Coastal and estuarine ecosystems are heavily influenced by the human species through pollution and habitat loss. Coastal pollution and its impacts have resulted in a number of environmental issues including the enrichment of enclosed waters with organic matter, pollution by chemicals such as oil, and sedimentation due to land-based activities.
India is blessed with a long coastline of about 7500 kilometers with over 1200 islands in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India, endowed with a number of estuaries, mangroves, coral lagoons, and mudflats.
However, increasing levels of organic and inorganic pollution in the coastal water over the years is posing a grave danger to the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and microbial concentration levels which are the two most important indicators of the health of coastal waters.
Coastal Pollution can be attributed to untreated waste from domestic and industrial by bacteria leading to usage of enormous oxygen from the seawater ultimately reducing the dissolved oxygen levels in the sea and affecting the aquatic organism.
One should know that the recommended level of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) for ecologically sensitive coastal areas and beach tourism is 5 milligram per liter or above.
The ministry of Earth Sciences reported in December last year that DO levels observed to be very low at a few locations where raw sewage was being directly released into the sea adversely impacting mortality of larvae and juveniles who are quite sensitive to oxygen levels and also contributing to coastal pollution
Some of the major sources of coastal pollution in coastal areas identified by the ministry in include
- Municipal sewage
- Industrial effluent
- Aquaculture effluent
- Fertilizer used in agriculture
- Ports and Harbours
- Shipbuilding and ship breaking yard
- Fish processing industries/salt pans
- Tourists resorts/beaches
- Solid waste dumping
There are 13 states and union territories along the coastline of India which generates about 33215 MLD of sewage in total whereas sewage treatment capacity has been developed for only 12673 MLD!
Therefore, there is a huge gap of about 20542 MLD of sewage treatment capacity in the coastal areas. Thus, coastal pollution is on the rise with a huge gap in treatment.
A major portion of untreated sewage enters coastal waters through rivers, creeks, and rivulets that all are all interconnected.
In 2015, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified 302 polluted river stretches in the country. CPCB along with various state pollution boards have been monitoring river water quality since 1977-78.
Under National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP), 445 rivers are being monitored at 1275 locations and organic pollution has been identified as the predominant cause of water pollution that eventually increases the BOD levels.
Summary of Polluted river stretches in coastal areas (source: MoEF & CC)
| State | Cities/Towns along polluted river stretches | Number of polluted river stretches |
| Maharashtra | 161 | 49 |
| West Bengal | 47 | 17 |
| Gujarat | 38 | 20 |
| Karnataka | 24 | 15 |
| Tamil Nadu | 23 | 7 |
| Kerala | 22 | 13 |
| Odisha | 20 | 7 |
| Goa | 9 | 8 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 8 | 6 |
| Daman and Diu | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 354 | 148 |
Recent Posts
- Anonymity: Darknet allows users to communicate and transact with each other anonymously. Users can maintain their privacy and avoid being tracked by law enforcement agencies or other entities.
- Access to Information: The darknet provides access to information and resources that may be otherwise unavailable or censored on the regular internet. This can include political or sensitive information that is not allowed to be disseminated through other channels.
- Freedom of Speech: The darknet can be a platform for free speech, as users are able to express their opinions and ideas without fear of censorship or retribution.
- Secure Communication: Darknet sites are encrypted, which means that communication between users is secure and cannot be intercepted by third parties.
- Illegal Activities: Many darknet sites are associated with illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, weapon sales, and hacking services. Such activities can attract criminals and expose users to serious legal risks.
- Scams: The darknet is a hotbed for scams, with many fake vendors and websites that aim to steal users’ personal information and cryptocurrency. The lack of regulation and oversight on the darknet means that users must be cautious when conducting transactions.
- Security Risks: The use of the darknet can expose users to malware and other security risks, as many sites are not properly secured or monitored. Users may also be vulnerable to hacking or phishing attacks.
- Stigma: The association of the darknet with illegal activities has created a stigma that may deter some users from using it for legitimate purposes.
- Virtual assistants: Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are examples of virtual assistants that use natural language processing to understand and respond to users’ queries.
- Recommendation systems: Companies like Netflix and Amazon use AI to recommend movies and products to their users based on their browsing and purchase history.
- Efficiency: AI systems can work continuously without getting tired or making errors, which can save time and resources.
- Personalization: AI can help provide personalized recommendations and experiences for users.
- Automation: AI can automate repetitive and tedious tasks, freeing up time for humans to focus on more complex tasks.
- Job loss: AI has the potential to automate jobs previously performed by humans, leading to job loss and economic disruption.
- Bias: AI systems can be biased due to the data they are trained on, leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes.
- Safety and privacy concerns: AI systems can pose safety risks if they malfunction or are used maliciously, and can also raise privacy concerns if they collect and use personal data without consent.
Darknet
Definition:
Darknet, also known as dark web or darknet market, refers to the part of the internet that is not indexed or accessible through traditional search engines. It is a network of private and encrypted websites that cannot be accessed through regular web browsers and requires special software and configuration to access.
The darknet is often associated with illegal activities such as drug trafficking, weapon sales, and hacking services, although not all sites on the darknet are illegal.
Examples:
Examples of darknet markets include Silk Road, AlphaBay, and Dream Market, which were all shut down by law enforcement agencies in recent years.
These marketplaces operate similarly to e-commerce websites, with vendors selling various illegal goods and services, such as drugs, counterfeit documents, and hacking tools, and buyers paying with cryptocurrency for their purchases.
Pros :
Cons:
Artificial Intelligence
Definition:
AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and understanding natural language.
Examples:
Pros :
Cons: