Changes in Water Quality in Covid times

The Bright Side

Early days of the pandemic situation saw radical improvement in the water quality of major rivers and other water bodies in India. The lack of industrial effluents increased the DO levels in rivers with a simultaneous decrease in BOD and in many places the previously polluted water turned fit for bathing and propagation of wildlife and fisheries. Other factors like high snowfall now melting with summer, reduction of irrigation water demand, above average rainfall and also human born factors including reduction of religious and cultural activities like puja, bathing, cremations on the banks of the rivers have also contributed in enhancing the quality of the rivers. Rivers turned blue and pristine with frequent sightings of aquatic life.

The story of Vembanad Lake:

Vembanad Lake, the longest freshwater lake in India, showed improvement in surface water quality in terms of suspended particulate matter (SPM) during the lockdown.

Reality Check

One in four health care facilities around the world lacks basic water services, directly impacting over two billion people. Around 80% of the world’s population is already experiencing some level of water scarcity. Water is needed for consumption, food production, personal hygiene, and medical care, including for infectious disease. In terms of water availability, access and quality, water stress constrains communities from maintaining basic hygiene and sanitation during the outbreak of infectious diseases.

The increase in medical waste coupled with indiscriminate dumping of untreated waste into water bodies has jeopardized water quality. The temporary improvements observed in the advent of the pandemic situations are now overshadowed by the impending threat of water stress in the near future.