Eutrophication- Causes and Consequences: A Case Study From Kuchemora Village, Deganga, North 24 Parganas, W.B.

Abstract

Eutrophication is a process in which the supply of plant nutrients in a lake or pond is increased. In time, the result of natural eutrophication may be dry land where water once flowed, caused by plant overgrowth. Natural fertilizers, washed from the soil, result in an accelerated growth of plants, producing overcrowding. As the plants die off, the dead and decaying vegetation depletes the lake's oxygen supply, causing fish to die. The accumulated dead plant and animal material eventually changes a deep lake to a shallow one, then to a swamp, and finally it becomes dry land. While the process of eutrophication is a natural one, it has been accelerated enormously by human activities. Fertilizers from farms, sewage, industrial wastes, and some detergents all contribute to the problem. However, human-caused, accelerated eutrophication (called “cultural eutrophicationâ€) occurs more rapidly, and causes problems in the affected water bodies.