Water pollution is a form of environmental degradation which is caused by the contamination of water bodies. Over two-thirds of our planet is covered with water and as the Earth's population increases, the demand for water also increases. Water resources are broadly classified into two types: surface water and ground water. These resources are mainly contaminated due to the discharge of industrial effluents and city sewage without proper treatment, mixing of chemical agents (such as fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, etc.), oil spills, and dumping of plastics and other non-biodegradable products.

In India, the main cause of water pollution is due to the release of untreated city sewage into water bodies. Several reports say that 80% of India's water bodies are polluted. The Ganga and Yamuna rivers have been ranked among the top ten most polluted rivers in the world. The waste dumped in these rivers prove to be a breeding ground for many organisms which cause life threatening diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera. The aquatic life is affected severely by the pollution and this results in the decrease in population levels of the species. For example, the ganges dolphin is endangered as these dolphins can only live in fresh water. 

Recently, a huge oil spill occurred along the coast of Chennai which was caused by the collision of two cargo ships. The oil spill had affected the sea creatures and many of Chennai's beaches. Many of the local crab, fish, and turtles were lost due to this spill. Many reports claimed that dead  turtles and hatchlings were covered in the black oil which had washed ashore. The fishermen community was severely affected as they survive on daily wage and fewer people were willing to buy the fish. The fisheries minister stated that the unfortunate incident was caused by human error. The cleaning process for the oil spill was slow as it had to be done by hand because the government did not have the technical equipment required to remove the oil from the surface of the water. Thousands of volunteers were called upon to participate and with the help of the government, the oil was soon cleared.

The problem of water pollution is unavoidable and must be solved in the near future as water plays an essential role in the daily activities of every person and fresh water resources are depleting everyday. Solving this problem is not easy as requires people to learn, participate, cooperate, contribute, and follow. I would like to end this report with a quote by Evo Morales, "Sooner or later, we will have to recognize that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans"