INTRODUCTION:

Environment can be defined as the sum total of materials and forces

surrounding the living organism. Environment regulated the life of the organisms
including human beings. Man being the most intelligent creature, interacts with the
environment more vigorously than does any other organism. There is no end of
human needs. With the growth of human civilization, there has been an
exponential increase in the demands for materials. As a result, man has started
exploiting nature mercilessly to meet the demands of his comfort and to feed the
mouths for increased population. Through deterioration of environmental condition
is brought about by extreme events like natural catastrophes and calamities, man-
made hazards, physical pollution and social, man has a major role in it.

Economic development at present is directly linked with environmental

degradation. The chief cause of depletion of world’s forest cover is conversion of
forest lands into agriculture lands. Every year near 8 to 12 million hectres of
world’s forest cover is depleted. Similarly of world’s forest cover is depleted.
Similarly due to urbanization and industrial development, coastal wetlands are
destroyed. Thus, rapid growth of population, rapid industrialization and green
revolution are responsible for degradation of environment.

To feed the ever growing human population, efforts are being made to
increase the food production and that led to “Green Revolution”. The ammunitions
of green revolution are the chemical fertilizers and pesticides which have been
used indiscriminately to provide more nutrients to crops and to control pests
respectively. No doubt, these chemicals have increased the food production
manifold but side by side have given rise to many health and ecological problems.
Agrochemicals constitute one of the major causes of soil and water pollution.

With the growth of human population and urbanisation, number of

automobiles and other vehicles has increased. More vehicles mean more air
pollution & noise pollution. The causative agents of ozone layer depletion are
chlorofluroccarbons which we use as refrigerants and propellants. Automobiles
and industries are responsible for increased CO2 in air leading to green house effect
and global warming we pollute the soil by dumping garbage.

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AIM OF THE PROJECT:

To study the environmental profile of Khurda town in respect of population

density, green cover, education at level of residences, social problems and sources
of pollution and their effect on air, water and soil.

POPULATION DENSITY:

The population density of Khurda town is increasing day by day in G.P.

The population density in Khurda Town in last 5 years.

YEARS POPULATION
1. 2004 1,08,563
2. 2005 1,39,816
3. 2006 1,74,946
4. 2007 2,15,172
5. 2008 2,89,989

GREEN COVER:
The population of Khurda town is increasing day by day vigourously. So
they need more areas to live and they turned the green lands into colonies,
apartments, industries etc. So, the percentage of green cover is goes on decreasing.

The percentage of green cover in Khurda town in last 5 years.

Year % of Green Cover

2004 87%
2005 61%
2006 38%
2007 27%
2008 19%

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL:

The education level of residences are increasing day by day. So the social
level of life is also increasing.
The percentage of literacy of Khurda town in last five years.

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 Year % of literacy
2004 28%
2005 37%
2006 49%
2007 69%
2008 78%

SOCIAL PROBLEMS:

The above changes of our level of life and of our environment due to
different types disorderness in our atmoshphere which is called pollution.
POLLUTION:
Pollution is defined as an undesirable change in the physical, chemical &
biological characterstics of air, water & soil that may harmfully affect the life or
create a potential hazard for living organism.
Degradation of environment with the introduction of man-made extraneous
materials to air, water or land is also called ‘Pollution’. The extraneous agents
which cause pollution are called as “Pollutants.” The pollutants may be material or
energy which cause pollution when added to the environment in quantities and at a
rate which are determental to the life of the organisms. Thus, a ‘Pollutant’ is
defined as ‘any material (solid, liquid or gas) or energy ( heat, sound, radioactivity,
etc. ) that produces harmful effects when added to the environment.’
Basing on different type of pollutants the pollution is of following types:
1. Air Pollution
2. Water Pollution
3. Soil Pollution
4. Noise Pollution.
The first three of these are more effective to the environment.
AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution results from gaseous emissions from mainly industry, thermal
power stations, automobiles, domestic
combustion etc. the natural composition
of Air is as following.

1. Nitrogen – 78%

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 2. Oxygen – 21%
3. Carbon Dioxide – 0.03% to 0.04%
4. Others Gases – 0.02%

5. Argon – 0.93%
6. Solid Particles – Trace Amount.
The agents causing air pollution are called air pollutants.
AIR POLLUTANTS:

1. Carbon compounds; there are mainly CO2 & CO.

2. Sulphur Compounds; these include SO2, H2O & H2SO2.

3. Nitrogen Oxides; these include chiefly NO, NO2, HNO3.

4. Hydrocarbons; These are benezene, benzphrene, etc.

5. Ozone (O3). Its level may rise in atmosphere due to human activities.

6. Fluorocarbons ; There come form industries, insecticides spray etc.

7. Metals. These include chiefly lead, nickel, arsenic beryllium, tin,

vainadium, titanium, cadmium, etc.

8. Photochemical products. These are the photochemical smog, PAN,

etc.
9. Particulate Matter. These are fly ash, dust, grit, suspended

particulate matter (SPM).

SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION:

1. Industrial Chimney Waters: There are a number of Industrials which are

source of pollution. The chief gases are SO2 & NO2. Cement factories emit
plenty of dust, which is potential health hazard. Stone crusher and hot mix
plants also create a menance.

2. Thermal Power Stations: These are at singrauli in U.P. Korba in M.P.

Rmgundam in A.P. and Farakka in W. Bengal. The National Thermal

Power Corporation (NTPC) is setting up four mammoth coal-powered chief
pollutions are fly ash, SO2 & other gases & hydrocarbons.

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 3. Automobiles: The ever increasing vehicular traffic density posed continued

threat to the ambient air quality. India is likely to have over 5 million
vehicles by 2010 of which more than 65% will be two-wheelers operating
on petrol. In the major hydrocarbons, 30-40% of all oxides and 305 of all
SPM.

4. Burning of word & fossile fuels: Smoke & carbon dioxide are produced

during burning of wood for cooking in homes, hotel and other public places.
Burning of fossile fuels like coal, Kerosene, petrol, etc. produce carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen,
hydrocarbons, particulate matter and metallic traces.

5. Ionic Radiation: Air and water are contaminated by radioactive dusts

generated from nuclear test which find their way into the food chian.
Ionizing radiations emanated from radioactive wastes of nuclear reactions
ionize protoplasm in the living organisms.

6. Natural Pollutants: Pollens and spores produced by seasonal plants cause

allergic reactions when reach us carried by air. Breakdown of

photosynthetic pigments in natural organic carbon dioxide. Volcanic
eruption, forest fires, decomposition of natural organic and inorganic
materials produces harmful particle and gases which also pollute air.

7. Agriculture: Air Pollution is also caused by pesticides by & fertilizers used

indiscriminately in the agriculture fields. A majority of the pesticides don’t

degrade into simple forms. As they remain stable in the environment, they
enter the food chain. Air is also polluted by spray dusts and granules of
pesticides produced during spraying of pesticides.

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION:

1. Global Warming : (Greenhouse Effect): The heat balance of the earth gets
affected with the increase in the concentration of CO2 in the troposphere.
Usually when solar radiation enters atmosphere, most of it passes down and
reaches earth. When heat from the earth is reflected back, the thick layer of

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 CO2 in the atmosphere does not allow it to radiate out. Most of the heat
reflected from the earth is absorbed by CO2 layer and the water vapours
present in the atmosphere. As a result, atmosphere gets heated up. There is
an atmosphere with the increase of CO2 concentration in the troposphere. In
this process the earth becomes warned. This is also called ‘Green House
Effect.’

2. Ozone Layer depletion: Ozone gas is mostly present in the stratosphere

layer of atmosphere. It acts as a shield protecting the living organisms from
the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. The concentration of Ozone in
the stratosphere is approximately 10 mg/kg of air. But when air becomes
polluted, the ozone layer in the stratosphere becomes depleted. At present
the depletion of Ozone layer due to air pollutant like CFC which causes the
formation of a big hole. As a result of this the Ultra Violet Radiation from
the Sun can reach the Earth directly and can cause many health hazards.
Nitrogen-oxide and hydrocarbons are the other agents of ozone layer
depletion.

3. Acid Rain: Combustion of fossil fuels like coal, mobile and petrol produce
sulphur dioxide (SO2) which is oxidized to H2SO4 (Sulphuric Acid) in
humid conditions. Nitrogen Oxides are a group of primary pollutants which
are produced by automobile exhausts. Both sulphur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides react with moisture in the air to produce sulphuric acid and nitric
acid. These two acids come down to earth along with rain affecting the lives
of plants & animals.

4. Photochemical Smog: When the air pollutants like hydrocarbons and

nitrogen oxides react with one another in the presence of sunlight, they
produce nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3) & a compound called
peroxylacetyl nitrate (PAN). All these three together form a yellowish
brown haze called – Photochemical Smog.

5. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Hemoglobin 50 times more affinity for CO

than that of O2. Thus in presence of very small amount of CO in polluted
air, hemoglobin binds with this compound irreversibly which is toxic to our
body tissue. This is called Carbon monoxide poisoning.

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 The following data about the Khurda Town is collected by direct
observations, from Government records by interviewing senior citizens and local
people including farmers. The collected yearwise data are presented in the
following tables.

Table -1: Numbers of industries to Khurda Town in last 5 years.

Type of Industry 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Textile Industry 01 01 03 05 07
Paper Industry Nil Nil Nil 01 02
Scrap Iron Industry Nil 02 02 03 04
Plastic Industry Nil 01 01 02 04
Sugar Industry Nil Nil Nil 01 01
Cement Industry Nil Nil Nil 01 02
Total 01 04 06 13 20

Table -2: Numbers of Vehicles plying on the highway passing through Khurda
Town at a particular hour.

Numbers of Vehicles
Type of Vehicles
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Two Wheelers 10 25 48 72 98
Car, Jeep, etc. 04 07 15 21 35
Three Wheeler 09 29 47 61 83
Buses & Trucks 05 12 25 30 42

Table -3: Numbers of high trees existing, cutdown newly planted in Khurda Town
in last Five years (Collected from records of Office of the Forest Department,
Govt. of Orissa).

Numbers of Trees
Trees
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Existing 700 450 280 200 150
Cut Down 50 250 170 80 30
Planted 800 150 90 70 50

Table -4: Numbers of farmers using pesticides in their plants

Numbers of Farmers in %

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 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Pesticides Users 5% 15% 30% 55% 85%

Table - 5: Numbers of farmers using LPG as fuel for Cooking in last five years

Numbers of LPG user Familiar in %

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
LPG 8% 30% 85% 78% 91%

Table - 6: Number of people suffering from health disorder caused by air pollution
at Jagatpur (Collected from Khurda Govt. Hospital records)

Numbers of People
Name of the disease
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Respiratory Disorder 15 30 58 156 230
Skin disorder 18 25 37 48 115
Eye Disorder 25 36 49 65 130
Cancer 02 10 14 22 36
Blood Disorders 03 08 11 18 26

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CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION:

From the above data it becomes apparent that the air of Khurda Town has been
polluted for last five years due to increase in the local of vehicular traffic (Table -
2) . Number of different industries (Table - 1) & number of pesticides users, lack
of required green cover, cutting a large number of trees, poor plantation drive &
above all due to lack of required awareness among people regarding the cause and
effects of air pollution. As a result the disorders of respiratory system, skin, eye,
blood, etc. are on the rise in this area. The only satisfying development is the rise
in the number of families using LPG as fuel for cooking & increase in the literacy
rate. Though it is not possible to stall the process of industrialization use of
pesticides and number of vehicles for transportation, the following remedial
measures can be taken to reduce the degree of pollution as well as the extent of
pollution related health disorders.

1. Industrialists should be cajoled to use smokeless fuels & develop green

covers around the factories.
2. Industries should be shifted to places far from human habitations.
3. Industries should be compelled to use precipitators scrubbers & filters to

check the production of particulate matter.

4. Owners of automobiles should use positive crank case ventilation &

catalytic converter to reduce emissions.

5. Use of low sulphur fuel should be made compulsory.
6. Antipollution devices and alternate fuels should be used in automobiles.
7. No big tree should be cut down further & steps should be taken for
adequate plantation.
8. Public should be made aware of air pollution through electronic media,
print media, road shows, symposia, etc.

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 WATER POLLUTION
Water is the universal solvent, the
elixir of life and also the medium of life
activity. About 85 to 90% of the weight of
the living body is water. Water is
indispensable in our daily life as we use it
for various purposes like cooking, washing
clothes, cleaning, drinking, etc.

Two-third of the surface of the earth

is covered with water. About 97% of the
total water present on earth is salt water and
remaining 3% is freshwater. The sources of
water are:

(i) Sea,
(ii) Rain,
(iii) Groundwater, &
(iv) Surface water.

WATER POLLUTANTS:

The followings are the major water pollutants:

(i) Sewage & other organic wastes;
(ii) Animal & human excreta;
(iii) Fertilizers, pesticides & insecticides;
(iv) Industrial wastes;
(v) Oil spills;
(vi) Acid rain;
(vii) Metals (like mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc.);
(viii) Open earth mining;
(ix) Temperature;
(x) Radioactivity.

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 SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

1. Domestic waste & Sewage: The main source of sewage is urban dwellings.

Sewage wastes are directly discharged into rivers, lakes, reservoirs etc. The
wastes include human excreta, soaps, detergents, waste micro-organisms
which are pathogenic. Domestic wastes & sewages induce the growth of
micro-organisms. They facilitate luxuriant growth of bacteria when dumped
into water. These bacteria decompose the waster utilizing the oxygen
present in water and thus cause depletion of oxygen concentration in water.

2. PCBs: Another dangerous pollutant turning up in waters throughout the

world is polychlorinated biphenyles (PCBs). PCBs are used to make

number of products starting from printing ink to electrical capacitor. They
are now known to cause cancer in animals. PCBs are bio-accumulative and
bio-nondegradable. Another heavy metal known to cause various ailments
in human beings is lead. Lead poisoning severely affects the kidney, liver &
central nervous system.

3. Agrochemicals: To increase the agricultural production huge amounts of

different kinds of poisonous agrochemicals are being used. As a

consequence whole biosphere is being polluted. These chemicals fall into
categories i.e. chemical fertilizers and biocides. The Chief Chemical
fertilizers include phosphophates & nitrates.

4. Pesticides & Biocides: Commonly used biocides are DDT, BHC,

Chalrdone, Heptachlor, Methoxychlor, Aldrin, Andrine, Copper Sulphate,

etc. All these chemicals & biocides sprayed in crop fields, ultimately find
their way into water system through leakage or agricultural runoff.

5. Industrial wastes & effluents: Industries are using inland water bodies as

an effluent dumping ground. These effluents carry many organic &

inorganic chemicals like acids, alkalis, phenols, chemicals dyes, cyandies,
oil, grease, plastic materials, suspended solids & heavy metals (Ph, Hg, Cd,
CO, Cr, Cu, etc.).

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 6. Thermal Pollution: The rise in temperature of water bodies is detrimental
to the life of aquatic animals. The water used for cooling purposes in
nuclear reactors, electricity generation plants, steel plants & oil refineries
becomes hot & this heated water is generally discharged into ponds, lakes,
rivers or seas. High temperature and low oxygen concentration make the
water inhospitable for the aquatic animals.
7. Oil Spills: The oil which spills out during transportation on sea or during
offshore drilling pollutes the water. Oil being lighter than water, covers the
surface of water & thus prevents water from contact with air resulting in
graded depletion of dissolved oxygen. The low oxygen concentration of oil-
covered water affects lives of aquatic animals. Apart from this, when
aquatic birds & other animals come in contact with spilled oil, their organs
& organ systems become paralysed.
8. Metals: The industrial wastes, discharged dusts, fumes, sludges, waste
water, etc. contain metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc. These
metals get increasingly deposited in bodies of organisms at higher trophic
levels and the phenomenon is called biomagnification.
9. Radioactivity : Radioactive wastes discharged by the nuclear plants pollute
the seas. Radioactive substances of these wastes also spread elsewhere from
seas & can cause cancer & damage to the genetic material of the living
organisms.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION:

1. Eutrophication:
The domestic sewage & run-off water from agricultural fields release
inorganic & organic nutrients & fertilizers into different water bodies. As a result,
the nutrient load of these water bodies gradually increase which facilitates algal
bloom in them. Water bodies with algal bloom appear totally green. When the
algae & other organisms die, they are decomposed by these decomposers. The
dissolved oxygen of the water is consumed by the decomposers and also by other
aquatic organisms during their respiration. These processes result in the depletion
of oxygen concentration of these water bodies & thus create problems for the
fishes. The phenomenon of depletion of concentration of water as a consequence
of increase in nutrient load is called eutrophication.
2. Ecological Magnification:

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 Polluted water contains many unnatural toxic substances like metals &
pesticides which remain stable in the environment without being degraded. These
substances find their way into the body of living organisms through food chain.
The body of the organism neither can degrade them into harmless simple
components nor can excrete them easily. As a result, gradually they accumulate in
the tissues of plants & animals & pass from one tropic level to the other in the food
chain to reach man finally. The concentration of these chemicals or substances is
very high in the organisms of higher trophic levels of the food chain. Increasing
accumulation of the stable toxic substances in the tissues of organisms at different
trophic levels of food chain is referred to as ‘ecological magnification’.

3. Effect of Industrial Discharges:

A variety of harmful substances lice acids, alkalies, dyes & many other
toxic chemicals are present in the industrial effluents which are released to the
different water bodies. The addition of these harmful substances changes the pH of
water and effects adversely the distribution & activities of aquatic plants &
animals.

4. Effects of Agrochemicals:

There are many pesticides which are no biodegradable and once introduced,
remain stable in the environment for a very long time. These agrochemicals find
way into the bodies of the organisms through food chain & get magnified in higher
trophic levels.

5. Effects of Metals:

Magnification heavy metals released to the environment through industrial

wastes occurs in every stage of transfer in the food chain. Metals like mercury,
lead cadmium, arsenic, nickel & chromium are highly toxic in the body of human
beings. The disorders caused by these metals in humans are as follows:

NAME OF THE METAL DISORDERS

1. Mercury - Disorders of central and peripheral nervous

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 system, blurred vision; numbness of lips,
limbs, muscles, etc.
2. Lead - Nervous disorders; nerval failure; blood
poisojning, anaemia & encephalopathy.
3. Cadmium - Neural, pulmonary & skeletal diseases, prot
einuria & glycosuria.
4. Arsenic - Respiratory & skin cancer; nervous disorders.
5. Nickel - Pulmonary disorders; dermatitis.
6. Chromium - Respiratory disorders; cancer.
7. Tin - Disorders of central nervous system & vision;
pneumoconiotis.

6. Red Tide:

When coastal waters become enriched with nutrients of the discharged

sewage, blooms of dinoglagellate occur in them. These dinoflagellate produce
toxic, substances which cause death of marine fauna. The dinoflagellate blooms
make the tidal water appear red in colour, hence the name ‘red tide’.

THE SOURCES CAUSING WATER POLLUTION

Sources Numbers
Paper Industry : 3
Sewage : 28
Oil Tanks : 5

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CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION:

1. Scientific methods should be adopted to handle and dispose the garbage,

sewage, excreta & industrial wastes.

2. The industrial discharges should be released to the water bodies only after
their neutralization & proper treatment.

3. Instead of releasing to the water bodies, the effluent water can be used ofr
growing algae and aquatic plants to produce biomass for use in biogas
plants.

4. Large shallow oxidation ponds can be constructed to store the domestic

sewage and green algae & bacteria will gradually grow in such ponds
thereby purifying such waters.

5. Public awareness should be created regarding causes & effects of water

pollution.

6. The germs of the water bodies including the sewage should be killed time to
time using lime and bleaching powder.

7. Methods like adsorption, electro dialysis, ion exchange, reverse osmosis,

etc. should employed to remove or alter the pollutants.

8. Water pollution can be controlled by enacting stringent laws to punish the

people who pollute the water.

9. Regular checks & supervisions should be undertaken to maintain the quality

of drinking water.

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 SOIL POLLUTION

Soil is the upper layer of earth’s crust. Plants grow on soil. Hence the
growth of the plants is directly affected by the texture, composition and water of
the soil. Like air and water soil is also polluted by human activities. Chief
pollutants of the soil are the solid wastes like metals, plastic, polythene, human &
animal excreta, glass, paper, rubber, building materials like sand, cement, bricks,
etc. The disturbance of normal soil fertility due to application of fertilities,
pesticides etc. is known as soil pollution.

SOIL POLLUTANTS:

Paper, can, ash, metals, plastics, electronic gadgets,

ceramics, glass, polythene, excreta, cement, bricks,
fertilizers, pesticides wood.

SOURCES OF SOIL POLLUTION

a) Deforestation: Forests control climate by

influencing wind, temperature, humidity &
rain fall. By regulating the downstream flow
of water, forests controls soil erosion. Deforestation results in the erosion of
soil, & there is a loss of soil fertility.

b) Soil Erosion: Soil erosion is a natural process. This normal erosion by

nature is extremely slow. But when human activities accelerate the
disappearance of protective cover of natural vegetation and cause soil
erosion it is called artificial erosion. The loss of top layers of soil through
artificial erosion turns the land unfertile & unproductive.

c) Over Grazing: India has about 13 million hectares of permanent grazing

lands. This is sufficiently less in comparison to the demand. The result is

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 overgrazing of uncultivated the forest lands. The absence of ground
vegetation causes soil erosion.

d) Mining: There are two methods of mining such as open mining and
underground mining. In open mining there is complete removal of top soil
& other strata. It results in the destruction of the whole land area with loss
of productivity area. In underground mining, the mineral is abandoned, it
leads to an area of big depression & it becomes a waste land. In both cases
area is deposited at sites adjacent to the mine. It causes unwanted
occupation of land. Further, the mining wastes dumped on the land are
washed out to the adjoining agricultural fields. The debris blocks drainage
channels and cause water logging.
e) Solid Waste Disposal: All unwanted non-liquid waste material generated
from houses, commercial industrial & agricultural sectors is termed as solid
wastes. It is a mixture of dust, vegetables paper & packing of all kinds, rags
& other fabrics, glass and many other combustible and noncombustible
things.
EFFECTS OF SOIL POLLUTION:

The solid wastes in thickly populated areas are not collected, disposed or
dumped properly, the soil of those human habitats becomes highly polluted &
causes a lot of problems as follows:
(i) Breeding of disease carriers like flies & mosquitoes.
(ii) Organic matters may breed microbes.
(iii) Decomposed organic matters produce foul smells.
(iv) Solid wastes can be washed away by run-off water during rainy season and
cause water pollution.
(v) Solid Wastes can block drains and cause water-logging.
(vi) Non-biodegradable solid wastes like polythene, plastic, glass metals, etc.
when dumped on soil, create problems for plants.
(vii) Heavy metals like cadmium, copper, lead, mercury & selenium get soil &
sand concentrate in humans, animals & birds through food & water which
cause cancer, diarrhea, kidney damage, leukemia, skin disease etc. on high
concentration.

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 (viii) Presence of agrochemicals in soil is harmful to the humans, animals &
birds lives. It also flows land into water sources causing harm to aquatic
life.

CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION:

(i) To adopt low waste producing technology and minimize the harmful wastes.

(ii) To reuse the wastes as a secondary raw material.

(iii) To prepare compost from organic wastes by dumping them under soil.

(iv) To produce biogas from human and animal excreta instead of heaping them
in open space.

(v) To use plant ashes as manure, to make bricks & concrete.

(vi) To make awareness of recycling wastes for institutions, markets, industries.

(vii) To give permission for domestic and industrial building with proper waste
disposal arrangement.

(viii) To implement strict rules for proper management of wastes by all factories
& industries.

CONCLUSION:

After the detail study of environment of Khurda Town, I found that the
environment level goes on decreasing. So, we have to create awareness among the
people & take precaution to control different type of pollution to save the
environment. Otherwise it will spoil & as the result we will also suffer as well as
we will responsible for the difficulties of our future generation.

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