Interstate river water disputes in India

Interstate river water disputes in India

Interstate River water sharing disputes is accelerating in India. River water disputes within the country is more common in peninsula component than Himalayan.

As rivers crossing more than one states to become interstate rivers. The water is a state subject under the 7th schedule (list 2), entry 17 of Indian Constitution as water is being used by state for agriculture through canal irrigation development ,hydro power generation and water storage for drinking and industrial useage. Since river  water has a development role every state want to capitalise more and more on it.

Even though, demand for water is increasing due to:

--- to extend the irrigation area, to increase the agricultural production and productivity ,to make agriculture cycle free from monsoon, commercialisation of agriculture, useage of more fertiliser and HYV seeds.

--- to increase farm income, ensuring regional development by removing poverty and backwardness, rural development

---- to address the issues of drought affected areas, vulnerabilities to their people, to improve ecology and environment,

--- increasing population is increasing the rate of urbanisation and commercialisation which further increasing domestic and industrial demand for water.

But, water supplies is shrinking due to:

--- overconsumption, wastage, contamination, pollution of river water,

---- less water storage structure such as dams, reservoirs and barrages leading to more than 80% rain water remain unused and goes to sea without use.

---- faulty agricultural practices leads to overexploitation of water resources

--- climate change and global warming is changing weather patterns, rainfall pattern, extreme weather events , floods and droughts, thus decreasing water availability.

--- uneven distribution of water resources both temporal and spatial.

--- lack of infrastructure to divert water to canals, to deficit basins,etc

--- mismanagement of water resources

--- incompletion of projects ,etc.,

Water crisis is deepening due to widening gap between demand and supply of water resources in all the states of India. Under this scenario other factors are complicating the water sharing agreement among the states are :

-- political  ( vote bank politics, appealing )

-- economic

--- environmental

--- social

--- technical

many disputes and disagreement  is being arising or already arised due to deeping of water crisis such as

The details of the Tribunals set up so far by the Government to settle water disputes among the States under the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956 are as under:-

Present Status

1. Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh & Odisha April, 1969

Award given on July, 1980

2. Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal -I

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,

April, 1969 Award given on May, 1976

3.Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra October, 1969 Award given on December, 1979

4.Ravi & Beas Water Tribunal Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan April, 1986 Report and decision under section 5(2) given in April, 1987. A Presidential Reference in the matter is before Supreme Court and as such the matter is sub-judice.

5. Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal

Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puduchery June, 1990 Report and decision given on 5.2.2007 which was published vide Notification dated 19.2.2013. Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by party States in Hon’ble Supreme Court, as such the matter is sub-judice.

6.Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal -II

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra

April, 2004 Report and decision given on 30.12. 2010. Further report given by the Tribunal on 29.11.2013.  Term of the Tribunal has been extended for two year w.e.f. 1stAugust, 2014 to address the terms of reference as contained in section 89 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. However, as per Supreme Court Order dated 16.9.2011, till further order, decision taken by the Tribunal on references filed by States and Central Government shall not be published in the official Gazette. As such, matter is sub-judice.

7. Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal

Andhra Pradesh & Odisha February, 2010. Besides, Hon’bleVansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal in its Order dated 17.12.2013 has directed to constitute a 3-member Protem Supervisory Flow Management and Regulation Committee on River Vansadhara to implement its Order.The Vamsadhara tribunal pronounced its final verdict in September 2017 and permitted AP state to construct the side weir at Katragedda and Neradi barrage.

8. Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal

Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra November, 2010 Report and Decision not given by the Tribunal.

9. Mahanadi water dispute tribunal  established in March 2018, on the direction of Supreme Court to adjudicate water sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh states.

                

  other 3 interstate river disputes is pending in centre and still it's tribunal not constituted . They are follows :--

1. Polavaram (Indira sagar) dam  in Andhra Pradesh is being disputed with Odisha , since it is submerging tribal areas .

2. Bhabali barrage on Godavari river is being constructed by Maharashtra is objected by Andhra Pradesh since, it is submerging the  Pochampad Project (Sriramsagar Project) in violation of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT) award dated 7.07.1980.

3. Mulla Periyar Dam in Tamil Nadu. The dispute here is basically about safety of an over 120 year-old dam, which if it beaches, will affect Kerala, when all the benefits are going to Tamil Nadu. Kerala, is demanding the dismantling of the dam

River(s)	States
Krishna	Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka
Godavari	Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha
Narmada	Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra
Cauvery	Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Pondicherry
Krishna	Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra
Mandovi/Mahadayi/	Goa, Karnataka and Mahasrashtra
Ravi Beas mahanadi Vansadhara	Punjab,Haryana ,Rajasthan  and himachal pradesh Odisha and Chattishgarh Andhra Pradesh & Odisha

Lok Sabha has passed the Inter-State River Water disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The Bill seeks to amend the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 with a view to streamline the adjudication of inter-state river water disputes and make the present institutional architecture robust.

Features of the bill:

Disputes Resolution Committee: The Bill requires the central government to set up a Disputes Resolution Committee (DRC), for resolving any inter-state water dispute amicably. The DRC will get a period of one year, extendable by six months, to submit its report to the central government.

Members of DRC: Members of the DRC will be from relevant fields, as deemed fit by the central government.

Tribunal: The Bill proposes to set up an Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal, for adjudication of water disputes, if a dispute is not resolved through the DRC.  This tribunal can have multiple benches. All existing tribunals will be dissolved and the water disputes pending adjudication before such existing tribunals will be transferred to this newly formed tribunal.

Composition of the Tribunal: The tribunal shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and not more than six nominated members (judges of the Supreme Court or of a High Court), nominated by the Chief Justice of India. 

Drawbacks of interstate Water Dispute Act, 1956:

The Inter State Water Dispute Act, 1956 which provides the legal framework to address such disputes suffers from many drawbacks as it does not fix any time limit for resolving river water disputes.

Delays are on account of no time limit for adjudication by a Tribunal, no upper age limit for the Chairman or the Members, work getting stalled due to occurrence of any vacancy and no time limit for publishing the report of the Tribunal.

The River Boards Act 1956, which is supposed to facilitate inter-state collaboration over water resource development, remained a ‘dead letter’ since its enactment.

Surface water is controlled by Central Water Commission (CWC) and ground water by Central Ground Water Board of India (CGWB). Both bodies work independently and there is no common forum for common discussion with state governments on water management.

Way forward:

The Centre’s proposal to set up a single, permanent tribunal to adjudicate on inter-state river water disputes could be a major step towards streamlining the dispute redressal mechanism.

However, this alone will not be able to address the different kinds of problems—legal, administrative, constitutional and political—that plague the overall framework.

To strengthen the cooperative federalism, disputes must be resolved by dialogue and talks and the political opportunism must be avoided.

A robust and transparent institutional framework with cooperative approach is need of the hour.

Provisions related to interstate river water disputes:

Entry 17 of State List deals with water i.e. water supply, irrigation, canal, drainage, embankments, water storage and water power.

Entry 56 of Union List empowers the Union Government for the regulation and development of inter-state rivers and river valleys to the extent declared by Parliament to be expedient in the public interest.

Article 262: In the case of disputes relating to waters, it provides

• Clause 1:Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river or river valley.
• Clause 2:Parliament may, by law provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint as mentioned above

sea floor spreading

SEA FLOOR SPREADING

Researchers in ethopia witnessing the birth of new ocean from the underneath of African landmass .they identified 60km long stretch with width of 8m since 2005,i.e., this process of splitting african plate is increasing .within 10million years somalian ethopian region will be separated from main africa by new ocean .presently, many volcanic activity is undergoing beneath the East African Rift Valleys  .This process  of ocean formation is explained by seafloor spreading mechanism .
 


According to  plate tectonic theory, at the divergence centre ,plates moves away from each other and mantle convection cells pushes the molten magma towards the surface. in the process of rise of magma first, the plates becomes thinner , rocks and blocks  under tensional force splits/break forming the rift valleys/grabben. With the passing time, more magma rises further deepining the riftvalleys and thinning the plates resulting into volcanic basaltic lava reaching the surface .thus,cooling and solidifing the magma in the floor of riftvalleys start forming new basaltic oceanic crust. Even, at the divergence centre magma cools and solidifies forming long under water mountain chain called as mid-oceanic ridges .

In 1960, Harry Hess gave his theory  of sea floor spreading after his research in mid Atlantic ocean. According to him ,from midoceanic ridges new magma seperates the old rock pushing away from each others and replaced by new rocks, these new basatic rocks are denser and  lower  than other and later on these lower areas filled with water forming seas and oceans  .for example atantic ,indian  and  south eastern pacific ocean is spreading see the diagram below .

      Several types of evidence supported Hess’s theory of sea-floor spreading: eruptions of molten material, magnetic stripes in the rock of the ocean floor, and the ages of the rocks themselves

water crisis essay by venkai naidu on the world water day

Before the water crisis situation turns more alarming, we have to collectively act

Was Samuel Taylor Coleridge foretelling the impending water crisis in the 21st century when he penned “Water, water, every where,/ Nor any drop to drink” more than two centuries ago in ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’?

A wake-up call

The grave water situation in Cape Town in South Africa is a wake-up call to everybody across the globe — from policymakers to the common man — that it cannot be business as usual when it comes to water usage. A similar crisis is looming large in other cities in the world as people continue to be reckless in their use of water.

The situation is so worrisome that 12 world leaders — 11 heads of state and a special adviser of a high-level panel on water — wrote an open letter to global leaders a week ago warning that the world is facing a water crisis and issued a New Agenda for Water Action.

• Observing that we need to make “every drop count”, they called for a new approach: rethinking how we understand, value and manage water as a precious resource, and catalysing change and building partnerships to achieve the water-related goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The social, cultural, economic and environmental values of water to society need to be reassessed, the panel said.
• “Water needs to be allocated in ways which maximize overall benefits to our societies,” it observed.
• The panel also mentioned the need to put in place policies that will allow for at least a doubling of water infrastructure investment in the next five years.
• It called for governments, communities, the private sector, and researchers to collaborate.

The Indian context

In India, we can’t be complacent any more. A growing population, lack of adequate planning, crumbling infrastructure, indiscriminate drilling of borewells, large-scale consumption of water, and a false sense of entitlement in using water carelessly are causing water shortages. Unless drastic measures are taken to minimise water usage, the day may not be far off when authorities will be forced to ration water supply in cities like Bengaluru, which has been ranked second in the list of 11 global cities which might face the imminent threat of running out of drinking water. Already, water is being supplied on alternate days in certain cities, and for a limited duration in some places.

The World Bank’s Water Scarce Cities Initiative seeks to promote an integrated approach to managing water resources and service delivery in water-scarce cities as the basis for building resilience against climate change. The demand for water in urban areas is projected to increase by 50-70% in the next three decades.

India’s current water requirement is estimated to be around 1,100 billion cubic metres per year, which is projected to touch 1,447 billion cubic metres by 2050.

Water conservation cannot brook delay any longer in India. According to a forecast by the Asian Development Bank, India will have a water deficit of 50% by 2030. India’s water needs are basically met by rivers and groundwater.

• Water scarcity can lead to disastrous consequences impacting food production as most of the farming is rain-fed.
• With ground water catering to about 60% of the country’s irrigation, 85% of rural water drinking requirements, and 50% of urban water needs, replenishing the aquifers has to be accorded top priority. Millions across India still do not have access to safe drinking water and this problem has to be tackled on a war footing.

The oceans make up for about 97% of the Earth’s water. Less than 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater and most of it is not accessible. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, over 68% of the freshwater on Earth is found in icecaps and glaciers, while just over 30% is found in groundwater.

According to the United Nations,

• 1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services;
• water scarcity already affects four out of every 10 people;
• 90% of all natural disasters are water related;
• 4 lakh children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases;
• agriculture accounts for 70% of global water withdrawal; and
• 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.

In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognised the right of every human being to have access to sufficient water for personal and domestic uses (between 50 and 100 litres of water per person per day). It has to be safe, acceptable and affordable (water costs should not exceed 3% of household income) and also physically accessible (within 1,000 metres of home).

The Indian government has come up with a  6,000-crore World Bank-aided Atal Bhujal Yojana with community participation to ensure sustained groundwater management in overexploited and ground water-stressed areas in seven States. It has been found that 1,034 blocks out of the 6,584 assessed blocks in the country are overexploited.

According to the annual report of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, about 77% of rural habitations in India have achieved a fully covered status (40 litres per capita per day) under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, and 55% of the rural population have access to tap water. It was mentioned that the Ministry has also taken special steps to address the issue of water quality. A sub-mission programme is being implemented to eliminate the problems of water quality in about 28,000 habitations affected by arsenic and fluoride by 2020.

Another important issue that needs to be addressed, particularly in urban areas, is the leakage of pipes providing water. We cannot allow this to continue any longer. Putting in place an efficient piped supply system has to be top on the agenda of policymakers and planners.

Although India receives an average rainfall of 1,170 mm per year, it is estimated that only 6% of rainwater is stored.

Reviving ancient systems

Before the situation turns more alarming, we have to collectively act — now and here. We should remember that ancient India had well-managed wells and canal systems. In fact, our culture always believed in treating nature with reverence and most of our rivers are considered sacred. The Indus Valley Civilization had a well-managed canal system, while Chanakya’s Arthashastra also talks of irrigation. In the ancient past, different types of indigenous water harvesting systems were developed across the subcontinent and such systems need to be revived and protected at the local level. Micro irrigation practices like drip and sprinkler systems have to be promoted in a big way for efficient use of water for agriculture. Both in urban and rural areas, digging of rainwater harvesting pits must be made mandatory for all types of buildings.

Conscious efforts need to be made at the household level and by communities, institutions and local bodies to supplement the efforts of governments and non-governmental bodies in promoting water conservation. Sustained measures should be taken to prevent pollution of water bodies, contamination of groundwater and ensure proper treatment of domestic and industrial waste water. Reduce, reuse, and recycle must be the watchwords if we have to handover a liveable planet to the future generations.

Water crisis

Today world is facing a serious water and sanitation crisis due to increasing population, urbanisation, overconsumption, wastage,poor management, corruption,lack of infrastructure, water policy paralysis, water contamination by sewage , over exploitation, water storage structure is absent or silted, river basins dismembered, open defection, global warming and climate change is disturbing the rainfall patterns,etc

Solution to above water related insecurities could be resolved by adopting these 5 ways of 4th industrial revolution  apart from watershed management, interlinking of river basins, desalination technology, water pyramid capturing atmospheric moisture, water cleaning drives, sewage treatment plants, strict water pricing policy as per use, water rights implementation, smart water tools, public water supply system, use of blockchain, AI , robotics, smart materials, IT tools new technology to bridge the gap between demand and supply, etc.

Note read further from the link given below wef

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON HIMALAYAN AND COASTAL STATES OF INDIA

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON HIMALAYAN AND COASTAL STATES OF INDIA 

BY EPATYA

Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time and adds considerable stress to our societies and to the environment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly.

India will be affected by climate change in following ways:

 Extreme heat: Unusual and unprecedented spells of hot weather are expected to occur far more frequently and cover much larger areas. Under 4°C warming, the west coast and southern India are projected to shift to new, high-temperature climatic regimes with significant impacts on agriculture.

 Changing rainfall patterns: A 2°C rise in the world’s average temperatures will make India’s summer monsoon highly unpredictable. An abrupt change in the monsoon could precipitate a major crisis, triggering more frequent droughts as well as greater flooding in large parts of India. Dry years are expected to be drier and wet years wetter.

 Drought: Droughts are expected to be more frequent in some areas, especially in north-western India, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Crop yields are expected to fall significantly because of extreme heat by the 2040s.

 Glacier melt: At 2.5°C warming, melting glaciers and the loss of snow cover over the Himalayas are expected to threaten the stability and reliability of northern India’s primarily glacier-fed rivers, particularly the Indus and the Brahmaputra. The Ganges will be less dependent on melt water due to high annual rainfall downstream during the monsoon season.

 Sea level rise: Sea-level rise and storm surges would lead to saltwater intrusion in the coastal areas, impacting agriculture, degrading groundwater quality, contaminating drinking water, and possibly causing a rise in diarrhoea cases and cholera outbreaks, as the cholera bacterium survives longer in saline water.

 Agriculture: Seasonal water scarcity, rising temperatures, and intrusion of sea water would threaten crop yields, jeopardizing the country’s food security. Under 2°C warming by the 2050s, the country may need to import more than twice the amount of food-grain than would be required without climate change.

 Energy security: The increasing variability and long-term decreases in river flows can pose a major challenge to hydropower plants and increase the risk of physical damage from landslides, flash floods, glacial lake outbursts, and other climate-related natural disasters.

Impact of climate change on Himalayan states:

 Melting of Himalayan glaciers: due to climate change led global warming; melting of glaciers is continuously rising. There will be more flood events in short term.

 Glacier lake outburst flow: Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) refers to the glacier floods caused by the drainage of naturally dammed lakes in the glacier, on or at the margin of glaciers. It led to flood in Uttarakhand.

 Seasonal rivers in long term: Himalayan Rivers may become seasonal since they get water supply from these glaciers in winter seasons.

 Agriculture: agriculture will be affected due to lack of irrigation facilities due to less water available in the rivers in the long term.

Impact of climate change on coastal states:

 Threat of submergence: coastal cities will face the threat of submergence due to rise in sea level due to the global warming.

 Uneven rainfall pattern: since climate change has impact on south west monsoon, there will be uneven rainfall pattern. This will have further impact on agriculture in the region.

 Migration: due to threat of submergence, there will be more migration cases from coastal cities towards the interior locations.

 Salinization: seal level rise would result in saltwater intrusion in the coastal areas, which would adversely impact agriculture, degrade groundwater quality, contaminate drinking water.

Thus, there is need for adhering to INDCs targets set by the government in accordance with Paris agreement to tackle the climate change.

International Forest day

International forest day ,21st march 2018 , theme is 'forest and sustainable cities'
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Today, is International forest day proclaimed by UN-General Assembly on 21st march,2012 .This global celebration of forest provides a platform to raise  awareness of the importance of all types of forest and woodland and trees.To celebrate the protection of wildlife,humans and environment.

2018 Theme: Forests and Sustainable Cities

Key Messages: by UN

• Forests and trees store carbon, which helps mitigate the impacts of climate change in and around urban areas.
• Trees also improve the local climate, helping to save energy used for heating by 20-50 percent.
• Strategic placement of trees in urban areas can cool the air by up to 8 degrees Celsius, reducing air conditioning needs by 30 percent.
• Urban trees are excellent air filters, removing harmful pollutants in the air and fine particulates.
• Trees reduce noise pollution, as they shield homes from nearby roads and industrial areas.
• Local populations use the fruits, nuts, leaves and insects found in urban trees to produce food and medicines for use in the home, or as a source of income.
• Wood fuel sourced from urban trees and planted forests on the outskirts of cities provides renewable energy for cooking and heating, which reduces pressures on natural forests and our reliance on fossil fuels.
• Forests in and around urban areas help to filter and regulate water, contributing to high-quality freshwater supplies for hundreds of millions of people. Forests also protect watersheds and prevent flooding as they store water in their branches and soil.
• Well-managed forests and trees in and around cities provide habitats, food and protection for many plants and animals, helping to maintain and increase biodiversity.
• Forests in cities and surrounding areas generate tourism, create tens of thousands of jobs and encourage city beautification schemes, building dynamic, energetic and prosperous green economies.
• Urban green spaces, including forests, encourage active and healthy lifestyles, improve mental health, prevent disease, and provide a place for people to socialize.

Plastic pollution : cause, impact and strategy/measures

Plastic pollution :-

This year world environmental day theme is ' Beat plastic pollution' and India is hosting a global world environmental day on 5th June 2018.  The  US-based study on India indicate that 93%of water bottles contains contaminated microplastics from 259 samples of 11 brand. It is regulated by BIS and FDA. That raise the question are we drinking plastics?



Today, plastic contribute more than 10% of discarded waste.It involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment which adversely affecting the animals, humans and environment. It is in two major forms :

1. Microdebris /nurdles: plastic size between 2mm-5mm which mainly came from cleaning and cosmetic products also called scrubbers. It enters ocean by means of spills from transportation or land based sources. Microplastics accumulates hydrophobic persistent toxins such as DDT and PCB.

2. Macro debris / metaplastic : larger than 20mm in size mainly comes from packaging polythene and abandoned fishing nets.

Estimate, by 2050 there could be more plastic than weight of fish, per day around 0.37m tonnes plastic waste generated ,350million tonnes by 2015, major polluters of plastic are China, USA, EU , India and Indonesia. Every year nearly 8 million tonnes of plastic reaches to oceans.

Major sources of plastic pollution in the world are : in decreasing order
 1) packaging 2) building and construction 3) textiles 4) consumer institutional products
 5) transportation  6) electrical/electronics 7) industrial machinery 8) others

Major problems arise due to plastic slow decomposition rate ( plastic cups -50 years, plastic beverage bottles-400 years, fishing lines -600 years); resulting release of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A.; Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) linked to red tides (algal blooms); every year estimated global production of plastics is 250mt/yr. ,

Other problem arises due to high cost of replacing plastics with other things and could raise environmental cost atlest 4 times. Now

Adverse impact on the environment by plastic pollution :

-- chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the soils and seeps into water sources.
---landfill plastics either eaten by animals or biodegradable plastics release methane contributing to global warming.
---plastics in oceans degraded in years but not entirely releasing toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A and polyestyrene.
---effects on animals arise due to entanglement, ingestion of plastics leading to killing sea turtles, whales, fishing.
---humans adversely affected by chemical additives during plastic production such as endocrine disruption, phthalate plasticisers and brominated flame retardants,BPA- sex hormones, bisphenol A- thyroid hormone.
--- marine litter cost $13bn a year, mainly through its adverse effects on biodiversity, tourism and fisheries .
---Overall total cost of plastic pollution is $139bn a year. 50% caused by climate change effect and GHG emissions linked to producing and transporting plastics., 33% comes from the impact of associated air, water and land pollution on health, crops and the environment ,cost of waste disposal.

---Plastic is a durable material made to last forever, yet 33 percent of it is used once and then discarded. Plastic cannot biodegrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.

--- China is the largest producer of plastic pollution. Americans alone discard more than 30 million tons of plastic a year; only 8 percent of it gets recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or becomes 'litter', and a small portion is incinerated. 

---Plastic spoils our groundwater.There are tens of thousands of landfills across the globe. Buried beneath each one of them, plastic leachate full of toxic chemicals is seeping into groundwater and flowing downstream into lakes and rivers.

--- Plastic poisons our food chain.Even plankton, the tiniest creatures in our oceans, are eating microplastics and absorbing their toxins. The substance displaces nutritive algae that creatures up the food chain require.

--- Plastic attracts other pollutants.Manufacturers' additives in plastics, like flame retardants, BPAs and PVCs, can leach their own toxins. These oily poisons repel water and stick to petroleum-based objects like plastic debris.

--- Plastic attracts other pollutants.. Manufacturers' additives in plastics, like flame retardants, BPAs and PVCs, can leach their own toxins. These oily poisons repel water and stick to petroleum-based objects like plastic debris.
---- Plastic threatens wildlife. Entanglement, ingestion and habitat disruption all result from plastic ending up in the spaces where animals live. In our oceans alone, plastic debris outweighs zooplankton by a ratio of 36-to-1.
---Plastic costs billions to abate. Everything suffers: tourism, recreation, business, the health of humans, animals, fish and birds—because of plastic pollution. The financial damage continuously being inflicted is inestimable.
----Plastic costs billions to abate. Everything suffers: tourism, recreation, business, the health of humans, animals, fish and birds—because of plastic pollution. The financial damage continuously being inflicted is inestimable.

Strategy and measures to reduce the adverse impact of plastic pollution :
1. Plastic recycling of biodegradable and degradable plastics  by avoiding non biodegradable plastics.
2. Plastic medical equipment should be incinerated rather than deposited in a landfill but gaseous emissions is a demerit
3. Rules and regulations through strict policies to ban plastic production and it's use, disposal,etc.under EPA and food and drug administration.
4. Institutional mechanism : strategy,laws,plans, action,collection,non use and reduction in usage, creating awareness,etc
5. Cleaning of water bodies, sewage treatment plant, ecosystem based management, adaptive management, precautionary measures, people participation.
6. Plasma recycling , where refuse is heated to 5000 degree Celsius, turning it into unadulterated hydrocarbons and solid residue .but problem lies with huge cost it will take some time for commercialisation.
7. Building recycling capacity by plastic waste generators such big companies, city management authorities, consumer-goods firms,etc.
8. Making plastics biodegradable, by adding corn starch or vegetable oil to petroleum-derived hydrocarbons but renders recycle.
10. zero tolerance to plastic by banning its commercial useage in retail,pakaging,etc