Desalination is seen as one possible answer to the problem of water scarcity. Recently, Maharashtra government has announced setting up of desalination plant in Mumbai, becoming fourth state to do. So, what is desalination process and what is its feasibility ?
What are desalination plant ?
A desalination plant convert salt water generally seawater into drinking water. The most common used technology used for the process is reverse osmosis where an external pressure is applied to push solvents from an area of high-solute concentration to an area of low-solute concentration through a membrane. The microscopic pores in the membranes allow water molecules through but leave salt and most other impurities behind, releasing clean water from the other side. These plants are mostly set up in areas that have access to sea water.
How widely is this technology used in India?
Desalination has largely been limited to affluent countries in the Middle East and has recently started making inroads in parts of the United States and Australia. In India, Tamil Nadu has been the pioneer in using this technology, setting up two desalination plants near Chennai in 2010 and then 2013. The two plants supply 100 million liters a day (MLD) each to Chennai. Two more plants are expected to be set up in Chennai. The other states that have proposed these plants are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh
What is the need to set up a desalination plant in Mumbai?
According to the BMC’s projection, the population of Mumbai is anticipated to touch 1.72 crore by 2041. In 2007, a state government-appointed high-level committee had suggested setting up desalination plants in Mumbai, however, over the years the authorities have avoided building the project claiming that the cost is enormous. However, with the city’s water problems on the rise owing to burgeoning population, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Monday has given the BMC the go ahead for project. It will take about two and a half to three years to complete.
Is it ecologically safe?
The high cost of setting up and running a desalination plant is one reason why the Maharashtra government has over the last decade been hesitant in building such a plant. Desalination is an expensive way of generating drinking water as it requires a high amount of energy. The other problem is the disposal of the byproduct highly concentrated brine ( very high concentration of salt water) of the desalination process. While in most places brine is pumped back into the sea, there have been rising complaints that it ends up severely damaging the local ecology around the plant
Benefits of drinking water range from keeping the kidneys healthy to weight loss.
To function regularly, all the body cells and organs of the body need water.
Here are some reasons our body needs water:
1. It lubricates the joints in our body
Cartilage, found in the joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to the joint pain.
2. It forms saliva and mucus
Saliva helps us to digest the food. It keeps our mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents us from friction and damage. Drinking water also keeps our mouth clean.
3. It delivers oxygen throughout the body
Blood is more than 90 percent of water, and blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body.
4. It boosts skin health and beauty
With dehydration, the skin will become more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature wrinkling.
5. It cushions our brain, spinal cord, and some sensitive tissues
Dehydration can affects the brain structure and function. It is also involved in the production of several hormones and neurotransmitters. Prolonged dehydration leads to problems with thinking and reasoning.
6. It regulates body temperature
Water is stored in the middle layers of the skin. It will comes to the skin’s surface as sweat when the body heats up. As it evaporates, it cools the body.
Scientists have suggested that when there is too little water in the body, heat storage increases in our body and the individual is less able to tolerate heat strain.
Having a lot of water in the body may reduce physical strain in the body if heat stress occurs during exercise.
7, The digestive system depends on it
The bowel needs some water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation, and overly acidic stomach. This increases the risk of heart burn and stomach ulcers in our body.
8. It flushes body waste
Water is needed in the process of sweating and removal of urine and feces.
9. It helps maintain blood pressure
A lack of water will cause blood to become thicker, increasing blood pressure.
10. The airways need it
When dehydrated, airways are restricted by the body in effort to minimize the amount of water loss. This can make diseases like asthma and allergies worse.
11. It makes minerals and nutrients accessible
These dissolve in water, which makes to reach different parts of the body.
12. It prevents kidney damage
The kidney regulates fluid in our body. Insufficient water can lead to kidney stones problems.
13. It boosts performance during exercise
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Scientists have proposed that consuming more water might enhance performance during some strenuous activity.
More research is needed to confirm this, but a review found that dehydration reduces performance in activities lasting longer than 30 minutes.
14. Weight loss
Water may also help with losing weight, if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and sodas. Preloading with water before eating meals can helps to prevent our stomach from overeating.
15. It reduces the chance of a hangover
When partying, unsweetened soda water with ice and lemon alternated with alcoholic drinks can helps to prevent over consumption of alcohol.
Babies and children have a higher percentage of water compared to adults. When babies are new born, they are about 78 percent water, but this falls to 65 percent by the age of 1 year.
Fatty tissue has less water than some lean tissue.
Men have more water when compared to women, as a percentage.
Do we drink enough water?
A research carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013 analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s 2007 Food Attitudes and Behaviors Survey.
Out of a sample of 3,398 adults, the researchers found:
7 percent of adults reported no consumption of daily drinking water
36 percent of adults reported drinking 1-3 cups of daily drinking water
35 percent of adults reported drinking 4-7 cups of daily drinking water
22 percent of adults reported drinking 8 cups of water or more in a day
People were more likely to drink less than 4 cups of drinking water everyday if they consumed 1 cup or less of fruits or vegetables a day.
The research only measured the intake of drinking water. Fluid can be gained from some other beverages, but water is best because it is calorie-free, caffeine-free, and alcohol-free.
Seven percent of respondents reported drinking no water daily at all, and those who drank a very low volume of water also consumed less fruit and vegetables. This suggests that a some number of people are risking their health by not getting enough fluid properly.
Even if the respondents reporting a very low levels of water intake were obtaining enough fluid, it is likely that they would be obtaining it from other sources that could potentially compromise their health in other ways.
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