INTRODUCTION:

Environment can be defined as the sum total of materials and forces

surrounding the living organism. Environment regulated the life of the organisms

including human beings. Man being the most intelligent creature, interacts with

the environment more vigorously than does any other organism. There is no end

of human needs. With the growth of human civilization, there has been an

exponential increase in the demands for materials. As a result, man has started

exploiting nature mercilessly to meet the demands of his comfort and to feed the

mouths for increased population. Through deterioration of environmental

condition is brought about by extreme events like natural catastrophes and

calamities, man-made hazards, physical pollution and social, man has a major role

in it.

Economic development at present is directly linked with environmental

degradation. The chief cause of depletion of world’s forest cover is conversion of

forest lands into agriculture lands. Every year near 8 to 12 million hectres of

world’s forest cover is depleted. Similarly of world’s forest cover is depleted.

Similarly due to urbanization and industrial development, coastal wetlands are

destroyed. Thus, rapid growth of population, rapid industrialization and green

revolution are responsible for degradation of environment.

To feed the ever growing human population, efforts are being made to

increase the food production and that led to “Green Revolution”. The

ammunitions of green revolution are the chemical fertilizers and pesticides which

have been used indiscriminately to provide more nutrients to crops and to control

pests respectively. No doubt, these chemicals have increased the food production

manifold but side by side have given rise to many health and ecological problems.

Agrochemicals constitute one of the major causes of soil and water pollution.

With the growth of human population and urbanisation, number of

automobiles and other vehicles has increased. More vehicles mean more air

pollution & noise pollution. The causative agents of ozone layer depletion are

chlorofluroccarbons which we use as refrigerants and propellants. Automobiles

and industries are responsible for increased CO2 in air leading to green house

effect and global warming we pollute the soil by dumping garbage.

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AIM OF THE PROJECT:

To study the environmental profile of Khurda town in respect of population

density, green cover, education at level of residences, social problems and sources

of pollution and their effect on air, water and soil.

POPULATION DENSITY:

The population density of Khurda town is increasing day by day in G.P.

The population density in Khurda Town in last 5 years.

YEARS POPULATION

1. 2004 1,08,563

2. 2005 1,39,816

3. 2006 1,74,946

4. 2007 2,15,172

5. 2008 2,89,989

GREEN COVER:

The population of Khurda town is increasing day by day vigourously. So

they need more areas to live and they turned the green lands into colonies,

apartments, industries etc. So, the percentage of green cover is goes on

decreasing.

The percentage of green cover in Khurda town in last 5 years.

Year % of Green Cover

2004 87%

2005 61%

2006 38%

2007 27%

2008 19%

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EDUCATIONAL LEVEL:

The education level of residences are increasing day by day. So the social

level of life is also increasing.

The percentage of literacy of Khurda town in last five years.

Year % of literacy

2004 28%

2005 37%

2006 49%

2007 69%

2008 78%

SOCIAL PROBLEMS:

The above changes of our level of life and of our environment due to

different types disorderness in our atmoshphere which is called pollution.

POLLUTION:

Pollution is defined as an undesirable change in the physical, chemical &

biological characterstics of air, water & soil that may harmfully affect the life or

create a potential hazard for living organism.

Degradation of environment with the introduction of man-made extraneous

materials to air, water or land is also called ‘Pollution’. The extraneous agents

which cause pollution are called as “Pollutants.” The pollutants may be material

or energy which cause pollution when added to the environment in quantities and

at a rate which are determental to the life of the organisms. Thus, a ‘Pollutant’ is

defined as ‘any material (solid, liquid or gas) or energy ( heat, sound,

radioactivity, etc. ) that produces harmful effects when added to the environment.’

Basing on different type of pollutants the pollution is of following types:

1. Air Pollution

2. Water Pollution

3. Soil Pollution

4. Noise Pollution.

The first three of these are more effective to the environment.

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AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution results from gaseous emissions from mainly industry, thermal

power stations, automobiles, domestic combustion etc. the natural composition of

Air is as following.

1. Nitrogen – 78%

2. Oxygen – 21%

3. Carbon Dioxide – 0.03% to 0.04%

4. Others Gases – 0.02%

5. Argon – 0.93%

6. Solid Particles – Trace Amount.

The agents causing air pollution are called air pollutants.

AIR POLLUTANTS:

1. Carbon compounds; there are mainly CO2 & CO.

2. Sulphur Compounds; these include SO2, H2O & H2SO2.

3. Nitrogen Oxides; these include chiefly NO, NO2, HNO3.

4. Hydrocarbons; These are benezene, benzphrene, etc.

5. Ozone (O3). Its level may rise in atmosphere due to human activities.

6. Fluorocarbons ; There come form industries, insecticides spray etc.

7. Metals. These include chiefly lead, nickel, arsenic beryllium, tin,

vainadium, titanium, cadmium, etc.

8. Photochemical products. These are the photochemical smog, PAN, etc.

9. Particulate Matter. These are fly ash, dust, grit, suspended particulate

matter (SPM).

SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION:

1. Industrial Chimney Waters: There are a number of Industrials which are

source of pollution. The chief gases are SO2 & NO2. Cement factories

emit plenty of dust, which is potential health hazard. Stone crusher and hot

mix plants also create a menance.

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2. Thermal Power Stations: These are at singrauli in U.P. Korba in M.P.

Rmgundam in A.P. and Farakka in W. Bengal. The National Thermal

Power Corporation (NTPC) is setting up four mammoth coal-powered

chief pollutions are fly ash, SO2 & other gases & hydrocarbons.

3. Automobiles: The ever increasing vehicular traffic density posed continued

threat to the ambient air quality. India is likely to have over 5 million

vehicles by 2010 of which more than 65% will be two-wheelers operating

on petrol. In the major hydrocarbons, 30-40% of all oxides and 305 of all

SPM.

4. Burning of word & fossile fuels: Smoke & carbon dioxide are produced

during burning of wood for cooking in homes, hotel and other public

places. Burning of fossile fuels like coal, Kerosene, petrol, etc. produce

carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen,

hydrocarbons, particulate matter and metallic traces.

5. Ionic Radiation: Air and water are contaminated by radioactive dusts

generated from nuclear test which find their way into the food chian.

Ionizing radiations emanated from radioactive wastes of nuclear reactions

ionize protoplasm in the living organisms.

6. Natural Pollutants: Pollens and spores produced by seasonal plants cause

allergic reactions when reach us carried by air. Breakdown of

photosynthetic pigments in natural organic carbon dioxide. Volcanic

eruption, forest fires, decomposition of natural organic and inorganic

materials produces harmful particle and gases which also pollute air.

7. Agriculture: Air Pollution is also caused by pesticides by & fertilizers used

indiscriminately in the agriculture fields. A majority of the pesticides don’t

degrade into simple forms. As they remain stable in the environment, they

enter the food chain. Air is also polluted by spray dusts and granules of

pesticides produced during spraying of pesticides.

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EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION:

1. Global Warming : (Greenhouse Effect): The heat balance of the earth

gets affected with the increase in the concentration of CO2 in the

troposphere. Usually when solar radiation enters atmosphere, most of it

passes down and reaches earth. When heat from the earth is reflected back,

the thick layer of CO2 in the atmosphere does not allow it to radiate out.

Most of the heat reflected from the earth is absorbed by CO2 layer and the

water vapours present in the atmosphere. As a result, atmosphere gets

heated up. There is an atmosphere with the increase of CO2 concentration

in the troposphere. In this process the earth becomes warned. This is also

called ‘Green House Effect.’

2. Ozone Layer depletion: Ozone gas is mostly present in the stratosphere

layer of atmosphere. It acts as a shield protecting the living organisms from

the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. The concentration of Ozone in

the stratosphere is approximately 10 mg/kg of air. But when air becomes

polluted, the ozone layer in the stratosphere becomes depleted. At present

the depletion of Ozone layer due to air pollutant like CFC which causes the

formation of a big hole. As a result of this the Ultra Violet Radiation from

the Sun can reach the Earth directly and can cause many health hazards.

Nitrogen-oxide and hydrocarbons are the other agents of ozone layer

depletion.

3. Acid Rain: Combustion of fossil fuels like coal, mobile and petrol produce

sulphur dioxide (SO2) which is oxidized to H2SO4 (Sulphuric Acid) in

humid conditions. Nitrogen Oxides are a group of primary pollutants which

are produced by automobile exhausts. Both sulphur dioxide and nitrogen

oxides react with moisture in the air to produce sulphuric acid and nitric

acid. These two acids come down to earth along with rain affecting the

lives of plants & animals.

4. Photochemical Smog: When the air pollutants like hydrocarbons and

nitrogen oxides react with one another in the presence of sunlight, they

produce nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3) & a compound called

peroxylacetyl nitrate (PAN). All these three together form a yellowish

brown haze called – Photochemical Smog.

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5. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Hemoglobin 50 times more affinity for CO

than that of O2. Thus in presence of very small amount of CO in polluted

air, hemoglobin binds with this compound irreversibly which is toxic to our

body tissue. This is called Carbon monoxide poisoning.

The following data about the Khurda Town is collected by direct

observations, from Government records by interviewing senior citizens and local

people including farmers. The collected yearwise data are presented in the

following tables.

Table -1: Numbers of industries to Khurda Town in last 5 years.

Type of Industry 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Textile Industry 01 01 03 05 07

Paper Industry Nil Nil Nil 01 02

Scrap Iron Industry Nil 02 02 03 04

Plastic Industry Nil 01 01 02 04

Sugar Industry Nil Nil Nil 01 01

Cement Industry Nil Nil Nil 01 02

Total 01 04 06 13 20

Table -2: Numbers of Vehicles plying on the highway passing through Khurda Town at a

particular hour.

Type of VehiclesNumbers of Vehicles

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Two Wheelers 10 25 48 72 98

Car, Jeep, etc. 04 07 15 21 35

Three Wheeler 09 29 47 61 83

Buses & Trucks 05 12 25 30 42

Table -3: Numbers of high trees existing, cutdown newly planted in Khurda Town in last

Five years (Collected from records of Office of the Forest Department, Govt. of Orissa).

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TreesNumbers of Trees

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Existing 700 450 280 200 150

Cut Down 50 250 170 80 30

Planted 800 150 90 70 50

Table -4: Numbers of farmers using pesticides in their plants

Numbers of Farmers in %

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Pesticides Users 5% 15% 30% 55% 85%

Table - 5: Numbers of farmers using LPG as fuel for Cooking in last five years

Numbers of LPG user Familiar in %

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

LPG 8% 30% 85% 78% 91%

Table - 6: Number of people suffering from health disorder caused by air pollution at Jagatpur (Collected from Khurda Govt. Hospital records)

Name of the diseaseNumbers of People

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Respiratory Disorder 15 30 58 156 230

Skin disorder 18 25 37 48 115

Eye Disorder 25 36 49 65 130

Cancer 02 10 14 22 36

Blood Disorders 03 08 11 18 26

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CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION:

From the above data it becomes apparent that the air of Khurda Town has been polluted for last five years due to increase in the local of vehicular traffic (Table - 2) . Number of different industries (Table - 1) & number of pesticides users, lack of required green cover, cutting a large number of trees, poor plantation drive & above all due to lack of required awareness among people regarding the cause and effects of air pollution. As a result the disorders of respiratory system, skin, eye, blood, etc. are on the rise in this area. The only satisfying development is the rise in the number of families using LPG as fuel for cooking & increase in the literacy rate. Though it is not possible to stall the process of industrialization use of pesticides and number of vehicles for transportation, the following remedial measures can be taken to reduce the degree of pollution as well as the extent of pollution related health disorders.

1. Industrialists should be cajoled to use smokeless fuels & develop green

covers around the factories.

2. Industries should be shifted to places far from human habitations.

3. Industries should be compelled to use precipitators scrubbers & filters to

check the production of particulate matter.

4. Owners of automobiles should use positive crank case ventilation &

catalytic converter to reduce emissions.

5. Use of low sulphur fuel should be made compulsory.

6. Antipollution devices and alternate fuels should be used in automobiles.

7. No big tree should be cut down further & steps should be taken for

adequate plantation.

8. Public should be made aware of air pollution through electronic media,

print media, road shows, symposia, etc.

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WATER POLLUTION

Water is the universal solvent, the

elixir of life and also the medium of life

activity. About 85 to 90% of the weight of

the living body is water. Water is

indispensable in our daily life as we use it

for various purposes like cooking, washing

clothes, cleaning, drinking, etc.

Two-third of the surface of the earth

is covered with water. About 97% of the

total water present on earth is salt water and

remaining 3% is freshwater. The sources of

water are:

(i) Sea,

(ii) Rain,

(iii) Groundwater, &

(iv) Surface water.

WATER POLLUTANTS:

The followings are the major water pollutants:

(i) Sewage & other organic wastes;

(ii) Animal & human excreta;

(iii) Fertilizers, pesticides & insecticides;

(iv) Industrial wastes;

(v) Oil spills;

(vi) Acid rain;

(vii) Metals (like mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc.);

(viii) Open earth mining;

(ix) Temperature;

(x) Radioactivity.

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SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

1. Domestic waste & Sewage: The main source of sewage is urban dwellings.

Sewage wastes are directly discharged into rivers, lakes, reservoirs etc. The

wastes include human excreta, soaps, detergents, waste micro-organisms

which are pathogenic. Domestic wastes & sewages induce the growth of

micro-organisms. They facilitate luxuriant growth of bacteria when

dumped into water. These bacteria decompose the waster utilizing the

oxygen present in water and thus cause depletion of oxygen concentration

in water.

2. PCBs: Another dangerous pollutant turning up in waters throughout the

world is polychlorinated biphenyles (PCBs). PCBs are used to make

number of products starting from printing ink to electrical capacitor. They

are now known to cause cancer in animals. PCBs are bio-accumulative and

bio-nondegradable. Another heavy metal known to cause various ailments

in human beings is lead. Lead poisoning severely affects the kidney, liver

& central nervous system.

3. Agrochemicals: To increase the agricultural production huge amounts of

different kinds of poisonous agrochemicals are being used. As a

consequence whole biosphere is being polluted. These chemicals fall into

categories i.e. chemical fertilizers and biocides. The Chief Chemical

fertilizers include phosphophates & nitrates.

4. Pesticides & Biocides: Commonly used biocides are DDT, BHC,

Chalrdone, Heptachlor, Methoxychlor, Aldrin, Andrine, Copper Sulphate,

etc. All these chemicals & biocides sprayed in crop fields, ultimately find

their way into water system through leakage or agricultural runoff.

5. Industrial wastes & effluents: Industries are using inland water bodies as

an effluent dumping ground. These effluents carry many organic &

inorganic chemicals like acids, alkalis, phenols, chemicals dyes, cyandies,

oil, grease, plastic materials, suspended solids & heavy metals (Ph, Hg, Cd,

CO, Cr, Cu, etc.).

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6. Thermal Pollution: The rise in temperature of water bodies is detrimental

to the life of aquatic animals. The water used for cooling purposes in

nuclear reactors, electricity generation plants, steel plants & oil refineries

becomes hot & this heated water is generally discharged into ponds, lakes,

rivers or seas. High temperature and low oxygen concentration make the

water inhospitable for the aquatic animals.

7. Oil Spills: The oil which spills out during transportation on sea or during

offshore drilling pollutes the water. Oil being lighter than water, covers the

surface of water & thus prevents water from contact with air resulting in

graded depletion of dissolved oxygen. The low oxygen concentration of

oil-covered water affects lives of aquatic animals. Apart from this, when

aquatic birds & other animals come in contact with spilled oil, their organs

& organ systems become paralysed.

8. Metals: The industrial wastes, discharged dusts, fumes, sludges, waste

water, etc. contain metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc. These

metals get increasingly deposited in bodies of organisms at higher trophic

levels and the phenomenon is called biomagnification.

9. Radioactivity : Radioactive wastes discharged by the nuclear plants pollute

the seas. Radioactive substances of these wastes also spread elsewhere

from seas & can cause cancer & damage to the genetic material of the

living organisms.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION:

1. Eutrophication:

The domestic sewage & run-off water from agricultural fields release

inorganic & organic nutrients & fertilizers into different water bodies. As a result,

the nutrient load of these water bodies gradually increase which facilitates algal

bloom in them. Water bodies with algal bloom appear totally green. When the

algae & other organisms die, they are decomposed by these decomposers. The

dissolved oxygen of the water is consumed by the decomposers and also by other

aquatic organisms during their respiration. These processes result in the depletion

of oxygen concentration of these water bodies & thus create problems for the

fishes. The phenomenon of depletion of concentration of water as a consequence

of increase in nutrient load is called eutrophication.

2. Ecological Magnification:

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Polluted water contains many unnatural toxic substances like metals &

pesticides which remain stable in the environment without being degraded. These

substances find their way into the body of living organisms through food chain.

The body of the organism neither can degrade them into harmless simple

components nor can excrete them easily. As a result, gradually they accumulate in

the tissues of plants & animals & pass from one tropic level to the other in the

food chain to reach man finally. The concentration of these chemicals or

substances is very high in the organisms of higher trophic levels of the food chain.

Increasing accumulation of the stable toxic substances in the tissues of organisms

at different trophic levels of food chain is referred to as ‘ecological

magnification’.

3. Effect of Industrial Discharges:

A variety of harmful substances lice acids, alkalies, dyes & many other

toxic chemicals are present in the industrial effluents which are released to the

different water bodies. The addition of these harmful substances changes the pH

of water and effects adversely the distribution & activities of aquatic plants &

animals.

4. Effects of Agrochemicals:

There are many pesticides which are no biodegradable and once

introduced, remain stable in the environment for a very long time. These

agrochemicals find way into the bodies of the organisms through food chain & get

magnified in higher trophic levels.

5. Effects of Metals:

Magnification heavy metals released to the environment through industrial wastes

occurs in every stage of transfer in the food chain. Metals like mercury, lead cadmium, arsenic,

nickel & chromium are highly toxic in the body of human beings. The disorders caused by these

metals in humans are as follows:

NAME OF THE METAL DISORDERS

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1. Mercury - Disorders of central and peripheral nervous

system, blurred vision; numbness of lips,

limbs, muscles, etc.

2. Lead - Nervous disorders; nerval failure; blood

poisojning, anaemia & encephalopathy.

3. Cadmium - Neural, pulmonary & skeletal diseases, prot

einuria & glycosuria.

4. Arsenic - Respiratory & skin cancer; nervous disorders.

5. Nickel - Pulmonary disorders; dermatitis.

6. Chromium - Respiratory disorders; cancer.

7. Tin - Disorders of central nervous system & vision;

pneumoconiotis.

6. Red Tide:

When coastal waters become enriched with nutrients of the discharged

sewage, blooms of dinoglagellate occur in them. These dinoflagellate produce

toxic, substances which cause death of marine fauna. The dinoflagellate blooms

make the tidal water appear red in colour, hence the name ‘red tide’.

THE SOURCES CAUSING WATER POLLUTION

Sources Numbers

Paper Industry : 3

Sewage : 28

Oil Tanks : 5

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CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION:

1. Scientific methods should be adopted to handle and dispose the garbage,

sewage, excreta & industrial wastes.

2. The industrial discharges should be released to the water bodies only after

their neutralization & proper treatment.

3. Instead of releasing to the water bodies, the effluent water can be used ofr

growing algae and aquatic plants to produce biomass for use in biogas

plants.

4. Large shallow oxidation ponds can be constructed to store the domestic

sewage and green algae & bacteria will gradually grow in such ponds

thereby purifying such waters.

5. Public awareness should be created regarding causes & effects of water

pollution.

6. The germs of the water bodies including the sewage should be killed time

to time using lime and bleaching powder.

7. Methods like adsorption, electro dialysis, ion exchange, reverse osmosis,

etc. should employed to remove or alter the pollutants.

8. Water pollution can be controlled by enacting stringent laws to punish the

people who pollute the water.

9. Regular checks & supervisions should be undertaken to maintain the

quality of drinking water.

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SOIL POLLUTION

Soil is the upper layer of earth’s crust. Plants grow on soil. Hence the

growth of the plants is directly affected by the texture, composition and water of

the soil. Like air and water soil is also polluted by human activities. Chief

pollutants of the soil are the solid wastes like metals, plastic, polythene, human &

animal excreta, glass, paper, rubber, building materials like sand, cement, bricks,

etc. The disturbance of normal soil fertility due to application of fertilities,

pesticides etc. is known as soil pollution.

SOIL POLLUTANTS:

Paper, can, ash, metals, plastics, electronic gadgets,

ceramics, glass, polythene, excreta, cement, bricks,

fertilizers, pesticides wood.

SOURCES OF SOIL POLLUTION

a) Deforestation: Forests control climate by

influencing wind, temperature, humidity &

rain fall. By regulating the downstream flow

of water, forests controls soil erosion. Deforestation results in the erosion

of soil, & there is a loss of soil fertility.

b) Soil Erosion: Soil erosion is a natural process. This normal erosion by

nature is extremely slow. But when human activities accelerate the

disappearance of protective cover of natural vegetation and cause soil

erosion it is called artificial erosion. The loss of top layers of soil through

artificial erosion turns the land unfertile & unproductive.

c) Over Grazing: India has about 13 million hectares of permanent grazing

lands. This is sufficiently less in comparison to the demand. The result is

overgrazing of uncultivated the forest lands. The absence of ground

vegetation causes soil erosion.

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d) Mining: There are two methods of mining such as open mining and

underground mining. In open mining there is complete removal of top soil

& other strata. It results in the destruction of the whole land area with loss

of productivity area. In underground mining, the mineral is abandoned, it

leads to an area of big depression & it becomes a waste land. In both cases

area is deposited at sites adjacent to the mine. It causes unwanted

occupation of land. Further, the mining wastes dumped on the land are

washed out to the adjoining agricultural fields. The debris blocks drainage

channels and cause water logging.

e) Solid Waste Disposal: All unwanted non-liquid waste material generated

from houses, commercial industrial & agricultural sectors is termed as

solid wastes. It is a mixture of dust, vegetables paper & packing of all

kinds, rags & other fabrics, glass and many other combustible and

noncombustible things.

EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION:

The solid wastes in thickly populated areas are not collected, disposed or

dumped properly, the soil of those human habitats becomes highly polluted &

causes a lot of problems as follows:

(i) Breeding of disease carriers like flies & mosquitoes.

(ii) Organic matters may breed microbes.

(iii) Decomposed organic matters produce foul smells.

(iv) Solid wastes can be washed away by run-off water during rainy season

and cause water pollution.

(v) Solid Wastes can block drains and cause water-logging.

(vi) Non-biodegradable solid wastes like polythene, plastic, glass metals, etc.

when dumped on soil, create problems for plants.

(vii) Heavy metals like cadmium, copper, lead, mercury & selenium get soil &

sand concentrate in humans, animals & birds through food & water which

cause cancer, diarrhea, kidney damage, leukemia, skin disease etc. on

high concentration.

(viii) Presence of agrochemicals in soil is harmful to the humans, animals &

birds lives. It also flows land into water sources causing harm to aquatic

life.

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CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION:

(i) To adopt low waste producing technology and minimize the harmful

wastes.

(ii) To reuse the wastes as a secondary raw material.

(iii) To prepare compost from organic wastes by dumping them under soil.

(iv) To produce biogas from human and animal excreta instead of heaping

them in open space.

(v) To use plant ashes as manure, to make bricks & concrete.

(vi) To make awareness of recycling wastes for institutions, markets, industries.

(vii) To give permission for domestic and industrial building with proper waste

disposal arrangement.

(viii) To implement strict rules for proper management of wastes by all factories

& industries.

CONCLUSION:

After the detail study of environment of Khurda Town, I found that the

environment level goes on decreasing. So, we have to create awareness among

the people & take precaution to control different type of pollution to save the

environment. Otherwise it will spoil & as the result we will also suffer as well as

we will responsible for the difficulties of our future generation.

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