A sense-abled approach

Srinivasan K  suggests ways of studying water
system. The approach may well be an  experiment for 
children to be sensitised to the environment

Environmental awareness is a state of being intelligently sensitive to the status of environment around us. We acquire this sensitivity through our five senses namely seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching (feeling) combined with reflecting upon what we have sensed. Reflection is logical thinking that enable us to develop deeper awareness about what we perceive, which results in appropriate responses. 


        The first step in environmental awareness is experiencing awe and wonder about nature. The second step is becoming aware of the pollution of the environment by thoughtless human actions. The logical third step is a determined systematic action to curb pollution and restore the environment to its original beauty. It is a matter of great regret that the educational system today denies our students the freedom to use their senses acutely and to exercise their thinking powerfully and critically. This has tragically resulted in the near absence of environmental awareness among the very students who study about the environment. The simple example for this kind of blindness and ignorance is the total absence of any attempt to treat wastewater in our labs before they are discharged into the soil around the labs. Even researchers who publish papers on pollution and harmful effects of pollution display such callous indifference towards the environment. What a paradox! 
From an early age, children should be encouraged to develop a certain degree of sensitivity to environment. Here is a simple sense “active” approach to study water systems: The following is a simple approach to study a water system that involves the use of the five senses resulting in reasonable awareness about the water component of the environment. A similar approach can be designed for the study of air and soil. 
    

         Spend some time/along a water system. What is the rough area of the water system and how much water is present in it? Is it deep or shallow? What kind of water system is that -- Oligotrophic, Eutrophic or Dystrophic? What is the colour of water? Odour? Taste? When you step into water does it feel warm or cold? Is the bottom of the water system slushy or sandy? Is the water transparent to light? Is it turbid? Are there trees around it, which drops leaves into it? Are there birds in the water? Are these local birds/visitors/migratory birds? Do you think that the bird droppings will increase the organic content of the water? What is the nature of the soil around? 

         Observe how water enters and leaves the water system. Does it receive any sewage or effluent from any source? What are the human or animal activities you observe in the water system? Are there some waste dumps near the water body? 
     Are there planktons on the surface of water? How many species of them can you identify and what is their population? Are there fishes? How many species? How many of each species? Are there frogs, crabs, tortoise, worms and other aquatic life? How many benthic species are seen? Their diversity and population? Do mosquitoes breed in this water? Why? What do the above observation reveal to you about the quality of water? 
    

         Do you observe aquatic plants? Are they rooted or floating? How many varieties of them do you see? Why do they grow in this water system? How do these probably affect water quality? 
     Even as you stay quietly near the water system, what are the sounds you hear? Could you identify the source of these sounds? How do you think the source of these sounds will impact the water quality? 
    

         Sample the water. Analyse the water for the various physico-chemical parameters. Work out a water quality index. What do you think is the probable pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Nitrate content, Phosphate content, hardness, total solids etc? From the above observations, try and form a concept about the quality of water. Do the experimental values agree with your prediction? Why? Why not? 
     Could this water be used for 
(a) drinking by human/cattle?
(b)Washing/bathing/swimming?
(c) Irrigation?
(d) Industries/boilers?
(e) Dyeing?
(f) Fish culture? 

        If your data suggest that the water with its high pollution load is a potential health hazard, what would you do? What are some of the laws of our land, which deal with environment and pollution? 
The information collected on the issue needs a critical analysis. For instance, the extent of local residents responsible for pollution, solution to the issue and if restoration required, how best can the local help achieve it. At the end of such activities, field oriented understanding and further interpretation is required to conclude the long term status of water bodies. This would eventually lead to a concept building of not just the water quality, but all the other factors that control them.