📝 Water quality index set to be announced soon
Note4students:
The news card has details on Water Quality Index, a new step in the field of environment pollution control.
Few takeaways:
🔘 Prelims Level: The three models being considered and parameters involved, find out about the present classification
🔘 Mains Level: Nothing as of yet. Let’s hope we have an op-ed coming out soon
Keep tab of this news development.
🔴 Context:
It is being planned to introduce a certain and easy way to find out pollution levels in water.
🔴 Who proposed this?
It is based on the proposal of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB).
🔘 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is working on coming up with a Water Quality Index, on the lines of Air Quality Index (AQI).
🔴 5+ states involved:
A committee has been formed with senior environment scientists from Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and other States to formulate models to assess the water quality
🔴 Three models proposed & why?
The members felt that the present classification was not rational.
🔘 The committee has closely studied similar models existing in Australia and Canada
Taking four perimeters into consideration, the committee has developed three different models
Parameters involved.
🔘 The parameters are limited to only four
Since developing an index for water quality is complex than air quality, it is decided to have three different models for lakes and rivers, ground water and coastal waters.
🔘 The committee members also want to classify the lakes, groundwater and the coastal waters across the country based on the Water Quality Index.
👉 Back2basics:
🔴 Central Pollution Control Board
🔘 What: The CPCB of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
🔘 When: It was established in 1974. It was established under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. CPCB is also entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them. It is the apex organisation in country in the field of pollution control, as a technical wing of MoEF.
The board is led by its chairman, who is nominated by the Central Government.
CPCB has its head office in New Delhi, with seven zonal offices and 5 laboratories.
🔘 Functions of CPCB
The board conducts environmental assessments and research.
It is responsible for maintaining national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with zonal offices, tribal, and local governments.
It has responsibilities to conduct monitoring of water and air quality, and maintains monitoring data.
The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.
It advises the central government to prevent and control water and air pollution.
It also advises the Governments of Union Territories on industrial and other sources of water and air pollution.
#GS3 #Prelims #Environment #Pollution
@UPSC_2018
Note4students:
The news card has details on Water Quality Index, a new step in the field of environment pollution control.
Few takeaways:
🔘 Prelims Level: The three models being considered and parameters involved, find out about the present classification
🔘 Mains Level: Nothing as of yet. Let’s hope we have an op-ed coming out soon
Keep tab of this news development.
🔴 Context:
It is being planned to introduce a certain and easy way to find out pollution levels in water.
🔴 Who proposed this?
It is based on the proposal of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB).
🔘 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is working on coming up with a Water Quality Index, on the lines of Air Quality Index (AQI).
🔴 5+ states involved:
A committee has been formed with senior environment scientists from Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and other States to formulate models to assess the water quality
🔴 Three models proposed & why?
The members felt that the present classification was not rational.
🔘 The committee has closely studied similar models existing in Australia and Canada
Taking four perimeters into consideration, the committee has developed three different models
Parameters involved.
🔘 The parameters are limited to only four
Since developing an index for water quality is complex than air quality, it is decided to have three different models for lakes and rivers, ground water and coastal waters.
🔘 The committee members also want to classify the lakes, groundwater and the coastal waters across the country based on the Water Quality Index.
👉 Back2basics:
🔴 Central Pollution Control Board
🔘 What: The CPCB of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
🔘 When: It was established in 1974. It was established under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. CPCB is also entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them. It is the apex organisation in country in the field of pollution control, as a technical wing of MoEF.
The board is led by its chairman, who is nominated by the Central Government.
CPCB has its head office in New Delhi, with seven zonal offices and 5 laboratories.
🔘 Functions of CPCB
The board conducts environmental assessments and research.
It is responsible for maintaining national standards under a variety of environmental laws, in consultation with zonal offices, tribal, and local governments.
It has responsibilities to conduct monitoring of water and air quality, and maintains monitoring data.
The agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.
It advises the central government to prevent and control water and air pollution.
It also advises the Governments of Union Territories on industrial and other sources of water and air pollution.
#GS3 #Prelims #Environment #Pollution
@UPSC_2018