Evaluation of water quality index for drinking purposes for river Netravathi, Mangalore, South India

An attempt has been made to develop water quality index (WQI), using six water quality parameters Dissolved oxygen (DO), Biochemical oxygen Demand (BOD), Most Probable Number (MPN), Turbidity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and pH measured at eight different stations along the river basin. Rating curves were drawn based on the tolerance limits of inland waters and health point of view. Bhargava WQI method and Harmonic Mean WQI method were used to find overall WQI along the stretch of the river basin. Five point rating scale was used to classify water quality in each of the study areas. It was found that the water quality of Netravathi varied from Excellent to Marginal range by Bhargava WQI method and Excellent to Poor range by Harmonic Mean WQI method. It was observed that the impact of human activity was severe on most of the parameters. The MPN values exceeded the tolerable limits at almost all the stations. It was observed that the main cause of deterioration in water quality was due to the lack of proper sanitation, unprotected river sites and high anthropogenic activities

E-Waste Management

E-waste is a new term coined in the market of hazardous substances. It has taken a new bourgeoning route since the boom of Information Technology (IT). The problems regarding the transportation, handling and dispose have to be tackled at the earliest as it might cause detrimental effects on environment. Presently in India there is no distinct and lucid regulation(s) regarding e-waste management. There should one stop solution! In the present paper, some of the Technical and E-Management Strategies that can be implemented by adopting 4 R’s policy -reduce, recovery, recycle and reuse are discussed

E-Waste Management

E-waste is a new term coined in the market of hazardous substances. It has taken a new bourgeoning route since the boom of Information Technology (IT). The problems regarding the transportation, handling and dispose have to be tackled at the earliest as it might cause detrimental effects on environment. Presently in India there is no distinct and lucid regulation(s) regarding e-waste management. There should one stop solution! In the present paper, some of the Technical and E-Management Strategies that can be implemented by adopting 4 R’s policy -reduce, recovery, recycle and reuse are discussed

Socio-environmental impact of idol immersion: dimensions and directions

India possesses a diverse and rich cultural heritage and is renowned as a 'land of festivals'. These festivals attract massive community involvement paving way to new materials such as 'Plaster of Paris' being used for 'modernizing' the representation of idols with very little thought given to the issues of toxicity and environmental impacts. Another dimension to the whole issue is the plight of the artisans and the workers involved in the trade. Owing to the unorganized nature of the industry there is minimal or no guidelines pertaining-to the worker safety and health risks of the people involved. This paper attempts to address the complexities of the inherent hazards as a consequence of these socio-environmental issues and trace the scientific rationale in addressing them in a practical and pragmatic way