Impact of Sugar Mill Effluents on Crop health

Abstract

  Environmental pollution is one of the primary issues of the globe. Industrialization is the main cause for environmental pollution. Water is mainly affected by industries due to huge amount of effluent released into water bodies. It changes the physico-chemical properties of water and harmfully affected plants and other living organisms. In fact, industrial waste and other different human activity waste have emerged as one of the main reasons of pollution of water bodies. Sugarcane is known to be one of the oldest cultivated plants in tropical and subtropical countries. However, untreated disposal of the effluent from sugarcane industries results in extensive water pollution. In India, most of the people depend upon the agriculture as a major occupation. One of the most critical problems in developing countries is improper management of huge amount of generated waste by various anthropogenic activities is a serious problem. These effluent from industries have a great deal of influence on the pollution of the water bodies. Water bodies especially freshwater ones are the most affected. Due to industrial effluent contamination of natural water bodies has emerged as a major challenge in developing and densely populated countries like India. India is agriculture based country and major user of water resource for irrigation but there is a great demand in water for irrigation while gallons and gallons of effluent are let out into water source as untreated. Food crops are not advisable for cultivation under effluent irrigation because it affects the food crops and deposited heavy metals in the plant tissue and also affected the consumer. This study is aimed at reviewing the sugarcane industrial process with its water consumption rates, and effluent characteristics and its adverse effects on the environment.

Key words:- Water, pollution, sugar mills, effluent etc.