ISSN(Online): 2319-8753 ISSN (Print): 2347-6710 International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology (A High I mpact Factor & UGC Approved Journal) Website: www.ijirset.com Vol. 6, Issue 8, August 2017 Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0608053 16103 The Poisoned Waters: A Critical Study of River Pollution in the Middle Bhogdoi Basin Sujayita Bhattacharjee 1 Independent Researcher (UGC NET and JRF in Geography), M.A in Geography and M.Sc in Geoinformatics, India 1 ABSTRACT: Human activities are neither limited nor localised. With the passage of time and growth of population the intervening actions of the human beings have assumed a severe dimension resulting into a tremendous degradation of the natural environment. River basins, supporting high population densities are suffering from severe environmental threat due to increasing of human activities. As such, from this point of concern, these are the worst affected regions. The Bhogdoi is a small but important tributary of the Brahmaputra and it is in no way an exception to this. The Middle part of the Bhogdoi Basin is witnessing high population density, especially with in the township of Mariani. It has been a victim of human interference since quite long and has all sorts of symptoms of severe degradation in its usual form. Thus, the condition of the river has been aggravating day by day. The increasing population of Mariani and its fast growing interference with the homeostatic mechanism of the river has been deteriorating the river quality. As a result, the Bhogdoi is suffering from a major jolt in its carrying capacity in the form of unwise and unaccountable use. In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyze the increasing human intervention in the Middle Bhogdoi basin and its ensuing consequences. At present, a sustainable approach to augment the environmental scenario of the basin is of utmost necessity, which is a part of consideration of this paper. KEYWORDS: Pollution, River basin, Population, Environment. I. INTRODUCTION Since antiquity, river basins have been areas of high population density. Nevertheless, with the growth of population and consequently rising densities, river basins across the world have been witnessing more and more human intervention. Most of the surface waters in India, including both rivers and lakes, are getting increasingly polluted due to onslaught of human activities of diverse nature [1]. Human activities like unaccountable use of the river water, discharging garbage, dumping of industrial waste, and fishing with the help of poisonous chemicals are gradually destroying the natural ecosystem of our rivers. Many rivers are today but a caricature of the complex and dynamic ecosystems, they once were, and biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are consequently profoundly compromised [2]. The river Bhogdoi is not an exception to this and has witnessed immense unwise use in the name of human activities. The Middle part of the Bhogdoi Basin is witnessing high population density, especially within the township of Mariani. This area has been a victim of human interference since quite long and exhibits symptoms of severe degradation in its usual form. Regular dumping of Garbage, discharging sewage and toxic chemicals in the river front, has polluted it tremendously and it has been gradually losing its ground of usability. Taking this into consideration, an attempt has been made in this paper to analyse how human activities in the Middle Bhogdoi Basin have been leading to environmental deterioration and its ensuing consequences. II. RELATED WORKS The poisoning of rivers has begun of late years to cause serious concern, in consequence of the extension of manufacturers, many of which are situated on the banks of streams, and use such streams as a drain of sewer [3]. The phenomenon has started to grab the attention of many scholars worldwide. For instance, Bratt L. Walker [4] studied the cadmium poisoning in the Jinzu River basin of Japan. Likewise, Marie-Anik Gagne [5] reviews the status of mercury