Archive · 21 Nov 2025
Heavy Rainfall Drives Microplastics into India's Urban Lakes
Heavy rain helps microplastics from various sources like stormwater, waste, and littering get into city lakes.
A study on Dal Lake in Srinagar found that rain makes microplastic pollution worse, and climate change might make this problem even bigger in India's urban lakes.
Rainfall is a major pathway for microplastics to enter urban lakes in India
Stormwater runoff, wastewater treatment plants, littering zones, and laundry facilities are other significant sources
A study on Dal Lake in Srinagar identified unique microplastic signatures at different entry points
Continuous rainfall increases microplastic abundance and introduces hazardous polymers, raising toxicity
Climate change may exacerbate microplastic pollution in Indian urban lakes due to more frequent intense rainfall
- Who
- Researchers from IIT Kharagpur, NIT Srinagar, and Institute for Water and Wastewater Treatment, Durban
- What
- Studied microplastic pollution in Dal Lake, Srinagar
- When
- The study was published in Environmental Science: Advances
- Where
- Dal Lake, Srinagar, India
- Why
- To understand how microplastics enter urban lakes and the impact of rainfall on their dynamics
Urgent Action Needed
Gradual Improvements Possible
Impact on Drinking Water
Urgent Action Needed
Urgent action required to protect water sources like Vellayani Lake, which serves thousands of people
Gradual Improvements Possible
Gradual improvements in waste management and pollution control can help protect lake ecosystems
- Estimated microplastic waste entering freshwater systems in 2016
- 9-14 million tons
- Projected microplastic waste entering freshwater systems by 2040
- 23-37 million tons
- Average microplastic abundance in Dal Lake
- Higher than some international lakes but within range of Asian urban lakes
- Major microplastic polymers found in Dal Lake
- High-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and others