Strand 7: other contemporary urban environmental issues

Question 1

Urban water pollution causes

Answer 1

• rainwater from roads, pavements
• leachate from illegal dumping and landfill
• point sources are specific areas where pollution has come from
• domestic waste (water from washing machines, sewage)
  -Air pollution
  -acid rain
  -Domestic waste
  -Surface runoff from draining urban landscape

Question 2

Strategies to manage these problems

Answer 2

-SUDS (impermeable surfaces)
-manage water treatment
-reduce litter, provide recyclables and non recyclable bins
-Improve waste water and sewage processing
-Educate, Legislation, regulation, enforcement
-industry fined per unit, and acceptable
level is reduced each year
(Litter still pollutes water)

Question 3

What strategies were implemented in 2010 to clean river mithi

Answer 3

-Unemployed people hired to clean up the river
-Authorities set up a proper rubbish collection system
-Authorities began to close all unauthorised waste dumping

Question 4

Why is there greater water pollution in LICs

Answer 4

Little regulation
Inadequate provision of treatment facilities

Question 5

What longer term strategies are being implemented on the River Mithi to reduce water pollution?

Answer 5

. Sewers are being installed on both banks of the river, with sewage treatment
plants constructed at various locations
. Dredge the entire length of the river to improve its carrying capacity
Provide public toilets at regular intervals so less human waste enters the river

Question 6

How has the River Mithi’s characteristics been affected by the pollution?

Answer 6

carrying capacity has been reduced and the pollution is a threat to marine life
as well as water quality
-93% is polluted
-beaches are considered most polluted
-18km is pure sewage
-40% mangrove loss
-talk about odisha and the environmental impact

Question 7

What activities frequently take place on the banks of
the River Mithi?

Answer 7

Illegal dumping of raw sewage
Industrial waste discharge
Washing vessels, animals and oily drums
Unauthorised discharge of hazardous waste eg zinc, lead

Question 8

What can be found in the River Mithi, Mumbai?

Answer 8

Untreated sewage, chemicals and disease causing microbes

Question 9

Impacts of water pollution

Answer 9

•Damages aquatic ecosystems
. Loss of fish = destruction of livelihoods
• Disease i.e. cholera

Question 10

How much pollution does filtering through vegetation remove

Answer 10

90%

Question 11

What impact has the Water Resources Act of 1991 had?

Answer 11

•Improved water quality in estuaries and coastal waters
. Set up water protection zones
. Convicted individuals and companies of water pollution offences