A Fire That Devastated a River and Sparked Its Rejuvenation, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• On November 1, 1986, a fire at a Sandoz agrochemical warehouse in Basel, Switzerland, led to tonnes of toxic chemicals washing into the Rhine River, causing widespread aquatic life destruction.
• In response, the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) drafted the Rhine Action Programme (RAP), approved on October 1, 1987, to restore the river.
• The RAP aimed for the return of higher species like salmon, continued use of Rhine water for drinking, and unpolluted sediment by 2000.
• The Rhine has since significantly improved, now supporting over 70 fish species, with extinct species like salmon returning.
• In contrast, India's Yamuna River remains highly polluted, with Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and faecal coliform levels far exceeding permissible limits in Delhi.
• Despite initiatives like the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) (1986) and Namami Gange (2014), India's polluted river stretches increased to 296 on 271 rivers by 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• The Sandoz chemical spill, one of Europe's worst environmental disasters, released highly toxic pesticides and mercury, turning the Rhine red and killing aquatic life for over 180 kilometers downstream.
• The ICPR, established in 1950, is an intergovernmental body comprising Switzerland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the European Union, coordinating Rhine protection efforts.
• The Rhine Action Programme (RAP) led to the construction of more wastewater treatment plants, optimized accident prevention, and restored watercourses to a more natural state.
• The RAP successfully reduced point source inputs of priority pollutants by 70-100% between 1985 and 2000, with municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant connections increasing from 85% to 95%.
• Yamuna's most polluted stretch in Delhi shows BOD levels several times the 3.0 mg/L limit for outdoor bathing and faecal coliform counts far exceeding the desirable 500 MPN/200 ml.
• India's legislative framework includes The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, aimed at pollution control.
• Major Indian river cleaning programs include the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) (Phase I in 1985, Phase II in 1993), Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) (1993), National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) (2011), and Namami Gange (2014).
• Despite spending over ₹24,000 crore on Ganga and Yamuna, the number of polluted river stretches in India has increased.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): A measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen required by aerobic biological microorganisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample.
• Faecal Coliform: A group of bacteria found in the faeces of warm-blooded animals, used as an indicator of sewage contamination in water.
• Polluted River Stretches (PRS): River segments where water quality parameters, particularly BOD, exceed prescribed limits for designated best use.
• Rhine Action Programme (RAP): A comprehensive international program launched in 1987 to restore the ecological health of the Rhine River after a major chemical spill.
• International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR): An intergovernmental organization established in 1950 to coordinate efforts among riparian states for the protection and sustainable development of the Rhine River.