Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Pollution of surface soils

Urban activities generate large quantities of city wastes including several Biodegradable materials (like vegetables, animal wastes, papers, wooden pieces, carcasses, plant twigs, leaves, cloth wastes as well as sweepings) and many non-biodegradable materials (such as plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wastes, glass bottles, glass pieces, stone / cement pieces). On a rough estimate Indian cities are producing solid city wastes to the tune of 50,000 - 80,000 metric tons every day. If left uncollected and decomposed, they are a cause of several problems such as

• Clogging of drains

Causing serious drainage problems including the burst / leakage of drainage lines leading to health problems.

• barrier to movement of water

Solid wastes have seriously damaged the normal movement of water thus creating problem of inundation, damage to foundation of buildings as well as public health hazards.

• foul smell - generated by dumping the wastes at a place.

• increased microbial activities

Microbial decomposition of organic wastes generate large quantities of methane besides many chemicals to pollute the soil and water flowing on its surface

• When such solid wastes are hospital wastes they create many health problems - as they may have dangerous pathogen within them besides dangerous medicines, injections.

Pollution of Underground Soil

Underground soil in cities is likely to be polluted by

• Chemicals released by industrial wastes and industrial wastes

• Decomposed and partially decomposed materials of sanitary wastes

Many dangerous chemicals like cadmium, chromium, lead, arsenic, selenium products are likely to be deposited in underground soil. Similarly underground soil polluted by sanitary wastes generate many harmful chemicals.

These can damage the normal activities and ecological balance in the underground soil.