant place to live due o

pollution, crime and traffic.

5.50. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had in 2016 directed Delhi Government to sprinkle water on

roads to contain dust, an initiative which can be adopted in Bengaluru using treated wastewater which is

mostly unutilized.

Recommendation to policy makers

5.51. The ambient air quality analysis has revealed that in many commercial (even in some

residential area) and in many industrial areas the RSPM values have exceeded the national

ambient air quality standard. The overall pollution issue cannot be said to be fully under

control. In view of the fact that the state has been encouraging setting up of more industries, the

need for additional land, water, raw materials and energy has to be carefully considered in a

holistic manner. Keeping in view the issue of dealing with industrial wastes and contribution to

Global Warming, very high levels of diligence are required in determining how much more

industrialisation, what type of industrialisation and in which parts of the state, is in the interest of

the state. Various stake holders in such a policy making should be effectively involved. Based

on the above discussions following policy interventions are recommended to policy makers:

Arresting the exponential growth of vehicle population.

Restrict/rationing the sale of fuel to the private vehicles.

Green tax can be imposed on fuel and electricity usage as well which can be used for

growing trees.

Issues of affordable price in public transport and attractiveness of fares and services

should be addressed urgently to reduce vehicular pollution.

Resolve slow traffic issues in urban areas contributing to huge quantities of GHG

emissions, and also in wastage of petroleum products.

Modify transportation systems on scientific basis.

Impose proper limit on the operating life of vehicles or link it to certain efficiencies.

Enforce compulsory greening around factories and in buffer zones.

Pollution control at source should gain much higher importance and

Emission controls in unorganized sectors.

Noise Pollution 5.52. Noise pollution is a physical form of pollution. Noise pollution is the result of modern

industrialized urban life and congestion due to over population. Repeated exposure to noise

reduces the sleeping hours and productivity or efficiency of a human being. It affects the peace

of mind and invades the privacy of a human being.

28

5.53. The Central Government notified the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules,

2000, as published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II –section 3(ii), vide S.O 123 (E)

dated 14.2.2000. The Ambient Air Quality Standards in Respect of Noise are notified under

Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.The enforcing authority for noise pollution

control includes any authority or officer authorized by the central government or by the state

government in accordance with the laws in force, and includes District Magistrate, Police

Commissioner, or any other officer designated for the maintenance of the ambient air quality

standards in respect of noise under any law for the time being in force. The Noise Standards are

given in the Table-14.

Table-14: Ambient Air Quality Standard in Respect of Noise in India Area Code Category of Area /Zone

Limit in dB(A) Leq*

Day Time Night Time

A Industrial Area 75 70

B Commercial Area 65 55

C Residential Area 55 45

D Silence Zone 50 40

5.54. Noise pollution continues to cause serious health impacts, particularly in urban areas.

Road traffic is the greatest contributor to noise exposure in Karnataka, apart from music/sports

/marriage/rallies/crackers/construction/demolition/drilling bore well. Whilst its potential to

contribute to dangerous impacts is clear, tackling noise pollution is challenging.

5.55. The urban population is exposed to high levels of road traffic noise above prescribed

limit. In addition, many people are also exposed to rail, aircraft and industrial noise. The average

exposure to noise in urban agglomerations increases with increase in population in the urban

agglomeration. Environmental noise is a source of annoyance and has been linked with increased

risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke (WHO, 2009; JRC, 2013).

Noise sources and levels at different zones

5.56. The KSPCB monitors the noise levels whenever complaints are received and the data is

shared with the police for further regulation. The KSPCB has established 10 continuous ambient

noise monitoring stations in Bengaluru city with help of CPCB. These monitoring stations

represent commercial, industrial, residential and sensitive areas. The results of noise level

monitored in 2015-16, through these continuous monitoring stations are presented in Table-15

and Fig. 21.

Table-15: Noise levels monitored by KSPCB in 2015-16

Sl.

No.

Name of the

station

(Bengaluru)

Limit

dB

(A)

Leq

Day Time %

increase

Limits

dB(A)

Leq

Night Time % Increase

Leq L

min

L

max

Leq Lmin Lmax

29

1 Peenya

Industrial Area

75 58.8 50.0 71.9 Within

Limit

70 55.6 49.9 73.1 Within

Limit

2 White field

Industrial Area

75 65.9 58.4 83.9 Within

Limit

70 60.6 50.7 74.1 Within

Limit

3 ParisaraBhavan,

Chirch Street

65 66.2 54.7 76.7 1.9% 55 59.1 49.2 72.9 7.6%

4 Yeshwanthpur

Police Station

65 71.3 64.7 82.4 9.7% 55 63.4 54.4 73.8 15.3%

5 Marathahalli 65 58.2 52.8 71.7 Within

Limit

55 56.7 52.6 66.6 3.1%

6 NisargaBhavan

KSPCB Office

55 58.2 47.3 81.3 5.8% 45 49.7 41.2 71.4 10.4%

7 TERI Office,

Domlur

55 63.2 48 81.6 14.9% 45 54.8 38.9 71.9 21.7%

8 BTM Layout 55 65.8 57.0 86.4 19.6% 45 58.9 46.9 72.4 30.8%

9 NIMHANS IGH

Care

50 60.9 48.8 87.2 21.8% 40 54.4 40.8 78.8 36.0%

10 RVCE, Mysore

Road

50 59.7 53.2 78.1 19.4% 10 53.9 47.6 67.6 34.8%

(Source: KSPCB annual report, 2015-16)

Note: Day time shall mean from 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM; Night time shall mean from 10.00 PM to

6.00 AM; Silence zone is an area comprising not less than 100 meters around Hospitals,

Educational Institutions, Courts, Religious places or any other which is declared as such by the

competent authority.

30

Fig. 21: Noise levels monitored by KSPCB in 2015-16

5.57. Noise quality monitoring was carried out on 20-09-2012 when Bharat Bandh was

observed, and it was revealed that there was a reduction by 4 to 10 percent indicating

contribution of noise from transportation/industries/commercial activity is marginal (KSPCB,

2012). The background level of noise itself is near to national standards, making it difficult to

curb noise through engineering and administrative methods, leaving behind the use of personal

protective equipment, as the only option to overcome long term hearing problems.

Industrial Area

5.58. Noise monitoring has been made compulsory for large scale industries. The noise levels

monitored by KSPCB in Peenya Industrial area and Whitefield industrial area are within the

limits of prescribed Noise standards.

Residential Area

5.59. As indicated in Table-15, the residential areas have seen marginal increase in noise level

mainly due to vehicular traffic.

Commercial Area

5.60. As indicated in Table-15, the commercial areas have also shown increase in noise level

mainly due to vehicular traffic.

Silence Zone

5.61. As indicated in Table-15, the silence zone where the noise is measured saw increase in

noise level, mainly due to vehicular traffic. But the data is site specific, as they are located

adjacent to busy roads, where vehicular traffic has witnessed increase in the total flow of

vehicles.

Best practices of controlling noise pollution

31

5.62. Multifunctional green infrastructure plays a role in temperature regulation, adaptation to

climate change, increased biodiversity, protection against noise, reduction of air pollution,

prevention of soil erosion, as well as prevention of flooding.

Industrial Sector

5.63. Apart from improvement in design of machineries, operation and installation of noise

barriers, green areas can also help in reducing urban noise levels to great extent. Hence green

area needs to be protected by the concerned authority, which is otherwise being encroached for

slums and illegal use by private occupants.

Residential area

5.64. Public awareness and citizen engagement would benefit in reduction of noise level. The

most effective actions are those that reduce noise at source, for example by not bursting crackers,

avoiding noise in public/private events, decreasing noise emissions of individual vehicles by

regular servicing and introducing quieter tyres.

Commercial area

5.65. Reduction of exposure to noise is an important public health issue that must be addressed

by both state and local measures. Examples of local measures include setting up of road or rail

noise barriers, where appropriate, or managing flight movements around airport locations.

Silence Zone

5.66. Silence zones are no more silent due to migration and increase in urban population

around silent zones. Further visit of rural population to health care establishment also makes the

area busy and noisy. The state has continuously enhanced the health and education infrastructure

in rural areas which has had positive impact on environment as unnecessary travelling to urban

area has been reduced and as a result, the connected pollution issues have been contained to

some extent.

Recommendation to policy makers

5.67. Noise pollution can be controlled by the following methods:

Admission of different types of vehicles on various roads;

Imposition of restrictions of traffic hours;

Imposing restrictions of operation hours for various urban functional zones;

Establishment of suitable buffer zones around residential areas in order to insulate from

noise emanating areas such as industrial, commercial, road, railway traffic, etc.

5.68. Table-16 illustrates the methods of Noise Pollution Control with examples:

Table-16: Methods of Noise Pollution Control with examples

Type of

pollution

Level Mode of

control

Example

32

Noise 1 Engineering Improvement in engine technology, improvement in road

condition, Improvement in manufacturing technology,

providing noise barrier, providing in built noise control

equipment like Silencer, Mufflers etc.

2 Administrative Legislation, financial instrument (tax, fine, subsidy, tax

rebate, awards and rewards), issuing directions, case

against defaulters, disconnection of power/water supply,

imprisonment, migration policy, changing investors

destination, Change in age limit for driving license,

increase in number of enforcing officers, capacity

building of enforcing institutions, awareness, increase in

trees, urban planning

3 Personal

protective

equipment

Ear plug

Water Pollution

5.69. Water pollution is presence in water of harmful and objectionable material in sufficient

concentrations to make it unfit for use. Pollution of freshwater (drinking water) is a problem for

about half of the world's population. Each year there are about 250 million cases of water-related

diseases, with roughly 5 to 10 million deaths. Diseases caused by the ingestion of water

contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites include cholera, typhoid,

schistosomiasis, dysentery and other diarrheal diseases.

Water Resources

5.70. "Water is an important natural resource to touch all aspects of human civilization from

agricultural and industrial development to the cultural and religious values embedded in society."

(Koichiro Matsuura, 2008).

5.71. Developed countries are using comparatively less water for agriculture and more for

industrial and domestic purposes, while the developing countries in Asia and Africa use 80-90%

of the water for agriculture and only 5-12% of the water for industrial use. This is reflecting on

inefficient use of water in agriculture and poor investments in industrial development. With the

urbanization and industrial development, the usage of water is likely to increase in the coming

years. The per capita water consumption in India will increase from the current level of 99 litres

per day to 167 litres per day in 2050.

Surface Water

5.72. Karnataka is endowed with limited water resources that are already stressed and fast

depleting. Water resources are considered to be under severe threat in Karnataka. The state has

seven river basins and receives a total of 236 billion m3 of water every year, 92% of it through

rainfall. Around 47% are ‘lost’ through evapo-transpiration and another 46 % flow into the

33

Arabian Sea, into Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The state meets its requirement from the

remainder of about 7.5% paired with ground water. There are nearly 37,000 tanks and lakes with

a water spread area of 6.9 lakh hectares and more than 20,000 irrigation tanks.

5.73. The sectoral demands for water are growing rapidly on account of increase in population,

urbanization, rapid industrialization and rising incomes. About 77% of the total geographical

area of the state is arid or semi‐arid; drought is a threat, as two thirds of the state receive less than

750 mm rainfall per annum. Karnataka ranks second in India, next only to Rajasthan, in terms of

total geographical area prone to drought. Fifty-four (54) % of total geographical area of the state

is drought prone, affecting 88 out of 177 taluks and 18 of 30 districts.

Ground Water

5.74. Karnataka state has a total geographical area of 1,91,791 square kilometres. The Central

Ground Water Board (CGWB) is monitoring water levels in the state through 1,936 monitoring

stations, as a part of ‘Ground Water Monitoring’ program. The state is divided into 10 agro-

climatic zones on the basis of climate, soil, topography, cropping pattern and availability of

water resources.

5.75. The depth to water level recorded in the state during May 2015 is ranging from 0.05 mbgl

to 30.0 mbgl. The results of the monitoring reveal that 11 % of wells have water level less than 2

mbgl, 27% of wells have water level in the range of 2 to 5 mbgl and 40 % of wells have water

level in the range of 5 to 10 mbgl. Thus, about 77% of the analyzed wells have water level within

10 mbgl. Moderately deep water levels of 10 to 20 mbgl are seen in 22% of wells and deep water

levels of > 20 mbgl is found in about 1% of the analyzed wells. A total of 148 stations were

found to be dry during the period. The map shows that the depth to water levels in the range of 5

to 10 mbgl is recorded in entire Karnataka state. Depth to water level in the range of <2 mbgl is

observed in isolated patches in Bangalore Urban, Belgaum, Bellary, Chikmagalur, Chitradurga,

Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere, Haveri, Kodagu, Koppala, Mandya, Mysore, Raichur, Shimoga,

Tumkur, Yadgiri, Udupi and Chamrajanagar districts. Depth to water level in the range of 2-5

mbgl and 10-20 mbgl is noticed in almost all parts of the state. Depth to water level of more than

20 mbgl is observed in Bidar, Dharwad, Gadag, Koppala, Hassan, Kodagu and Mysore districts.

5.76. The chemical quality of ground water collected from 1,110 National Hydrograph Network

(NHN) stations representing the shallow aquifers during May 2014 indicated that 80 % of the

samples in the state were in the ‘desirable limits for drinking. About 97 % samples show

‘permissible limit’ for drinking water. About 3% of the samples show more than ‘permissible

limit’ which is not considered for drinking purpose. In respect of chloride, 99% samples are

within ‘permissible’ limits for drinking and about 1 % samples are unsuitable for drinking

purpose. Nitrate concentration in ground water indicated that 80% of the samples in the state are

found to be under ‘desirable limit’ and 20% samples are beyond permissible limits. Similarly

fluoride analysis indicates that 87 % of the samples contained fluoride concentration in the

‘permissible’ (1.5 mg/l) range. Thus, about 13 % of the samples are in the ‘unsuitable’ range of

drinking water standards.

Consumption Pattern – At Regional level

34

5.77. The total demand for domestic consumption of water in urban areas is projected to

increase from 46 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) per year in 2011 to about 84 TMC by 20306.

An additional supply of about 49 TMC annually would be needed to close the demand-supply

gap. The Greater Bangalore region will account for two-thirds of the additional water

requirement and hence it requires significant attention from the policy makers.

Domestic

5.78. Out of the above gap of 49 TMC in 2030 (vis-à-vis existing supply levels), 33 TMC is

likely to be in the Greater Bangalore area alone. An additional 16 TMC of demand would be split

between the remaining 210+ cities and towns with the majority of growth concentrated in the 51

largest cities. There are several implications for this demand – supply situation:

1. Bangalore is likely to account for about two-thirds of urban water demand by 2030 and hence

needs highest attention of policy-makers;

2. Consumptive demand for water is only about 20%;

3. Wastewater management is also critical from the perspective of sustainability; and

4. There are significant variations in water supply, availability across urban areas, reflecting the

need to focus attention on selected medium and small cities facing acute water scarcity

Industrial

5.79. The total demand of water in the industrial sector increases more than three times, from

about 26 TMC/year in 2011 to 85 TMC in 2030. The power sector accounts for about half of this

water demand with a potential increased requirement of 34 TMC. In terms of regional

distribution, close to 90 percent of industrial water demand is in the Krishna basin. This fact

reflects the need to focus on industrial water availability in this basin. Ensuring water availability

in the dry season is especially crucial for continuous operation of power plants and other

industrial activities.

5.80. The steel sector witnessed slowing down of activity due to a recent mining restrictions

imposed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. It is reasonable to assume that activity will significantly

rise once these restrictions are removed. The overall increase in water requirement from steel

sector is expected to rise from about 2.7 TMC to 10 TMC in a Business-As-Usual scenario.

Other key sectors consuming water in Karnataka are sugar, cement and textiles. Information

Technology (IT) and Information technology enabled services (ITES) sectors are largely located

in Bangalore and their water demand is largely met through allocations to the city. Some key

considerations related to the pattern of demand growth in the industrial sector are as follows:

Consumptive use of water in industry is lower than the freshwater withdrawals; however it

may not be as low as 2.5 percent due to increasing focus on re-use and Zero Liquid

Discharge; and

Ensuring water availability in lean season is very important, which is proving to be

increasingly challenging.

Agriculture

5.81. Agriculture and associated activities including animal husbandry, fish/prawn/crab

cultivation, sericulture, mushroom cultivation, floriculture, horticulture, etc. demand huge

quantities of water. Many modern practices demand huge quantities of agro chemicals (Table-

6Based on water requirement norms prevalent in the State (norm of 150 lpcd (litres per capita per day) for Bangalore

Metropolitan area, 135 lpcd for other Municipal Corporations and 100 lpcd for other towns).

35

17 and 18) which enter soil, air and water in its original form or after modification due to series

of chemical reactions.

Table-17: Consumption of Chemical Pesticides in Karnataka during 2010-11 to 2015-16

as on 09.11.2016(Tech. Grade)

Year 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Consumption in MT 1858 1412 1615 1735 1793

(Source: Department of Agriculture, GOK)

5.82. Per hectare consumption of fertilizer, which was more than double in the year 2008-09

compared to the year 1991-92, reached its peak in the year 2011-12 and decreased afterwards.

The biggest issue facing the use of chemical fertilizers is water contamination, which includes

both surface water and groundwater. Nitrogen fertilizers break down into Nitrates and travel

easily through the soil and remain in groundwater for decades. Addition of more Nitrogen and

depletion of groundwater over the years has cumulative effect. Effects of chemical fertilizers are

compounded with use of pesticides and are not fully understood both in terms of nature of

reaction and effect of health of humans. Urea produces Ammonia emanation, contributing to acid

rain, groundwater contamination, as well as Ozone depletion due to release of Nitrous Oxide by

de-nitrification process.

Fig. 22: Death of trees adjacent to waste dump

due to infiltration of leachet into aquifer

36

Table-18: Year-wise and nutrient-wise use of fertilizers in Karnataka State

Sl.

No.

Year Fertilizers used per hectare Ratio of fertilizers used Nutrient wise consumption

N P K Total N P K N P K Total

1. 1991-92 30.1 23.6 13.4 67.1 2.20 1.80 1 4.50 2.90 1.70 9.10

2. 1992-93 35.4 20.9 10.1 66.4 3.50 2.10 1 4.30 2.60 1.20 8.10

3. 1993-94 38 17.4 9.4 64.8 4.00 1.90 1 4.70 2.20 1.20 8.10

4. 1994-95 41.2 16.9 10.5 68.5 3.90 1.60 1 5.00 2.00 1.30 8.20

5. 1995-96 44.9 20.5 13 78.3 3.50 1.60 1 5.00 2.00 1.30 8.20

6. 1996-97 43.3 16 9.8 69.1 4.40 1.60 1 5.00 2.00 1.30 8.20

7. 1997-98 50.6 26.3 15.8 92.8 3.20 1.70 1 6.10 3.20 1.90 11.10

8. 1998-99 51.9 27.3 14.1 90.2 3.70 1.90 1 6.40 3.40 1.70 11.50

9. 1999-2000 55.3 30.4 17.5 103.2 3.2 1.7 1 6.80 3.70 2.20 12.70

10. 2000-01 60.5 31.7 19.2 111.4 3.10 1.70 1 6.80 3.70 2.20 12.70

11. 2001-02 57 31 19 107 3.07 1.65 1 6.71 3.60 2.18 1.25

12. 2002-03 52 26 17 95 3.08 1.56 1 6.01 3.04 1.95 11.00

13. 2003-04 43 21 16 80 2.65 1.29 1 4.93 2.40 1.87 9.20

14. 2004-05 51 28 21 101 2.40 1.33 1 7.54 4.35 3.35 15.25

15. 2005-06 58 33 26 117 2.25 1.30 1 7.54 4.35 3.35 15.25

16. 2006-07 61 35 23 119 2.60 1.50 1 7.56 4.38 2.91 14.86

17. 2007-08 61 31 27 119 2.31 1.15 1 7.92 3.93 2.43 15.28

18. 2008-09 70 45 33 148 2.11 1.37 1 8.64 5.59 4.09 18.32

19. 2009-10 75 49 36 160 2.07 1.35 1 9.63 6.30 4.66 20.58

20. 2010-11 78 53 30 162 2.55 1.75 1 10.16 6.96 3.98 21.10

21. 2011-12 92 65 28 184 3.32 2.36 1 11.04 7.87 3.33 22.23

22. 2012-13 76 33 21 130 3.57 1.56 1 8.92 3.86 2.50 15.27

23. 2013-14 80 38 22 140 3.73 1.75 1 9.45 4.42 2.57 17.57

24. 2014-15 85 42 28 156 3.01 1.50 1 10.01 4.98 3.32 18.32

25. 2015-16 79 42 25 146 3.23 1.71 1 9.30 4.93 2.88 17.11

[Source: Karnataka State Department of Agriculture (2015)]

37

Others

5.83. Karnataka exemplifies the problems with respect to significant regional and temporal

disparities in water availability. The total water availability of Karnataka is 3,200 TMC, which is

1,500 cubic metres per person per year for all water uses including food production. As per the

Falkenmark7 indicator, which is widely used to measure water scarcity, Karnataka would be

classified as experiencing “Water Stress”. However, closer examination of regional distribution

of water resources reveals that more than 2,000 TMC of water is available in West Flowing

Rivers, emanating from the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats Region. There are rivers that

travel very short distances and rapidly discharge in the Arabian Sea, and are presently not

utilizable except for a small percentage due to limited potential for use. This situation implies

that the total freshwater availability is increasingly insufficient to meet the needs of all

stakeholders dependent on water.

5.84. In addition, water quality issues are further reducing the effective availability of water.

Surface water bodies are polluted due to increasing discharge from untreated municipal sewage

and industrial effluents. The Bio-Mapping report on major rivers of Karnataka by KSPCB has

indicated changes in environmental quality of water sources especially in the industrialized

regions. While the state is facing severe depletion of ground water table due to over-exploitation,

it is also facing rapidly growing ground water pollution in many parts of the state. About 64 of

the 234 watersheds have serious water quality problems in the state as per the recent analysis of

ground water samples by the Department of Mines and Geology. Ground water is polluted with

excess concentration of fluoride, arsenic, iron, nitrate and salinity due to both anthropogenic and

geogenic factors in parts of the state.

5.85. As per 2011 census, out of 6,10,95,297 people who reside in Karnataka, 2,36,25,962

people live in urban areas and out of the urban population, 32,91,434 live in slums. This means

that ‘polluter pays principle’ can not be imposed on 13.95% of the urban population in addition

to the rural population. Further the slums are not planned during development or expansion of

any city, but they emerge slowly or un-noticed and become part of cities posing fresh demand for

urban space, water, fresh air, etc. Many times they are established in lung spaces and in natural

water drainage meant for flow of excess water during flooding.

5.86. Table-19 shows per capita resource demand and waste generation of a citizen.

Table-19: Per capita Resource Demand and Waste generation of a citizen

Sl.

No.

Particular Quantity

1. Waste generation Solid waste 0.12 to 5.1 kg per person per day

2. Sewage 100 lpcd

3. Resource consumption Water 120 lpcd

4. Fresh Air 10 l/s or 864000 l/d (864 m3/d)

5. Cereals* 396 g/d

6. Pulses* 43 g/d

7. Leafy Vegetables* 58 g/d

8. Other Vegetables* 45 g/d

9. Roots & tubers 40 g/d

10. Milk* 200 g/d

7 “A Review of Water Scarcity Indices and Methodologies” by Sustainability Consortium – April, 2011.

38

11. Fats & Oils* 31 g/d

12. Sugar/Jaggery* 31 g/d

13. Energy** 17731 Mega Joules

*FAO(2017)

**Per capita Energy demand in 2014-15 (Source: Central Statistics Office (2016))

*** World Bank (2012)

5.87. Increase in population also means increase in agricultural products. The vegetables

consumed would impose 322 l/kg of vegetable produced whereas fruits demand 962 l/kg of

water and Bovine meat demand 14,414 l/kg of water (Mkonnen and Hoekstr, 2010)

5.88. As per the information published by Directorate of plant protection, quarantine and

storage (Dppqs, 2017), the Technical Grade pesticide consumption decreased from 1,858 t in

2010-11 to 1434 t in 2015-16. But considering the life of these chemicals, they may become

airborne, get into soil, enter bodies of water, or be taken up by plants and animals leading to

biomagnifications at each level of food chain.

5.89. As per Rose et al (2015), results showed that the median fecal wet mass production was

128 g/cap/day, with a median dry mass of 29 g/cap/day. Fecal output in healthy individuals was

1.20 defecations per 24 hr period and the main factor affecting fecal mass was the fiber intake of

the population. Median urine generation rates were 1.42 L/cap/day with a dry solids content of

59 g/cap/day. Apart from human excreta per capita values of solid waste generate in south Asia

range from 0.12 to 5.1 kg per person per day and an average of 0.45 kg/capita/day (World Bank,

2012).

5.90. Karnataka is India’s 7th

most urbanized State in India with 271 Urban Local Bodies

(ULBs):

BBMP and other 10 City Corporations

City Municipal Council– 57

Town Municipal Council- 113

Town Panchayats- 90

5.91. In the 2001 census, 16.2 million persons out of total population of 52.8 million in

Karnataka were migrants. This number increased from 9.1 million in 1971 to 11.7 million in

1981 to 13.3 million in 199l and 16.2 million in 2001.The states of Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra

as well as Karnataka receive 64.1 percent of the intra state migrant workers in the age group 15-

32 years whereas Bihar and Uttar Pradesh account for 59 percent of migrant workers who leave

their place of usual residence (Chandrasekar and Ajay, 2014). Migration into Karnataka from

outside has posed demand on water resources and increased environmental burden.

Water Quality Status of Major Rivers of Karnataka

5.92. The abstract of number of water samples (river, lake, ground water) analyzed during

2015-16 in KSPCB given in Table-20:

39

Table-20: Water Samples Analyzed by Central Laboratory and Regional Laboratories

Sl.

No Type of sample No of samples

1. River Water 422

2. Ground water 3214

3. Lake/tank water 1212

4. NWMP – Rivers, Tributaries, Lakes and Tanks, 2079 Source: Annual Report of KSPCB for the year 2015-2016

5.93. In Karnataka, there are seven River systems, namely, Godhavari, Krishna, Cauvery,

North Pennar, South Pennar, Palar and West flowing Rivers. Major Rivers in the State are

Krishna and Cauvery which cover 78.47% of total drainage area and west flowing Rivers such as

Mahadayi, Kali, Bedthi (Gangavali), Aghanashini, Sharavathi, Chakra, Varahi, Netravathi,

Barpole, etc. cover 12.73%. The KSPCB is monitoring water quality of Rivers including

tributaries, drains at 84 stations in the state under National Water Quality Monitoring

Programme, which also includes the monitoring of 120 lakes.

5.94. The CPCB has specified Primary Water Quality Criteria depending on the designated

best use and activities in the river. The classifications are:

Class ‘A’ – Drinking water source without conventional treatment but after disinfection.

Class ‘B’ – Out door bathing (organized).

Class ‘C’ – Drinking water source with conventional treatment followed by disinfection.

Class ‘D’ – Propagation of wild life, fisheries.

Class ‘E’ – Irrigation, Industrial Cooling, Controlled Waste disposal.

40

Fig. 23: Classification of River Water Quality in Karnataka

5.95. The Monitoring results reveal that the quality of River water is affected due to the

discharge of sewage. By and large, most of the River stretches fall under "C" category which

means that the water is fit for domestic use after physio-chemical treatment and disinfection.

41

5.96. At the following three locations, the treated industrial effluents are permitted for

discharge into the Rivers. The water quality at these locations about 100 meters downstream of

the treated effluent discharge point are as under;

Mysore Paper Mill’s treated effluent into Bhadra River near Bhadravathi, Shivamogga

district. Bhadra river water quality downstream of Bhadravathi conforms to ‘D’ Class.

Harihara Poly Fibres-Grasilene Division treated combined effluent into Tungabhadra River

near Harihar, Haveri district. Tungabhadra river water quality downstream of Harihara

Polyfibres conforms to ‘E’ Class.

West Coast Paper Mills Ltd treated effluent into Kali River near Bangur Nagar near

Dandeli, Uttara Kannada district. Kali river water quality, monitored indicates that at the

downstream of the industry, it conforms to ‘C’ Class throughout the year except in December

when it conforms to ‘D’ Class.

Ground Water Qualities Status in Major Cities

5.97. Nitrate is a problem in drinking water due to its harmful biological effects. High

concentration can cause Methemoglobinemia and is cited as a risk factor in developing gastric

and intestinal cancer. The distribution of nitrate in the state indicated that the values are in the

range of 0.001 to 360 mg/l. Nitrate in drinking water should not exceed 45 mg/l as per BIS (ISO:

10500: 2012) standard and the highest value 360 mg/l was recorded in the sample collected from

Hulgur, Haveri district. The data indicated that, 80% of the samples in the state are found to be

falling under ‘Acceptable’ classes of BIS Standards. A significant percentage of samples

collected from Bagalkot, Bellary, Belgaum, Bangalore Rural, Gulbarga, Bijapur,

Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Dharwar, Gadag, Hassan, Kolar, Mandya, Mysore,

Shimoga, Raichur, Koppal, Kodagu, Haveri and Tumkur districts showed Nitrate concentration

greater than 45 mg/l, rendering them unsuitable for drinking. The contamination of ground water

by Nitrates is mainly due to anthropogenic causes, owing its origin to septic systems, fertilizers

and livestock wastes.

5.98. One of the essential elements for maintaining normal development of healthy teeth and

bones is Fluoride. Lower concentrations of Fluoride below 0.6mg/l may contribute to dental

caries (cavity formation). However, continuing consumption of higher concentrations, above

1.2mg/l, causes dental Flourosis and in extreme cases even skeletal Flourosis. Most of the

Fluoride found in groundwater is of geogenic origin. The occurrence of Fluoride in ground water

in the state exhibited wide variations from 0.01 mg/l to 6.70 mg/l. The sample collected from

Chadachan, Bijapur district recorded the highest value of 6.7 mg/l. In the state, 87 % of the

samples collected were found to contain Fluoride concentration in the ‘permissible’ (1.5 mg/l)

range. Thus, about 13 % of the analyzed samples are in the ‘unsuitable’ range. The data shows

that a considerable percentage of samples collected from Bagalkot, Bijapur, Bellary, Bangalore

(Urban, Rural) Raichur, Koppala, Gadag, Yadgiri, Chitradurga, Chickballapur, C.R.Nagar,

Davanagere, Gulbarga, Haveri, Kolar, Mandya, Uttara Kannada and Tumkur districts showed

Fluoride concentration beyond 1.5 mg/l rendering them unsuitable for drinking purpose (CGWB,

2016).

5.99. Ground water in terms of quality and quantity is the main problem in Bangalore

compared to other major cities due to:

42

a) Sewage and Industrial pollution;

b) High Nitrate concentration in ground water; and

c) Over exploitation of ground water resources.

5.100. This is due to urbanization which has increased rapidly in the last two decades. The green

cover, tanks and lakes have also diminished leading to depletion in water level. Rapid

urbanization, migration, IT boom, related economic activities, trade and commerce have exerted

enormous pressure and this has increased the discharge of sewage into the lakes. Improper

environmental planning has resulted in establishment of new residential layouts without proper

sewerage system. Even if such systems have been provided, the same have not been connected to

trunk sewers of BWSSB (CGWB, 2012).

5.101. As per CGWB (2012) studies, most of the open wells/bore wells situated in the vicinity

of Vrishbhavathi river are polluted due to discharge of sewage into the river. However, impact

assessment of artificial recharge structures in Bangalore University has revealed that there is

improvement in the quality of ground water in and around Vrishabhavathi valley.

5.102. Further study by CGWB (2012) shows that in Industrial belt of Rajajinagar, Peenya and

Hoskote area, Ground water is slightly alkaline and indicated high concentration of chloride and

magnesium and high Nitrate in all the industrial belts of Hoskeote, Peenya, Rajajinagar and

Kanakapura road. Major part of the shallow ground water ie., 45 % of the area is affected by

high Nitrate content, which may be due to natural sewage and point source pollution whereas,

deeper aquifer is not affected to that extent by high Nitrate content. Due to over exploitation of

ground water resources, water level has gone deeper, thereby leaving the only solution of

building up of ground water resource through artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting

(CGWB, 2012).

Sewage

5.103. As per KSPCB (2016), 3777 MLD of sewage and sullage is generated in Karnataka. The

state is having 53 Sewage Treatment Plants, with cumulative treatment capacity of 1304 MLD

capable of treating of sewage and sullage generated in local bodies all over Karnataka. Around

2473 MLD of waste water is discharged without treatment.

5.104. About 495 Water Supply Schemes are commissioned in the state as on 2016, providing

assured drinking water supply in 196 urban areas, apart from Bangalore. Under Ground Drainage

program, 52 schemes have been commissioned in 49 urban areas, apart from Bangalore

(Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring & Statistics, Government of Karnataka,

2016a).

Trade effluent

5.105. The Board is monitoring treated/untreated waste water from industries for different

quality parameters to verify compliance to consents. The abstract of number of waste water

(trade & sewage), bacteriological and Bio assay water samples analyzed during 2015-16 in all

the laboratories of the Board is illustrated in the Table-21:

43

Table-21: Industrial waste water samples analyzed by Central Laboratory and Regional

Laboratories

Sl. No. Type of sample No of

samples

1. Waste water- trade &sewage(samples as per Act & routine samples) 7,110

2. Bacteriological 2,996

3. Bio-assay 111

Source: Annual Report of KSPCB for the year 2015-2016

5.106. As per Annual Report of KSPCB for the year 2015-2016, only 8,038 industries

contributed to trade effluent. The effluents pose greater challenge as different industries will

have different characteristics and need different treatment.

Status of Common effluent treatment plant (CETP)

5.107. As on March 2016, nine Common Effluent Treatment Plants were operating in

Karnataka, one unit was not in operation and another unit was yet to be commissioned. CETPs

are catering mainly to small and medium scale industries such as metal finishing, textile dyeing,

rice mills, fish mills, etc.

Critical Pollutant Analysis of Effluent from Industries and Domestic sewage

5.108. Environmental pollution has many facets and result in diseases in almost all organ

systems. The quality of both surface and ground water is continuously deteriorating. Flooding

and drought due to climate change may result in more water and health-related issues. Emerging

pollutants like pharmaceuticals and personal care products may be a future concern due to algal

blooms as well as pathogenic microorganisms.

Impact of Water Pollution on Flora, Fauna and Human beings

5.109. The quantitative, ecological and chemical status of water can significantly affect human

health as well as well-being. Their impacts on flora, fauna and human beings can be felt directly,

through lack of access to good quality drinking water, exposure to contaminated water,

inadequate sanitation, as well as consumption of contaminated freshwater and seafood. They can

also be felt, when the ability of ecosystems to provide essential services for human well-being is

damaged.

5.110. Most people in urban Karnataka receive treated drinking water from municipal supply

systems. Nutrients, pesticides, industrial chemicals and household chemicals continue to affect

the quality of surface, ground as well as marine waters. This threatens aquatic ecosystems and

raises concern about potential human health impacts. Chemicals from pharmaceuticals, personal

care products, insecticides, pesticides, toilet cleaners and other consumer products can have

adverse effects on the environment and on human health. Unfortunately, the environmental

pathways and potential human health impacts of these chemicals are not fully understood,

especially when people are exposed to multiple of chemicals.

Pollution Control Measures

For Trade Effluent Treatment

44

5.111. Among the total of 8,038 orange and red industries 6,034 industries had ETP while 839

handed over their effluent to CETPs.

For Domestic Sewage Treatment

5.112. Considering the serious situation, KSPCB issued directions to all urban local bodies of

Karnataka on 05.12.2015 to: (1) comply with revised standards from the date of issuance of

direction; (2) Local bodies without consent shall obtain consent within 60 days; (3) Secondary

treated effluent should be mandatorily sold for use for non-potable purpose. Non potable water to

be allowed for such activities; (4) shall enforce dual piping system in new housing constructions

for use of treated sewage for flushing purpose; (5) submit a time bound action plan for setting up

sewerage system covering proper collection, treatment and disposal of sewage generated in

urban local body within 90 days; (6) new STPs shall be designed to treat and achieve new

standards. The revised sewage discharge standards for sewage treatment plant stipulated with

direction on 05.12.2015 are given in Table-22.

Table-22: The revised sewage discharge standards for sewage treatment plant stipulated

with direction on 05.12.2015

Sl. No. Parameters Parameters Limit

1 pH 6.5-9.0

2 BOD (mg/l) Not more than 10

3 COD (mg/l) Not more than 50

4 TSS (mg/l) Not more than 20

5 NH4-N (mg/l) Not more than 5

6 N-Total (mg/l) Not more than 10

7 Fecal Coliform (MPN/100 ml) Less than 100

Quantum of treated waste water

5.113. Table-23 shows trends in urban population and sewage generation. Rural population does

not have sewers and many households still do not have sanitation. But the situation is changing

as most of the households are providing latrine with septic tank and soak pit.

45

Table-23: Trends in urban population and sewage generation

Year

Populati

on (in

Lakhs)

% urban

populatio

n

Water demand from

Urban population in

cum/d considering

water demand of 120

lpcd

Sewage generation 80%

of water demand

Ex-filtration in cum/d

(15-50%)

reaching ground water

Sewage reaching surface

water (50-85%)

1951 194 22.95 534.28 427.42 64.11-213.17 123.17-363.31

1961 236 22.23 629.55 503.64 75.55-251.82 251.82-428.10

1971 293 24.31 854.74 683.79 102.57-341.90 341.90-581.22

1981 371 28.29 1259.47 1007.58 151.14-503.79 503.79-856.44

1991 448 30.91 1661.72 1329.38 199.41-664.69 664.69-1129.97

2001 527 33.98 2148.90 1719.12 257.87-859.56 859.56-1461.25

2011 611 38.57 2827.95 2262.36 339.35-1131.18 1131.18-1923.01

Source of population: Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring & Statistics, Government of Karnataka (2016a)

5.114. Table-24 below gives the methods of pollution control with some examples.

Table-24: Methods of Pollution control with examples

Type of

pollution

Level Mode of

control

Example

Water 1 Engineering Reduction in water/raw material consumption,

Improvement in manufacturing/pollution control

technology, water treatment at point of consumption,

packaged drinking water, proper solid/liquid waste

management

2 Administrative Legislation, financial instrument (tax, fine, subsidy, tax

rebate, awards and rewards), issuing directions, case

against defaulters, disconnection of power/water supply,

imprisonment, migration policy, changing investors

destination, increase in number of enforcing officers,

46

capacity building of enforcing institutions, awareness

3 Personal

protective

equipment

Protective clothing, face shield, umbrella

47

Augmentation of water resource

Using treated water

5.115. Reuse of treated wastewater has been practiced in most of the industries in Karnataka.

Even though reuse of treated wastewater is practiced in stray cases in the domestic sector, there

is need to enhance this practice, as the entire state is having only 53 STPS in urban local bodies.

Rain water harvesting

5.116. At an average rainfall of 750mm per year, the total available rain water will be 33TMC in

1250 sq.km area of Greater Bengaluru. The BWSSB can utilize 5 to 10 TMC of rain water that

falls in and around the city by utilizing the benefits of the complete remodeled storm water

drains by BBMP, ensuring collection of all the sewage in the sewerage network so that all the

sewage is taken to the treatment plants.

Best practices of controlling water pollution

Industrial Sector

5.117. Control of industrial pollution should start with proper location of industries. Industry

may be encouraged to provide complete recycle/reuse system for water conservation, preferably

by adopting Zero Liquid Discharge facility. The protection of existing water holding reservoir is

one of the good practices, which can be replicated. It is also essential to consider groundwater

availability for next 20-30 years considering immigration and industrialization in the state.

Domestic Sector

5.118. The Domestic sector is one of the most challenging as the responsibility of treating the

sewage from residences is conventionally with the local bodies. The explosion of population in

many cases made it difficult to carry increased waste quantity due to improper forecasting of

sewage. Apart from local bodies, the sewage is treated in septic tanks and soak-pits, wherever

sewers are not laid. The regulatory authority insists upon the gated community and large

apartments to treat the sewage generated by them. But such practice needs skilled manpower,

energy and disposal of sludge. Efficient scientific sewage treatment system and proper

recycle/reuse facility can reduce the fresh water consumption by 70 % in urban centers.

Others

5.119. Other sectors like vehicle service centers and meat shops pose a challenge, since they are

scattered all over the city and wastewater generated by them is not treated. The characteristics of

these units are challenging and they need to be discouraged in residential area, so that the sewers

and sewage treatment plant, if any are not burdened and water resources are not polluted. They

should also be encouraged to have minimum treatment system, before discharging the

wastewater in to sewers for final treatment. Vehicle service should be encouraged with no or

little water usage to conserve the water resource.

Recommendation to policy makers

5.120. The control of water pollution in all situations is based on the principles of control, avoid,

mitigate, recycle/reuse, adapt and restore. Established environmental as well as economic

policies need to focus on efficiency improvements in terms of avoiding pollution sources,

48

mitigating pollution at source, adapting pollution control strategy, adoption of recycle/reuse

facility and restoring environment (European Environmental Agency(EEA), 2015) and the same

is explained below:

Avoid: Policies based on the precautionary principle can facilitate to avoid potential harm in

highly complex as well as uncertain situations. There has been dominant situation in terms of

migration and subsequent pollution, even before urban area is ready to accept people and their

business. For example, the people are migrating to urban areas in spite of the fact that the urban

local body can not accept sewage load from migrants and their business.

Mitigate: Policies that mitigate environmental degradation focus on reducing environmental

pressures or offsetting the harmful effects of pollution at high expenditure towards construction

of infrastructure or adopting green manufacturing.

Adapt: Policies focused on adapting strategy are used when environmental change is inevitable.

The adaption policy means expenditure towards health of citizens, flora and fauna.

Restore: Policies that aim to restore focus on remedying degraded environment which is costly

and burden on states anywhere in the world.

Reuse/Recycle: Policies focused on Reuse/Recycle strategy are used to reduce the

environmental burden caused due to use of water for different purposes. This also helps the

nature to regain regeneration capacity of producing water through its bio-geo-chemical cycles.