Sewage diversion into pond kills fish in Dwarka
Introduction
According to recent press reports, fish in the Dwarka area have died as a result of sewage being diverted into a pond. This occurrence brings to light a long-standing environmental issue: the diversion of untreated sewage into bodies of water. The pond in question is situated in a park near Dwarka and is a well-liked fishing place for locals. The Delhi Jal Board, which oversees the water supply and sewage disposal in the national capital region, reportedly performed the sewage diversion. Locals and environmental groups are now concerned about the incident’s effects on aquatic life and the area’s inadequate sewage treatment facilities.
Background
Discharging untreated wastewater from homes, businesses, and other sources directly into water bodies—such as rivers, lakes, and ponds—without any prior treatment is known as sewage diversion, and it can have detrimental effects on the environment because untreated sewage contains pathogens and harmful chemicals that can degrade the water quality and cause disease.
Due to India’s sometimes insufficient and obsolete sewage treatment infrastructure, a sizeable amount of sewage is discharged into water bodies untreated. In India, just 30% of the sewage produced in urban areas is cleaned before being released into aquatic bodies, according to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board. The remainder is released into the environment untreated, causing water bodies to become contaminated and aquatic life to suffer.
The Incident in Dwarka
The Delhi Jal Board’s diversion of raw sewage into the pond in Dwarka was the cause of the catastrophe. Residents of the Dwarka neighbourhood frequently go fishing at the pond, which is situated in a park. Reports claim that neither the authorities nor the locals were given any kind of warning before the sewage diversion was done. Locals were alerted to the fact that the diversion caused a significant percentage of the pond’s fish to die.
Local neighbours and environmental activists are concerned about the occurrence and have asked for an investigation. They have also demanded that actions be done to stop such instances from occurring in the future. The Delhi Jal Board has expressed regret for the incident and pledged to make amends in order to stop similar occurrences in the future.
Impact on the Environment
The Dwarka event shows the damaging effects of untreated sewage on the environment, especially on aquatic life. Untreated sewage is full of germs and toxic compounds that can impair aquatic life and the water’s quality. When sewage is dumped into bodies of water, the quantities of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus rise, which can result in eutrophication. The process of eutrophication occurs when there are too many nutrients in the water, which encourage the growth of algae, depleting the oxygen in the water and killing aquatic animals.
The tragedy in Dwarka serves as a reminder to the government that untreated sewage dumping into water bodies needs to stop. To make sure that all sewage is treated before being released into water bodies, it is urgently necessary to invest in sewage treatment infrastructure and to modernise the current equipment.
Conclusion
The tragedy in Dwarka makes it clear that untreated sewage discharge into water bodies needs to be addressed right away. This issue is prevalent in numerous Indian towns and is not just confined to the Dwarka region. To guarantee that all sewage is treated before being discharged into aquatic bodies, the authorities need to invest in sewage treatment infrastructure and modernise the current system. Along with infrastructure improvements, there is a need to educate the people on the significance of safe sewage disposal, which will help the country in making it’s rivers and waterbodies clean.
