Aquatic Pollution and Coastal Management

Unit 11 : Monitoring and control of pollution

11.2.Pollution in Maritime States
The coastline of India’s mainland is 6,000 kms. The country being riverine has 14 major, 44 medium and 55 minor rivers which discharge annually about 15,66,000 million cubic metres of water through land drainage into the coastal seas, transporting a wide range of pollutants generated by land based activities. Nine out of the 14 major rivers meet the sea in the east coast and the remaining five in the west coast. Besides land drainage, there are large numbers of marine coastal outfalls discharging directly industrial and municipal effluents directly into the seas. the uncontrolled and treated disposal of land-based wastes into the sea through rivers, creeks, canals and effluent outfall is a major cause of pollution in coastal waters. There are nine coastal states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal) and and one coastal union territory (Pondicherry) in main land India . More than one fourth of the total population of the country is settled in the coastal area. According to the national inventory, there are 8432 large and medium industries existing in the country. Further, it is observed that, 308 large and medium industries are located within the coastal belt of the country, which discharges their liquid and solid wastes directly or indirectly into the coastal waters. Out of these, 233 industries are located in the west coast and 75 on the east coast. In addition, there are about 138 large aquaculture farms located along the east coast, which alone is more than 75% of the total number of such farms in the country.