Sources of water pollution are many. The most polluting of them are the city sewage and industrial waste discharged into the rivers, ponds or lakes. The facilities to treat waste water are not adequate in many cities in India. Presently, only about 10% of the waste water generated may be treated; the rest is discharged into water sources without treated. Due to this, pollutants enter groundwater, rivers, and other water bodies. Such water, which ultimately ends up in our households, is often highly contaminated and carries disease-causing microbes. In rural areas agricultural run-off, or the water from the fields that drains into rivers or water bodies are another major water pollutant as it contains fertilizers and pesticides.

Domestic sewage is a part of city sewage which means waste water that is discarded from households. It may also be referred as sanitary sewage; this water contains a wide variety of dissolved and suspended impurities and may cause many disorders. One of the primary causes of environmental degradation in a country could be attributed to rapid growth of population, which adversely affects the natural resources and environment. The uprising population and the environmental deterioration face the challenge of sustainable development. Beside these even the dead are a cause of water pollution. In India, if a deceased person's family cannot afford a funeral they may immerse the ashes of their loved one in the sacred Ganges or other River—or they may put the corpse itself in the river. Due to religious reasons when a person died due to snake bite his body has been also thrown in water, these are the most important factors of water pollution in our country. Not only these some time people directly immerse the death body of their pet animals like cow and dog and another animals in water source.

One another factor of water pollution is that we directly drop Durga and Ganesh moortis as well as puja ka saman in rivers. Raw material, colours and other things of these moortis cause hazardous pollution of these water sources which takes months to dissolve and after dissolving also they contaminated water sources.

These are some basic cause of water pollution in India, and our responsibility is that we should try to save our water for future and motivate our community and our friends that the time is over now save water for future.

Effects of water pollution

The effects of water pollution are not only devastating to people but also to animals, fish, and birds. Polluted water is unsuitable for drinking, recreation, agriculture, and industry. It diminishes the aesthetic quality of lakes and rivers. More seriously, contaminated water destroys aquatic life and reduces its reproductive ability. Eventually, it is a hazard to human health. Nobody can escape the effects of water pollution. The individual and the community can help minimize water pollution. By simple housekeeping and management practices the amount of waste generated can be minimized.

As we all are well aware that almost 70% of the earth is covered by water, but only 1% of this water is pure. Despite having only 1% of pure water, we are continuously contaminating the sources of this gift. The crisis of water is increasing year by year. Therefore, people are predicting that now the third world war will be for water. The countries having huge amount of water are going to be targeted in this expected war by the super power countries in the world. Do you think that we would really have a new world war because of water? How could we prevent this war? Can we find new sources for water, or we have nothing to do in such a situation? To prevent this situation of world war it is necessary to recharge ground water resources as well as treatment of waste water to be used not for drinking purposes but for other uses like irrigation, industries, energy production, etc. We are working hard to make India a urban centric society, but are we having capacity to manage the urban systemic requirements?

• In India 38000 million liter per day sewage generated but out of this treatment capacity exists for only about 12000 million liter per day.
• Operation and maintenance of existing plants and sewage pumping stations is not satisfactory, as nearly 39% plants are not conforming to the general standards prescribed under the Environmental (Protection) Rules for discharge into streams as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) survey report. In a number of cities, the existing treatment capacity remains underutilized while a lot of sewage is discharged without treatment in the same city.
• There are 35 metropolitan cities (with more than 10 Lac Population) generates 15,644 Millions Liter per Day (MLD) of sewage. The treatment capacity exists for 8,040 MLD i.e. 51% is being created. In Madhya Pradesh Indore generates 204 MLD sewage, Bhopal generates 334.75 MLD, whereas Jabalpur contributes 143.34 MLD, but as far as treatment of sewage is concerned Indore treats 78 MLD (38%) and Bhopal treats 22 MLD (6%) of total sewage generation while Jabalpur did not have any facility of water treatment.
• In India, 498 class I cities (cities having population more then 1 lac) generates 35558.12 MLD, which is 93% of total wastewater produced. All these cities having capacity to treat only 11553.68 MLD, which is 32% of the sewage generated. In Madhya Pradesh, class-I cities generates 1248.72 MLD sewage but it has a capacity to treat 186.1 MLD i.e., 14.90% sewage only.
• 410 class II towns in India generate 2696.20 MLD sewage and having capacity to treat just 233.7 MLD sewage i.e., less then 10%. 23 class-II towns in Madhya Pradesh generates 130.9 MLD sewage but treats only 9 MLD, i.e., of 6.88% only.
• Cities around Ganga basin are generating 2637.7 MLD sewage but are in a position to treat 1174.4 MLD i.e., 44.2%. The remaining sewage goes off in Ganga river without treatment, that pollutes the Ganga.
• On the same lines 113 cities in Ganga basin (disposal in tributaries- rivers linked to ganga basin, like Khan, Chambal, Betwa, Sindh, Son, Tons, Shipra, Banas, Kosi, Kali, Haldi, Rapti etc.) release 4171.26 MLD sewage without treatment. This is more then 535 of total sewage produced in these belts.
• On one hand, per capita water supply in India is 188.73 liter per day; whereas production of sewage is 137.82 liter per person per day demonstrate the seriousness of the problem.
• To resolve this problem and to improve the water quality of rivers and lakes:

There is an urgent need to increase sewage treatment capacity and its optimum utilization

• Municipal Authorities should realize the problem of pollution of water bodies and pay attention to their liability to set up sewage treatment plants in cities and towns to prevent this pollution. This activity requires to be recognized as one of the most important indicators of overall development of the state.
• Considering the widening gap between sewage generation and treatment capacity, it is required to set up a very thoughtful action plan to fill this. Large cities like, Indore, Jabalpur and Bhopal, where pollution problem is more severe, will be required to be taken up on priority basis in first phase.
• Operation and maintenance of existing plants and sewage pumping stations is also a much neglected field, as nearly most of the treatment plants are not conforming to the general standards prescribed under the Environmental (Protection) Rules for discharge into streams. Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are usually run by personnel that do not have adequate knowledge of running the STPs and know only operation of pumps and motors. The operational parameters are also not regularly analyzed hence the day-to-day variation in performance is not evaluated at most of the STPs. Thus, skilled persons having adequate knowledge should operate and manage the STPs. An expert should visit these STPs at least once a month and counsel for improvement of its performance. In a number of cities, the existing treatment capacity remains underutilized while a lot of sewage is discharged without treatment in the same city. Auxiliary power back-up facility is required at all the intermediate (IPS) & main pumping stations (MPS) of all the STPs.
• Emphasis should be given on priority to development of 100% treatment capacity up-to secondary level of treatment and diversion of treated sewage for its utilization in irrigation of crops not eaten raw. Improvement in bacterial quality of remaining sewage to be used for irrigation of sports fields and public parks or that has to be discharge into water bodies due to unavoidable circumstances is the next area of concern.
• Rivers, which are used as a source of drinking water, are receiving most of the pollution. Hence an action plan for arrest of pollution of rivers needs to be prepared and implemented.
• Groundwater recharging may be tried with treated wastewater to replenish the groundwater.
• Reuse of treated municipal wastewater should be encouraged in industries.
• Use of treated Municipal wastewater for irrigation and fodder cultivation should be encouraged by local authorities. The revenue thus obtained will be used to supplement the sewage treatment costs.

Thus, to prevent any disaster due to contaminated water and to overcome water crisis, efforts of waste water purification as well as to use treated water in non consumable activities should be highly motivated. Efforts for recharging ground water should also be initiated. Although moorti visarjan in rivers/pond/lakes are religious and deeply rooted in Hindu custom. These should be banned because these are not traditional from ancestors but these are the only means of gathering during British rule and also these were originated in those parts of country (Mumbai and Kolkata) where ample of water was available and during that time population was not so much thus there was no such water crisis.

Now it is necessary to use existing water treatment plant with there full capacity and to establish new systems in remaining part of the country.