Biodiversity & Environment
Lockdown Made Kaveri and Tributaries Cleaner
- 31 Mar 2020
- 3 min read
Why in News
- According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the strict enforcement of 21-day lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the pollution in Kaveri river and its tributaries.
- However, the Board will test the water samples at the regional laboratory in Mysore under the national programme ‘Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources' and Global Environmental Monitoring Scheme.
Key Points
- Untreated sewage from residential areas; pollutants from industries; religious waste material from pilgrims, and construction debris had been polluting the rivers.
- These rivers were flowing with hazardous elements such as lead, fluoride, faecal coliform, and some suspended solids in highly dangerous quantities.
- The prohibition of industrial and religious activities has helped in reducing pollution levels in the rivers.
Kaveri River
- Kaveri is a sacred river of southern India. It rises in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats and falls in the Bay of Bengal south of Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu.
- It forms the sacred islands of Srirangapatna and Shivanasamudra and Shivanasamudra falls and also a wide delta.
- Total Length of the river is about 760 km.
- Its main tributaries are Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati, Kabini, Shimsha, and Lakshmana Tirtha.
- It's basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS)
- It was introduced in 1975 at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.
- It is a global operation that collects information to better understand and protect the Earth’s environment.
- This effort is made with the cooperation of other countries, who contribute data to the GEMS.
Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources (MINARS)
- MINARS is a National Programme of monitoring national aquatic resources.
- It was started in 1984, with a total of 113 stations spread over 10 river basins.
- The present network comprises 870 stations on rivers, lentic water bodies and subsurface waters.
