Surface and Ground Water Pollution: Causes and Effects of Urbanization and Industrialization in South Asia

Abstract

Water pollution in South Asia is an alarming issue that has immersed recently. Developing countries, particularly those in South Asia, are fast adopting industrial pollution control standards similar to those in developed countries. So both surface and groundwater are already scarce however, individuals and industries continue to pollute the already limited supply of water. On the other hand, the pollution of rivers is more severe and critical near urban stretches due to huge amounts of pollution load discharged by urban activities. Unplanned urbanization and industrialization occurring in these countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, etc. may be largely responsible for this grave situation. Therefore these human activities including industrialization and urbanization contributed immensely in no small measure to the degradation and pollution of the environment which adversely has an effect on the water resources such as surface and groundwater that is a necessity for life. This paper tries to discuss basically the causes and effects of urbanization and industrialization in surface and groundwater pollution and equally to address the controlling issues and challenges in South Asia.