The state of affairs of the country during the pandemic clearly shows that we have not augured well on environmental norms. Water and air continue to be as polluted, and hygiene still remains a concern, as India tries to revive its economy.
Several issues are plaguing India at the moment as far as water and sanitation are concerned. The direct impact of these has been felt on the country’s environment. The absence of clean water and sanitation facilities are the two primary issues, out of which several other problems venture out, creating a lasting impact on the environment.
Water Issues
Industrial and domestic waste disposal are rampant in the Ganga and Yamuna, two of the country’s largest rivers. 500 liters of waste is dumped into the Ganga daily, whereas the Yamuna receives 850 million gallons of sewage daily just from Delhi. sal and defecation near Yamuna will play pivotal roles in addressing this issue.
An alarming percentage of groundwater is contaminated by various organic and inorganic sources, said a study Water Sources and Challenges in India published on March 2.
Water bodies in most places are shrinking and offer poor quality water. And less than half of the country’s 1.3 billion people receive safe drinking water. Despite the government spending a huge amount of money for setting up effluent treatment plants to prevent sewage from flowing directly into rivers, untreated or partially treated sewage and no freshwater discharges from the upstream are posing a serious threat.
Another pain area is ODF. Though India’s sanitation coverage has improved to 64.18 percent in 2017 from 41.92 percent in 2014, a lot more needs to be done in terms of eradicating the practice. Human waste contains germs and bacteria, which when released pose both environmental and health risks and should be tackled to stem the growth of environmental problems in India.
Maintenance of sanitation facilities is a must if India is to up its fight against unhealthy sanitation practices affecting the environment. Unfortunately, maintenance is moderately prioritized as it brings up questions of cost and effective manpower. Public toilets in India built by civic bodies often run out of water and are storehouses of stench and filth, majorly polluting the surrounding environment.
Apart from open defecation in villages, towns, and cities, fecal waste on railways tracks and garbage dumps are often left untreated. Along with initiatives such as the installation of bio-toilets in railway, coaches are some of the steps undertaken to implement fecal waste management and reduce its impact on the environment.
Urban Sanitation Programme in India 