Hyderabad: Catchment areas of the all important Krishna and Godavari rivers are among the most contaminated in the country. Research being conducted into trace metal contamination in catchment areas of major rivers has found that sediments in the Krishna and Godavari catchment areas have the highest mercury levels in the whole of the Indian coast.
Levels of other heavy metals, lead and cadmium, are also among the highest in these catchment areas. Much of the mercury could be from the many thermal power plants located there.
Scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) are engaged in a research project to assess the contamination levels of estuarine sediments in catchment areas of major Indian rivers on the west and east coasts.
The project, under the Twelfth Five Year Plan (FYP), is being carried out by NIO scientists Dr Parthsarathy Chakrabarthy, Dr Darwin Ramteke, Dr Sucharita Chakraborty and Dr B. Nagender Nath.
Some rivers that are being assessed are the Ganga, Kaveri, Godavari, Krishna, Narmada, and Tapti. Dr Nagender Nath said, “We analysed about 200 samples from different catchment areas. Mercury is highest in Godavari and Krishna. These areas are highest in every metal contamination.”
