Let me ask you something. What do you think is the most important commodity you require to survive? I’m pretty sure many of you might not have put water into the picture. We rarely pay attention to the importance of water in our lives but we shouldn’t ignore the fact that it is our basic commodity without which we cannot survive for long. Thus, the water we consume ought to be free of pathogens to ensure our well-being.
Only knowing of the fact that water we consume in various ways should be potable isn’t enough, one has to take measures to contribute to making this happen. In 1965, the condition of Charles river was so poor that Standells was persuaded to write a song on the dirtiness of the water in the river. The song somehow helped in opening the eyes of several associations and hence, in the same year the Charles River Watershed Association launched the first major effort to improve the quality of the river. The river was majorly polluted by the raw sewage and rainwater that flowed from old drainage pipes in Boston Harbor.
The dirty water has now become popular amongst Boston sports fans and would soon possibly host its first public swimming area. This isn’t that easy as it seems, there are some hurdles before this plan come into action. Therefore, to bring this plan into action, the Charles River Conservancy gave the grant to test the quality of the water in the river to Max Rome, a doctoral candidate at the Northeastern University. During the research, Rome found significantly high levels of E. Coli and cyanobacteria at the swimming site. These microorganisms are known to cause severe abdominal cramps, headaches and pesky rashes. Despite this, the overall water quality of the river managed to score a grade of A from the Environmental Protection agency in 2017. Talking about the swimming pool to be built in Charles River, Rome claimed of observing exceeding levels of E. Coli and cyanobacteria in a few days. Therefore, the River cannot be declared as safe and free of pathogens.
After seeing the conditions of the Charles River, researchers from the Northeastern University decided to join hands in reducing the pollution levels in not only the Charles River but also Big Sunflower River which is a tributary of Mississippi River. The River was named as the most endangered river recently and thus severe attention has to be paid to it. Ameet Pinto, an assistant professor of civil and environmental at the Northeastern University also stated that the drainage from the Mississippi created the largest dead zone and thus requires utmost attention.
Priyanka Rawat
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