Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Abatement of pollution in rivers, 17/12/2018. Pollution load in rivers has increased over the years due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Rivers in the country are mainly polluted due to discharge of untreated and partially treated sewage from cities/towns and industrial effluents. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with the State Pollution Control Boards monitors the water quality of rivers across the country through a network of monitoring stations under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme. As per the report published by CPCB in September 2018, 351 polluted river stretches have been identified on 323 rivers based on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, a key indicator of organic pollution. The State-wise details of identified polluted river stretches are at Annexure.
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