India is often referred as the “Land of Rivers”.

In fact riverbanks first hosted human civilizations in India

as elsewhere in the world. Our mythologies are full of stories glorifying the rivers. . Due to this, Indians
worship rivers as goddesses.The Cauvery River is important river in Southern India. It rises in Brahmagiri
Range of the Western Ghats in Coorg District of Karnataka. After flowing 802km (381, 357 and 64 km in
Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala, respectively), it joins the Bay of Bengal at Kaveripatnam in Tamil Nadu. Some
of the important towns along the course of this River are Mysore, Erode, Vellore, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjavure.
Various human activities along the course of river viz agriculture, industrialization and other commercial activities
have impacts on the quality of Cauvery River. With growth of various human and economic activities, the water in
river Cauvery deterioted in the quality. 

River Cauvery, also referred as Ponni, is an Indian river flowing through the statesofKarnataka and Tamil Nadu. It
is the third largest afterGodavari and Krishna in south India and the largest in Tamil Nadu which on its course
bisects the state into North and South. Originating in the foothills of Western Ghats at TalaCauvery, Kodagu in
Karnataka, it flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan
plateau through the southeastern lowlands, emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths in
Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu. Amongst the river valleys, the Cauvery delta forms one of the most fertile regions in the
country
The Cauvery River is important river in Southern India. It rises in Brahmagiri Range of the Western
Ghats in Coorg District of Karnataka. After flowing 802km (381, 357 and 64 km in Karnataka,
Tamilnadu and Kerala, respectively), it joins the Bay of Bengal at Kaveripatnam in Tamil Nadu. Some of
the important towns along the course of this River are Mysore, Erode, Vellore, Tiruchirapalli and
Tanjavure. Various human activities along the course of river viz agriculture, industrialization and other
commercial activities have impacts on the quality of Cauvery River
Cauvery faces several problems, including depleting forest cover in its banks as well as industries disposing their
untreated sewage

The Kaveri River is the main source of water for drinking and irrigation for both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.
Over the years, river water has become highly polluted in several stretches. The water in Kaveri has very high BOD
and Coliform (mainly Fecal Coliform). The main reason for the high values of these parameters is the pollution
caused due to anthropogenic activities. At several locations, the colour of the river has changed drastically with a
foul smell caused due to the sewage disposal into the river. In some parts of river, the water is unfit for irrigation
also, as per WHO guidelines. There are a few industries situated surrounding the banks of the river mainly textile
and chemical industries that also contribute to the pollution of the river which leads to adverse health impacts in
human beings.
Kaveri is a source of drinking for many people and at several locations, where people still drink water directly from
the river untreated. Karekura location is one such place, with a BOD of 48 and Coliform content of 23. Drinking
water should have BOD less than 1; Coliform contains E-coli bacteria, which are very harmful if consumed. The
temporal study has helped to understand that B.O.D and Fecal Coliform in the river water have increased
drastically as compared to other parameters in the past 19 years. The main reason for this is the increase in the
population, which in-turn generates increased sewage, making its way into the river in untreated form. Satellite data
gives us the synoptic view of the study area facilitating in mapping the growth of cities/towns and the river course;
and in understanding the pollution dimension along the selected stretch.

Based on the findings of the study, suitable remedial measures have been suggested to prevent and reduce
the river pollution. They include i) Treatment of sewage before letting it into the river ii) Setting up of
small STPs to reduce the impact of sewage on the water pollution even for villages iii) Industries to have
basic and initial treatment for the waste generated by them before letting it to the streams iv) Ozone Waste
Water Treatment v) Small settlements to have septic tanks to store the waste generated instead of letting it
to the nearby stream vi) Open defecation to be stopped vii) Proper landfill sites to be arranged that are far
from any water body, as it will help reduce dumping of waste into rivers viii). Proper segregation of wastes
 to be done to reduce the impact and possible uses of recyclable materials ix) Implementation of waste-to-
energy plant to be considered as it combusts waste to produce electricity x) Use of sewage treated water to
recharge the ground water table or for irrigation purpose to reduce waste reaching Installation of rainwater
harvesting in households to reduce the use of municipal water hence saving water thrown down the drain
and xiii) Minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides for farming.
. With growth of various human and economic activities, the water in river Cauvery deterioted in the
quality. 
In Karnataka’s Kodagu, the forest cover along the banks of the river has declined by 28 per cent
from 2,566 sq.km to 1,841 sq.km in 20 years between 1977 and 1997., resulting in deterioration
of Cavery’s water quality. In Mysore’s Nanjangud, a total of 83 small and medium industries
dispose effluents into the river. The disposal is not restricted to the small and medium scale
industries, as the river also receives untreated sewage in Mandya from paper mills and fertiliser
manufacturing units.
Cauvery faces several problems, including depleting forest cover in its banks as well as industries
disposing their untreated sewage
The main reason for the high values of these parameters is the pollution caused due to anthropogenic
activities. At several locations, the colour of the river has changed drastically with a foul smell caused due
to the sewage disposal into the river. In some parts of river, the water is unfit for irrigation also, as per
WHO guidelines.
Kaveri is a source of drinking for many people and at several locations, where people still drink water
directly from the river untreated. The main reason for this is the increase in the population, which in-turn
generates increased sewage, making its way into the river in untreated form. Satellite data gives us the
synoptic view of the study area facilitating in mapping the growth of cities/towns and the river course;
and in understanding the pollution dimension along the selected stretch.
The above unauthorized units were of tiny and small scale in nature and discharge their untreated trade
effluent into the municipal drain. These bleaching and dyeing units were
discharging their trade effluent along with the domestic sewage reached the
River Cauvery. Therefore, the above unauthorized dyeing units were issued
closure direction by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the power
supplies to these units were disconnected.
Common
Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) setup for or within projects or activities
are exempted. The CETP is in the process of applying for CTE.
The trade effluents generated from the Paper mill and Sugar mills are
treated in the individual ETP and the treated water is utilized on land for irrigation.
All the dyeing units have provided individual ETP for the treatment of trade
effluent generated from their process and the treated trade effluent is recycled into
their process and the rejects are sent to ATFD/SEP for further evaporations to
achieve Zero Liquid Discharge System
All the local bodies located near the River Stretch may be initiated to
provide Sewage Treatment Plant for the treatment of sewage generated
from their areas.

105

ii. Proper fencing may be provided for the entire River Banks on both sides to
avoid illegal discharge of effluents and dumping of solid wastes in the River
Stretches.

iii. Online Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Systems may be provided at

the regular intervals in the entire River Stretch to find out illegal discharges
if any to control the Water Pollution in the River Streams.

iv. Monitoring Squad / Inspection Teams (including Other Government

Departments) may be formed to assess the water quality of the River
Stretch once in three months.

The Kaveri River originates in the Brahmagiri hills of the Western Ghats near Coorg (Kodagu). Its total
course of 770 km commands a basin area of 8.8 mha (56% in Tamil Nadu, 41 % in Karnataka and 3% in
Kerala). Sharing of the Kaveri waters has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
With three major reservoirs, a number of weirs and anicuts built across the river and its tributaries, Kaveri
is the most exploited river of the country (95% abstraction of water).
The main polluters are agricultural, industrial and urban sectors. Huge quantities of fertilisers and
pesticides are discharged into the river as agricultural runoff. Coffee plantation in the districts of Kodagu,
Hassan and Chikmagalur contributes heavily to BOD level (about 4,730 tons of BOD load in each season)
in the river water which ranges between 2000 to 4000 mgand1.

How to control river pollution? Controlling river pollution is in our own interest. As citizens of India we
have constitutional duty to protect our environment. Similarly, the government also has a duty to
protect the environment for the welfare of its citizens. There are many ways we can protect the river
from pollution. Some immediate ways to control pollution are: • Industries should install machineries to
remove contaminants from their effluents and wastewater. One way to do so is installation of Effluent
Treatment Plant (ETP). This way we can control pollution at the source itself. • The towns and cities
should also have facilities to clean the sewage effluent. All towns and cities must have Sewage
Treatment Plants (STPs) that clean up the sewage. • Farmers should give up chemicals and pesticides in
farming and should instead adopt organic methods of farming thus reducing chemical pollution of rivers.
• We should stop our religious practices that pollute river water.
Proper drainage and sewage systems should be adopted that will not allow the polluted water to mix
with river water. • Ban on Dhobi ghats alongside the river. How should I contribute to make the rivers
clean? As pointed out above, it is our duty to protect our environment. An individual effort may not be
sufficient to clean our rivers, but when all of us contribute towards this goal it becomes a big effort. Thus
it can help in cleaning up our rivers. There are many ways you can contribute towards a clean river in
your locality: • Promoting communities participation in local river cleaning up • Organizing awareness
programs and meetings on the river pollution and its threats • Distribution of literature on the causes
and ill effects of river pollution • Talking to our family and friends for spreading awareness on the
importance of good water quality and clena rivers.

The Kaveri River originates in the Brahmagiri hills of the Western Ghats near Coorg (Kodagu). Its total course of
770 km commands a basin area of 8.8 mha (56% in Tamil Nadu, 41 % in Karnataka and 3% in Kerala). Sharing of
the Kaveri waters has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. With three major reservoirs, a
number of weirs and anicuts built across the river and its tributaries, Kaveri is the most exploited river of the
country (95% abstraction of water).
The main polluters are agricultural, industrial and urban sectors. Huge quantities of fertilisers and pesticides are
discharged into the river as agricultural runoff. Coffee plantation in the districts of Kodagu, Hassan and
Chikmagalur contributes heavily to BOD level (about 4,730 tons of BOD load in each season) in the river water
which ranges between 2000 to 4000 mgand1.
A total of 61 industries in Karnataka and 1,139 in the Tamil Nadu contribute a heavy pollution load. These include
water intensive textile and sugar units, paper mills, chemical units, engineering units and tanneries. The quantity of
waste-water discharged directly into the river is approximately 87,600 cum/ day. The river has a total dissolved
solid (TDS) level of 1,450 mg/1 which is three times higher than the permissible limit of 500 mg/1 prescribed by
the W.H.O.

Water and sanitation plays a vital role in determining the health of the human beings and their standard of living.
This will verify the development process of the society and its economic status, if the society is lacking from proper
water and sanitation facilities. Further it will lead to contamination of the water sources and degradation of
ecosystem. When a drinking water source is contaminated with other agents led to disorders in terms of water
borne or water related disease. Contamination of water is a major problem for the society is causing disease like
dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever and so on (Mackenzie et. al., 1994). Water borne or water related diseases
constitute one of the major causes of death and disability in developing countries. Untreated or improperly treated
sewage water pollution is the most important causative factor of water pollution and this has been receiving less
attention due to lack of data on the amount of sewage generation and its pollution load. When sewage water is
mixed with the drinking sources it will cause water borne related diseases i.e., more than four billion people pass
away daily in the third world countries, of which 2.2 million die due to diarrheas every year

Constitute River Basin Authorities

You can't look at river waters in segments as belonging to one state or the other. They are entire ecosystems and the
power to use their waters must not vest with individual state governments. River basin authorities who can decide
on water flows, so necessary to dilute pollutants, along the entire stretch of the river must be set up. The US and
France have done this successfully.
Stop Industries on River Banks
A new policy in Maharashtra will crack down on polluters near rivers and enforce a no-development zone along
river banks. Non-polluting industries will be allowed beyond the zone and polluting industries only outside the
second zone. It has been successfully implemented over the last decade on the Bhatsa river that supplies 60 per cent
of Mumbai's water.

New Methods of Sewage Treatment

Cities must look at innovative methods of treating sewage without costly machinery that needs power which is
already scarce. Delhi is experimenting with a waste-absorbing plant called duckweed; there's a proposal to set up
these sewage ponds for the entire city - and regenerate dead streams and lakes. This must be done simultaneously to
serve as sources of water.