Impact of Water and Soil Pollution on Economic Welfare of Farm Households in Tiruppur District An Imperfect Market

Abstract

The Central Pollution Control Board of India had identified 3266 highly polluting industries in 17 sectors in 2012. Out of 3266 industries, 2328 were pollution complying, 571 industries were pollution non-complying and 367 industries had been closed down. The Central Pollution Control Board monitored surface water quality of all important water bodies located in 206 rivers of the country. The presence of toxic metals beyond permissible limits can be considered as poisonous. The central pollution control board had measured toxic metals in 120 rivers. In India, only 24 percent of wastewater is treated (primary only) before it is used for agriculture and disposed into rivers. It is also for Metro cities and Class I cities The untreated industrial and domestic waste water used for irrigation might cause environmental degradation such as ground water pollution, soil pollution and contamination of crops grown in polluted water. The dyeing industrial wastes are more toxic and polluted surface and ground water quality. newlineIn this back drop, limited studies (Chandrasekar, 2007, Singh et al., 2009, Khai and Yabe 2012) had analysed the impact of water and soil pollution on agriculture. They assessed the impact of water and soil pollution on agriculture on the assumption of perfect market condition in the production and consumption of farm households. Market imperfection creates disequilibrium market for the water and soil quality. But none of the studies had made an assessment of the water and soil pollution and its impact on farm sector under imperfect market condition. Therefore, the present study on impact of water and soil pollution on economic welfare of farm households in Tiruppur district An imperfect market approach was undertaken. The major findings of the study revealed that Among the selected variables, dumping and mixing of industrial wastes in the water bodies, pumping of industrial wastes in the underground through bore well and pumping of industrial wastes in the farm land were the significant factors to det