Unsafe Water: The Staggering Cost of Industrial Pollution on India's Growth

Published by the NuSocia Public Health Center of Excellence

India, a nation on the rise, faces a hidden threat – a water crisis that silently cripples its growth and steals the health of its people. Over 100 million Indians grapple with poor quality drinking water, a mere symptom of a much larger problem. A staggering 80% of India's surface water is polluted, a chilling reality revealed by WaterAid's recent tests. India's economic boom surely comes at a heavy price for its water resources. As the nation continues to urbanize and industrialize, its rivers, lakes, and other freshwater sources are becoming increasingly toxic. This alarming trend threatens not just public health, but also India's economic well-being.

Every Drop a Threat

70% of India's surface water is unsafe for drinking. Every single day, a shocking 40 million liters of untreated wastewater flows directly into rivers and other water bodies. This industrial pollution has a devastating domino effect, impacting not just the environment but also the economic livelihood of millions downstream.

The World Bank paints a grim picture: pollution upstream significantly hinders economic growth downstream. An article published by the World Economic Forum discusses how economic output (GDP) in certain regions can be reduced by as much as 33% due to polluted water. This translates to a substantial drag on the overall economic development of those areas. The situation worsens in middle-income countries like India, where water pollution is rampant. Here, economic losses can be nearly double, with GDP growth dropping by almost half. Studies show that being located downstream of polluted stretches in India translates to a 9% decrease in agricultural revenue and a staggering 16% drop in crop yields.

The True Cost of Contamination

The environmental degradation caused by industrial water pollution in India comes with a hefty price tag. Estimates suggest the annual cost reaches a staggering INR 3.75 trillion (approximately $80 billion). Health costs associated with water pollution alone are estimated to be around INR 470-610 billion ($6.7-8.7 billion) annually. A significant portion of these costs are linked to waterborne illnesses, particularly diarrheal diseases that disproportionately impact children under five.

The consequences of unsafe water extend far beyond economic statistics. Lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and proper hygiene is estimated to claim the lives of 400,000 people in India every year. Globally, this crisis is even more devastating, with water-related diseases leading to the deaths of 1.5 million children under five and a staggering 200 million lost workdays annually.?

Let's delve into the harrowing stories of a city and a village: Kanpur and Bichhri, to understand the gravity of this issue..?

Kanpur: Where the Ganges Weeps

Imagine a bustling metropolis, Kanpur, India's fifth largest city, cradled by the holy Ganges river. Now, picture this: a staggering 300 million liters of its water contaminated daily. The culprit? A labyrinth of industries, particularly leather tanneries, spewing a toxic cocktail of chemicals from their processes.

The consequences are dire. Groundwater sources, the lifeline of the city, are now dangerously polluted. Reports of newborn deformities are rising, a chilling testament to the water's insidious impact. Farmers, the backbone of India's agriculture, see their fields succumbing to toxicity, their crops withering away.

According to B.D. Tripathi, a water pollution expert from the Banaras Hindu University, the three chief sources of pollution in the river Ganga are “domestic waste; untreated industrial run-off, which includes heavy toxic metals; pollutants entering the river from the cremation practices along the holy river.”

Bichhri: A Village Poisoned

Bichhri, a village nestled in Rajasthan, India, presents a different facet of the crisis. Here, the fight is not for scarcity, but for the very right to safe water.

For over 35 years, Bichhri's residents have been waging a silent war – a war against industrial polluters. In 1987, the arrival of five chemical factories promised prosperity. However, the reality was a nightmare. These factories, especially those manufacturing H-acid, a dye intermediate, released their toxic effluents into open drains and unlined pits. This acidic, contaminated water seeped into the ground, contaminating the village's groundwater, their sole source of life.

The impact was swift and brutal. Crystal-clear water morphed into a murky brown, unfit for drinking or irrigation. Agricultural yields plummeted by over 75% for some farmers. Livestock too, bore the brunt of this toxic tide.?

A fight for survival followed in Bichhri wherein the villagers refused to be silent bystanders. Protests erupted as early as 1988, petitions were filed, and voices were raised. Their relentless pursuit of justice culminated in a landmark Supreme Court verdict in 1996. This verdict was a beacon of hope:

• Polluting factories were ordered shut down.
• The verdict established the "polluter pays principle," holding industries accountable for environmental damage and remediation costs.

A victory, yes, but an incomplete one. While the factories shut down, the promised compensation and clean water remain elusive. The villagers haven't received the financial aid needed to restore their land and water sources. The blame for this, some argue, lies with the government's environmental ministry.

A Call to Action

The stories of Kanpur and Bichhri are stark reminders of the human cost of industrial negligence. Villagers continue to wait for justice, their health and livelihoods hanging by a thread. These cases are a call to action -

• Stricter enforcement: Environmental regulations need teeth. Stronger enforcement mechanisms are crucial to hold polluters accountable.
• Support for affected communities: Villages like Bichhri require financial and technical support to restore their water sources and rebuild their lives.
• Sustainable development: India's growth story cannot come at the expense of environmental health. Sustainable practices and cleaner technologies are the way forward.

Clean water is a fundamental right, not a privilege. The fight for clean water in India is far from over, but the stories of Kanpur and Bichhri serve as a powerful impetus for change. It's a fight for the future, a future where industry and environment can co-exist, and where every village has access to the lifeblood of our planet - clean water.

References:?

World Economic Forum. (2019, October 11). Data and technology can provide solutions to India’s water pollution problem. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/water-pollution-in-india-data-tech-solution/

Mongabay-India. (2023, September 13). A village contaminated by industrial waste has been waiting for justice for over three decades. https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/a-village-contaminated-by-industrial-waste-has-been-waiting-for-justice-for-over-three-decades/

Al Jazeera. (2013, October 6). Kanpur: A city being killed by pollution. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2013/10/6/kanpur-a-city-being-killed-by-pollution

WAE Corp. (n.d.). Water pollution: Our green is blue. https://www.waecorp.com/ourgreenisblue/water-pollution/5