Page 91 - Sugam Sarita

found in plant tissues) or particles of iron and manganese from rocks

or soil. Bluewater has a very low amount of dissolved particles in it.
Factors such as minerals, soil runoff and sediment, and even algae can
cause water to varying from its natural colour of blue. The most
common cause for water to change colour is minerals. When a rock is

weathered down over time, the minerals from the rock are dissolved
and small pieces are released into the water causing different colours.
Iron, manganese and calcium carbonate from limestone are all
common minerals that can cause water to change in colour from the

range of green-blue to the range of red-orange.
Most of the natural river water is clear, but if there is an increase in
the growth of algae in the water, the river appears green. The water
appears blue when containing more calcium carbonate, appears red

with more sulphur, and appears black with more mud. Industrial
pollution also changes the river colours. For example, an effluent
containing a high amount of copper shows blue, and the wastewater
from the paper factory looks black.

Pune has an abundance of water from the Khadakwasla dam, but its
intra-city distribution is extremely uneven. Some areas get as much as
600 liters per capita per day (lpcd) while others get barely 100. This
results in enormous quantities of wastewater sewage, despite the

capacity of sewage plants being 600 million liters per day, drained in
its two main rivers, the Mula and Mutha, hence both rivers remain
severely polluted. The Mula-Mutha River water in Pune had
deteriorated in quality. Its biological oxygen demand, an indicator of

organic pollution, has risen to over 30 mg/l, more than ten times the
permissible limits for bathing. Pune is a classic case of overconsumption;
the Municipal Corporation is currently supplying water sufficient
for the projected population in the year 2050. More water means

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