Water Quality refers to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water, which determine its suitability for drinking, agriculture, industry, and aquatic life.
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Reasons for Deteriorating Surface Water Quality in India:
Discharge of Industrial Waste: Untreated or partially treated industrial effluents are dumped into rivers and lakes.
Sewage Disposal: A large volume of domestic sewage is directly released into water bodies without treatment.
Agricultural Runoff: Fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals used in farming wash into nearby rivers and lakes.
Religious and Cultural Practices: Immersion of idols, ashes, and other offerings pollute rivers.
Urbanization: Unplanned urban growth leads to encroachment and pollution of water bodies due to lack of proper sanitation and drainage systems.