HOW CAN WE CLEAN OUR RIVERS By shezan Rehman

HOW CAN WE CLEAN OUR RIVERS

                                       “To a Thirsty man, a drop of water is worth more than a sack of gold”

·         “Water is the one substance from which the earth can conceal nothing; it sucks out its innermost secrets and brings them to our very lips” — Jean Giraudoux

·         “Water is God's gift to living souls, to cleanse us, to purify us, to sustain us and to renew us” — Jewish Bridal

                     

                           

      Rivers carry water and nutrients to areas all around the earth. They play a very important part in the water cycle, acting as drainage channels for surface water. Rivers drain nearly 75% of the earth's land surface. Rivers provide excellent habitat and food for many of the earth's organisms. Many rare plants and trees grow by rivers. Ducks, voles, otters and beavers make their homes on the river banks. Reeds and other plants like bulrushes grow along the river banks. Other animals use the river for food and drink. Birds such as kingfishers eat small fish from the river. In Africa, animals such as antelopes, lions and elephants go to rivers for water to drink. Other animals such as bears catch fish from rivers. River deltas have many different species of wildlife. Insects, mammals and birds use the delta for their homes and for food. Rivers provide travel routes for exploration, commerce and recreation

                      It seems that almost every day there is another story about pollution of one form or another, in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Very often our own actions lead to that pollution and in many cases we can do something about it. These notes explain how you can investigate pollution and advice on positive action to improve our rivers. Over 97% of all the water on Earth is salty and most of the remaining 3% is frozen in the polar ice-caps. The atmosphere, rivers, lakes and underground stores hold less than 1% of all the fresh water and this tiny amount has to provide the fresh water needed to support the Earth's population. Fresh water is a precious resource and the increasing pollution of our rivers and lakes is a cause for alarm. Polluted water is dangerous for both plants and animals. The animals may get many diseases by drinking the polluted water. When the human beings touch those infected animals, they also get diseases.

                        There is an urgent need of cleaning rivers. We can clean our rivers in many ways and they are as under:

1. Use less water

One of the biggest threats to water quality comes from aging infrastructure. Cities across the nation are dealing with sewer systems that are literally falling apart. In some places, these systems date back to the time of the Civil War. Every time you flush your toilet or leave the water running while you’re brushing your teeth, it increases the load on your sewer system. Conserve water.

It also lowers the burden on sewage treatment plants.

2. Keep your car repaired

We all see those oil spots on driveways and parking lots. When oil leaks from our cars it is eventually sent down storm drains and ends up in the watershed. If your car has sprung an oil leak, get it fixed. Also, be careful while adding oil and make sure any used oil is properly recycled.

 3. Use organic gardening techniques

In the same way that dripping automotive oil ends up in the watershed, so does a large amount of the fertilizers and pesticides you use in your garden. This causes rivers and lakes to get a huge dose of nitrogen which makes algae grow abnormally. The chemistry of our freshwater lakes and streams gets totally out of whack and fish kills are common, along with a host of other problems.

Go with natural fertilizers and bug killers and even then, stick to the directions and make sure you aren’t overusing or applying on days when they are likely to be quickly washed away by rain.

 4. Compost and contain yard waste

Sending bushels of grass clippings down the storm drain isn’t all that unlike dumping fertilizer down the drain. Nature hasn’t designed rivers to be suburbia’s yard waste receptacle. Too much organic material clogs streams and when it breaks down, it can upset up the water chemistry.

5. Deal with household chemicals and medicines properly

Your local environmental health agency, garbage hauler or solid waste department probably has drop-off locations or specially scheduled pickups for toxic household chemicals, like solvents, motor oil and paint. Do a little research and plug into the system. Also, don’t flush unused medicines down the toilet. These are starting to turn up in local drinking water supplies. Find the best way to dispose of them locally. Also, use natural cleaning products around the house.

 6. Go sustainable

Individuals can accomplish a lot by doing their personal best to keep our rivers and lakes clean and pollutant free, however, the biggest problems are with industry and agriculture.

Frequent your local farmer’s market and find organic farmers. Doing business with them helps keep fertilizers and pesticides out of the environment and it also reduces the need to truck food over long distances, which reduces all the pollution associated with transportation.

Also, many areas are allowing households to buy their electricity from sustainable sources. If you live in an area where the utilities burn coal, switch to a green energy supplier. It will reduce acid rain, which is one of our biggest problems.

7. Don’t litter

Perhaps we shouldn’t have to remind folks not to litter, but still some people haven’t gotten the message. Go to any river or lake popular with fishermen and you’ll find plastic wrappers from lures and bait at the water’s edge. And, if you litter in your neighborhood, it will make its way to a storm drain and get into our streams, lakes and eventually into the ocean.

              Government should also promote some laws towards some people who pollute the rivers. Government should approve models through which rivers can be cleaned.

I myself with some 3-4 girls made a model named as “SOLAR BEE” which consists of a solar, a gun like structure which pumps the air. The mechanism is very simple the gun pumps the air which forces the weeds present on the surface of river to get towards the boundaries of river (opposite to the air gun). This model was very cheap in cost. That model was also viewed by some members also. But later no response was provided.

I hope that I will complete that particular model.