Kolkata:
Heavy metals such as Ni, Cu, Cd and Zn are present in Hoogly river water and these effluents have infected fish and shell fish. Up to 10 ug/g of pesticides have been found in the sediments near Haldia River. There river waters is been infected by e-coli, shigella, salmonella and other human pathogens, which gives indication of severe sewage contamination.
Kochi:
Chemical industry effluents and untreated sewage is been received by Periyar river. With no pollution abatement made, incident of ulsuration in shrimp and fish, and frequent fish mortality have affected traditional fishing.
COASTAL SEAS AND GLOBAL IMPACTS:
Man is now putting materials (nitrogen, phosphorous, wastes) into coastal areas at rates larger than nature had been doing it. And these coastal areas are where nutrients are recycled often (with a positive gain for fisheries) before sequestering or export. About 0.4 Gtons/year of dissolve & incomplete carbon find their way to the sea. Is this a future source of CO2 to the atmosphere? Is this balanced by the sink of CO2 formed by the increased biomass from increased N, P and wastes?
- What do we need to know and do?
The processes of carbon and nutrient cycling and the universal significance of the coastal seas to the carbon cycle should be clearly understood.
We need to be able to forecast the advancement of the coastal ecosystems for different global change scenarios and the effects of these changing coastal systems on social and economic actions and how we can manage strategies for the sustainable management of coastal property.
- What are the problems in the way?
The global impact of coastal seas is different systemic changes which occur all through the earth system and are easier to understand for atmospheric effects because of the time scales (years to decades). Examples are the increase in atmospheric CO2 and the decrease of ozone.
The coastal seas on the other hand experience increased changes which though localised have worldwide impact. An example is the entrophication of coastal waters leading to changes in carbon flow and its confiscation and the effect on the global carbon cycle.
The other main setback is the complication of biological systems. Even in localised surroundings, the species are several, the figures are big, and there are different metabolic rates, life styles and life expectancies. Environmental changes will affect species differently and thus their effect on the biogeochemical cycles will change. Organic systems have a sluggishness of reply to persistent low levels of outer forcing, and this buffering capability delays or in some cases masks the eco-system reply.
COASTAL SEAS – REGIONAL AND LOCAL IMPACT:
There are immediate needs to be addressed at the regional and local scale. These declines in fisheries, the rising pollution by intense metals, PCBs & pesticides are local effects formed by anthropogenic pressure. However, not sufficient data exists to relate these to changes in the soil system. Such effects are however intensely felt and must be dealt with systematically to improve local fallout.
PHYSICAL PROCESSES RUNNING ALONG INDIAN COASTS:
Only in the previous decade has there been a common considerate of the extensive dynamics of the coastal flow in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The power of basin scale currents and their pressure on coastal shelf motion is now recognized, even despite the fact that many aspects still require study. An absolute sympathetic of the dynamics of the estuaries is still expected, but common features and the influence of distant forcing are accredited.
Major currents along the external shelf and beyond, in the region of India, turn over seasonally with the monsoon winds. The currents forming a range from the northern Bay of Bengal to the northern Arabian Sea.
It is probable that big scale currents, tides, winds and river run off play vital roles to power currents on the inner shelf. Tides, inds in season (and sea-breezes), and river overflow would be the main influences near the coast. In the small number of instances of straight current measurements, the cross-shore components are tidal (towards coast on flow and away on ebb). The along seashore part would differ with time and place and could be due to the cyclic coastal currents.
What is obvious is the valuable effect that the tidal currents contain on the coasts of India. The along shore constituent that can take pollutants coastally might not at all be significantly strong adequate to oppose the intensity effects during transfer.
This seems to be reliable with the COMAPS data sets which designate that Indian coastal waters are dirt free and sound oxygenated with no noticeable spread of "hot-spot" influence. The big rivers on the east coast also cooperate a function in confining along shore pollutant transfer. Their big run-offs acting as barriers to close to coast transport of pollutants & sediments. The movement and stretch of the fresh waters of the Ganga and Brahmaputra still needs detailed study.
It is vital to understand shelf and estuarine (of which there are a very large number of varying sizes) flow, so that during efficient modelling relevant information is accessible to decision makers on movement of pollutants, sediments and offshore hazards (oil spills).
POLLUTION ON INDIAN COASTS:
The Arabian Sea is a main oil tankers way to South East Asia, and beyond, most likely secretarial for the tar like residues dump on the nest coast of India. This constant problem is however a serial trait is mainly synchronized by the monsoons and allied winds.
Metals, being a conventional pollutant, need watchful monitoring since they stay forever in the atmosphere without break-down. As yet our waters are clear.
DDT which has been prohibited in most Western countries had been extensively used in Indian agriculture. It was to blame for raise in agricultural production and eradicating of numerous vector borne diseases. Its intense toxicity nullifies its return. DDT and its Somers, residues of Gama BHC, Aldrin and Dieldrine have been noted in sediments in a number of coastal locations. Particularly intense concentrations have been noted at the river mouths of the main East Coast Rivers.
Quantum of pollutants into the coastal ecosystem of India is given below:
(Elrich de Sa, 2003)
Causes:
Population growth:
Population pressures consist of high solid waste creation, increased volumes of urban nonpoint excess, loss of green space and wildlife environment, declines in ambient water quality, and increased demands for waste water management, drinkable water and energy provisions. Sarcastically, as the coastal population grows, the natural features that may have fascinated people to the coast are lost or diminished.
Urbanization & Industrialisation:
Urbanization raise proportion of a total population lives in cities and the outer edge of cities. In the past, it has been closely linked with industrialization. When more and more inorganic sources of energy were used to improve human productivity (industrialization), surpluses enlarged in both agriculture and industry. Bigger and bigger extent of population could exist in cities. Economic forces were such that cities became the perfect places to locate factories and their workers.
Sources:
Domestic waste:
Study reveals the impact of various anthropogenic actions as well as the heavy rain effect on the bacterial inhabitants of river Yamuna in Delhi enlarged. Microbial inhabitants contributed mostly through human behaviour prevailed in the complete enlarge of Yamuna River with decrease in bacterial counts during monsoon time due to flushing consequence. Bacteriological evaluation does not give an incorporated effect of pollution but only specify the water quality at the time of sampling. Hence, this factor is time and space precise (Chetna. A, 2006).
Industrial effluents:
As India heads towards tight rule of industrial effluents to manage water pollution, better efforts are necessary to cut the danger to civic health as poisonous pollutants which are mostly colourless and odourless can be likely to be free into the ecosystems. Examples of rising cases like Tiruppur and Plachimada are presented to emphasize that ecosystem definite liberation principles is the solution and local communities are standing by to contribute in environmental decision making to defend their resources.
Agriculture runoff:
The most common source of agricultural water pollution is dirt that is washed off fields. Rain water carries dirt particles (residue) and dumps them into close by lakes or streams. Too much residue can obscure the water, dropping the quantity of light that reaches marine plants. It can also block the gills of fish or suffocate fish larvae. In addition, more pollutants like to fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy metals are frequently present in the soil particles and wash down into the water bodies, causing algal blooms and exhausted oxygen, which is poisonous to most marine life (Nonpoint source control branch, 2003).
Other sources are shipping activities performed on the coastal zones, offshore exploration & exploitation and infrastructure development.
SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS:
Indian coasts have a great variety of sensitive eco-systems. Sand dunes, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds 7 wet lands are few that be worthy of unique state. A number of these are the spawning basis and nurseries of a number of commercially significant fishes, gastropods and crustaceans. A decisive attribute of these ecosystems is the range of bioactive molecules that they host.
Latest removal of organisms from the tidal and inter-tidal zone has exposed big figures of molecules with understandable relevance for human health and industrial applications. This could be the main commercially vital feature of the Coastal Zone. Molecules that demonstrate bioactivity from single ecosystem may possibly not illustrate the similar action, or level of action, when mined from a dissimilar surroundings or different season. This attribute alone be supposed to be source enough for the defence of all such ecosystems, and not only envoy remote units in protected areas / parks.
Considering that Indian waters are of a fine quality and that contaminant sources stay comparatively small, the safety of sensitive environments, with bordering buffer zones should be punctually notified and imposed. Losses of such areas are losses to the general good and upcoming generations.
Sand dunes seem to be ecosystems that are most frequently damaged, most likely because their position in the system of vibrant coastal morphology is not clear. Suffice to say that dunes are the treasury that natural world stores, dissipates energy on, and moves as soon as required.
PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT FOR FUTURE:
Survey units:
Preparation is facilitated by carving up the coastal region into survey units. The recognition and arrangement of presented actions, and of planned or possible new activities, should be next. Then likely impact and the user’s mutual power should be assessed. These studies and assessments could be complemented by profitable evaluation of what the real practice or action of being on a coastal zone represents.
Ocean mining in the coastal region is actually and reasonably complex and preparation requires that sources and risks, reserve allowance and owner’s reimbursement, profit and predictable economic rent be placed into the steadiness. A modified mineral exploitation plan will inspect projected methods, ecological location and impact, preservation aspects and guarantees of an ultimate highest recovery.
Complementarities and Parallelism:
Future development should judge relationships from a profitable point of view a seashore and the next touristic complex have a communication fairly analogous with a mine and a associated processing plant. Can the interests of profitable marine ecological development be resigned and ecological safety ensured, whereas avoiding or dampening diverse user’s conflicts? All the while the global measurement might not be overlooked and political margins must be set sideways in local agreements.
Complementarities or parallelism of uses could be strived for. Useful versatile strategies should be prepared. Fundamental issues familiar to all countries consist of enhanced assessments of natural functions of multifaceted coastal resources systems, e.g. wetlands, economic and ecological value assessments, and techniques advancement for system preservation and sustainable use norms.
Specifications of Sustainably Use:
“The crucial challenge of coastal area management and planning (CAMP) is the founding of stableness between the maximisation of sustainable reserve assembly and the preservation expansion options. Six steps should be followed to establish a sustainable use of possible non-exhaustible coastal region reserve: the coastal region delimitation in a particular region, its section into survey units based for illustration on landforms or ecosystems types, sorting of presented actions, ecosystems and uses circumstance study, likely impacts recognition, and embryonic multiple-use prospective.
In Europe as in Asia, global assistance provides for technical information allocation, fish stocks management and aquatic pollution abatement, yet priorities mission hampers realistic results. Combination of interaction among users thought, reimbursement the sustainable growth of coastal resources.
REGIMES:
- Coastal Ocean monitoring and prediction system 1991. (COMAPS):
COMPAS programme was created to keep a check on the health of our coastal waters. It was established in 1991 for the efficient monitoring of the seas around India. 10 institutes is involved for carrying out various task in this ongoing national programme.
Activities under COMPAS:
- Monitoring of 26 parameters at 70 locations along Indian coast.
- Monitoring of Pesticide residues in fishes and green mussels from selected locations
- Monitoring of Specific bacteria at all locations
- Determination of waste Assimilative Capacity for selected locations
- Movement of Oil Spills for the open coast for 19 specific sites will be developed
- Inter-calibration exercises are conducted to assess the data quality
- Dissemination of data to public through ICMAM website.
- Using COMAPS data and other secondary information, GIS database has been completed for 15 sites.
(Coastal ocean monitoring and prediction system)
-
India is signatory of united nation convention of law of sea of 1982: It gives several coastal states the right to establish its territorial sea up to a limit of 12 nautical miles, contiguous zone between 12 and 24 miles limits, and exclusive economic zone up to 200 nautical miles.
-
Coastal Regulation zone notification, 1991: Regularizes the various activities in coastal zone.
-
Coastal zone Mgmt plans (CZMPs): Supreme Court Intervention that all the Coastal states prepare their CZMPs by 1996.
-
Hazardous waste management Act, 1989: This Act provides guidelines for hazardous waste management and also for the import and export of hazardous waste in country.
-
Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974, amended in 1988: Control of pollution from land-based sources Pollution Control Board was constituted under this act.
-
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (Amended in 1983, 1986, 1991, 1997, 2001): Offers protection to marine Biota. Creates conditions favourable for conservation of fauna and flora. Amended in 2001 to include several species of fish, corals, sea cucumbers and sea shells.
(Review of marine and coastal policies in India, Western regional centre, Goa)
CONCLUSION:
A methodical long-term research of pollutants, in a local context, and their special effects on biota is essential. Levels and allotment of contaminants require being calculated and monitoring over long periods of instance, in the water discourse, the sediment and the biota. Constant information on the sources of pollution, the routes of circulation in the surroundings and their growth through ecosystems, is necessary. Correspondingly studies on bio-concentration, bio-accumulation and bio-magnification of pollutants are required.
The method for what parameters are supposed to be considered where, when and how frequently, is difficult. It needs vigilant preparation to maximise the information collected per unit of cost and attempt. Monitoring schemes in lookout organisms or option of bio-makers have to be cautiously measured to guarantee the natural availability of the same species along the Indian coasts. Alternative of diverse species for different areas has to be watchfully evaluated inside the lab and in-situ.
Synoptic monitoring apparatus of moored buoys & remote sensing via satellites as well as by acoustics must be used where feasible. They are several most cost effective monitoring apparatus of current expertise. Excellence manages through corroboration and calibration protocols and experiments becomes a significant characteristic in this circumstance. Geographic Information System, a range of data bases, quick communication of alarms are additional tools for successful monitoring, along with hazard scrutiny and tragedy management plans.
Sustainable growth can be defined as “the proper use and care of the coastal environment borrowed from future generations”. For sustainable Coastal and Marine management there should be multinational approaches and conventions between Government, semi-government and private groups. Judicious and responsible application of scientific knowledge on all aspects of pollution is essential.
REFERENCES:
- CHARLIER, R. H. (1995) Sustainable multipal-use and management of coastal zone. Environmental management and health 6, 14-24.
- PITTOCK, B. (2009) Sustainable atmospheric management. Advances inpublic interest accounting, 14, 193-224.
- BRAUER, J. (2008) International security and sustainable development. War, peace and security, 6, 249-266.
-
Dr. Sangeeta Sonak, Prajwala Pangam, Asha Giriyan, Review of Marine and Coastal Policies in India, The energy and resources institute, Western regional centre, Goa.
-
N. Jayaraju, B. C. Sundara Raja Reddy, K. R. Reddy, The Response of Benthic foraminifera to various pollution sources, A study from Nellore coast, East coast India.
-
C. R. Murthy, P. C. Sinha, Y, R, Rao, Modelling and Monitoring of coastal marine processes, Springer.
-
Dr. Md. Zafar Mahfooz Nomani 2007, Coastal Resources Zone Laws of India: Cornerstone of Environmental Security and Sustainability.
-
Present state of the coastal environment in India, http://www.teriin.org/teri-wr/coastin/papers/paper2.htm, National Institute of Oceanography, retrieved 22nd May 2009.
-
Marine Sediments, http://www.guilford.edu/geology/marseds.html, retrieved 20th May 2009.
-
Ministry of Environment Seychelles, http://www.env.gov.sc/html/coast_and_oceans.html, Coast and Oceans, retrieved on 20th May 2009.
-
Biological Impacts of Oil Pollution: Mangroves, http://www.ipieca.org/activities/oilspill/downloads/publications/reports/english/Vol4_Mangroves.pdf, Fate and Effects of Oil, retrieved on 27th May 2009.
-
Ahn, YH; Hong, GH; Neelamani, S; Philip, L and Shanmugam, P (2006) Assessment of Levels of coastal marine pollution of Chennai city, southern India. Water Resource Management.
-
Coastal ocean monitoring and prediction system (COMAPS), http://www.cpcb.nic.in/comaps.pdf, retrieved on 27th May.