Sutlej River Pollution - Causes

  • One of the major causes of pollution in Sutlej river is the release of untreated municipal waste from Jalandhar, and release of industrial effluents into the river.
  • Jamsher drain, and Kala Sangya drain are the two drains in Jalandhar, which was meant to carry rainwater into Sutlej river. Instead of carrying rainwater, these two drains carry all the toxic content into Sutlej river.
  • At the confluence of river Beas and Sutlej is the Harike Pattan barrage, around 10 km upstream from this barrage, the two drains of Jalandhar releases its effluents into the Chitti Bien tributary or East Bien.
  • The point of confluence of river Sutlej and river Beas is the starting point of the Rajasthan feeder canal.
  • This Rajasthan feeder canal passes through the Sirsa district of Haryana and crosses into Rajasthan.
  • Huge amounts of industrial effluents are released into the Sutlej river from Buddha Nullah located in Ludhiana, Punjab. By the time the Sutlej river crosses Ludhiana, the river is almost lost due to pollutants.
  • Every day, around 2000 kilolitres of sewage gets released into the Sutlej river from the state of Punjab.
  • The first point from where the effluents enter the Sutlej river is at Rupnagar district of Punjab in a village named Taraf. The Sarsa river which flows from Himachal Pradesh is the first big source of pollution in Sutluj river.

Sutluj River Pollution – Quality of Water (Class B, C, D, E)

  • As the Sutlej river enters the state of Punjab, it carries Class B water. Class B water is neither fit for irrigation nor fit for human consumption.
  • As the Sutluj river crosses the Nangal-Ropar Belt in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, the river water turns into Class C water.
  • At the downstream of Ludhiana, the discharge of effluents from Buddha Nullah turns the Sutlej river into Class E water.
  • The water becomes Class D for some distance and then again becomes Class E water at Gidderpindi in Jalandhar district.

Sutluj River Pollution – Consequences on Health

  • More than 1 crore lives are at risk in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab due to pollution of Sutlej river.
  • The Rajasthan Feeder Canal passes through seven districts of Rajasthan – Barmer, Churu, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sriganganagar.
  • In the above mentioned places, many people are suffering from Kidney ailments, hepatitis, and cancer diseases.
  • Many people are aware of the risks involved and the high chances of contracting diseases, yet they consume that water as they are helpless due to lack of any alternative source of drinking water. In districts like Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar, there is no other source of drinking water apart from the canal water.
  • The health impact of polluted Sutlej river in the entire Malwa belt can be gauged by looking at the fact that there are too many cases of cancer in hospitals of Faridkot.
  • The Sutlej river also causes other health complications like loss of eyesight, gastroenteritis, and skin diseases.

Sutlej River

  • Sutlej River is also spelled as Sutluj river.
  • The highly polluted waters of the Sutlej river are used both for irrigation and drinking purposes in Punjab.
  • Before Sutlej river crosses over to Pakistan, around 1450 kilometres is covered in India by the Sutlej river.
  • The source of the Sutlej is west of the catchment area of Lake Rakshastal. The Sutlej River originates at Rakshastal’s northwestern tip. Lake Rakshastal is a saltwater lake in Tibet. It lies just west of Lake Manasarovar and south of Mount Kailash.

Frequently Asked Questions on Sutlej River Pollution

Q1

Where does Sutlej river come from?

The source of the Sutlej is west of the catchment area of Lake Rakshastal. The Sutlej River originates at Rakshastal’s northwestern tip. Lake Rakshastal is a saltwater lake in Tibet. It lies just west of Lake Manasarovar and south of Mount Kailash.

Q2

Why is Sutlej called Red River?

In the Mahabharata, Sutlej River is described by the name Satadree, which means red river.

Relevant Links

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 1 Syllabus, Strategy & Structure

NCERT Notes: Geography Notes For UPSC 2021

Previous Years UPSC Mains Geography Question Paper

The Major Indian River Systems

National River of India and National Mission for Clean Ganga

National River Linking Project (NRLP) – Challenges, Issues

India ‘ s Water Crisis – Every Drop Counts: RSTV – The Big Picture

Inter-State Water Disputes – Different Inter-State Water Dispute Tribunals

Comparison Between Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers

UPSC Exam Preparation-Gist of Kurukshetra June 2019 Issue: Drinking Water for Rural India

Water Scarcity – Water Stress in India & Prevention of Water Scarcity [UPSC Notes]

National Rural Drinking Water Programme

Previous Years Mains Environment & Ecology Questions in UPSC Mains GS-3

UPSC Prelims Environment and Ecology Questions [2013-2020]

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published.

*

*