9. Industrial Activities in India and Their Impact on Agroecosystem

Industrial profile of a city indicate nature of pollution that surrounding environment is facing or is likely to encounter. Though investigation on land resources for changes in soil quality due their activity has not been made adequately in India, an assessment of mining & industrial activities may indicate the potential threat to surrounding agroecosystem. The country has considerable environmentally destructive mining activities in about 57 million ha land area in several states altering the land morphology and existing land use and releasing heavy metals in the environment. About 595 metallic mines along with associated smelters, 145 thermal power plants, quite a large number of large & small scale metallurgical, chlor-alkali industry and tannery industry are likely to have adverse impact on land and water bodies through release of metals. More than 70,000 chemical and petrochemical industries in the country have the potential to contaminate land and water resources with toxic organic pollutants affecting various life forms. Considerable number of high volume effluent generating industries like textile, distillery, tannery, paper mill etc. may increase salinity of soil and groundwater. This chapter describes extent, distribution and possible impacts of polluting industries in India indicating potential threat faced by the environment including agroecosystem.