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The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2018 identified 351 polluted river stretches in India. The assessment of water quality for identification of polluted river stretches found that 31 states and Union territories (UT) had rivers and streams that did not meet the water quality criteria. These states / UTs have to submit their action plans for the same.
Maharashtra has the highest number of polluted river stretches (53), followed by Assam (44), Madhya Pradesh (22), Kerala (21), Gujarat (20), Odisha (19), and West Bengal and Karnataka (17).
The polluted rivers in Maharashtra are:
The next seven worst polluted river states are Assam (44 polluted rivers), Madhya Pradesh (22), Kerala (21) Gujarat (20), Karnatak (17), West Bengal (17), Uttar Pradesh (12) and Goa (10).
The other less river polluted states are Delhi (1); Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1); Puducherry (2); Haryana (2); Rajasthan (2); Punjab (4); Sikkim (4); Chhattisgarh (5); Andhra Pradesh (5); Bihar (6); Nagaland (6); Tripura (6); Tamil Nadu (6); Himachal Pradesh (7); Meghalaya (7); Jharakhand (7); Telangana (8); Mizoram (9); Manipur (9); Jammu and Kashmir (9) and Uttarakhand (9) .
Assam has 44 polluted river stretches:
The polluted rivers in Odisha are:
Kundu, Tungabhadra, Godavari, Krishna and Nagavali are the polluted rivers in Andhra Pradesh; Sirsia, Farmar, Ganga, Poonpun, Ram Rekha and Sikrahna in Bihar; Hasdeo, Kharoon, Mahanadi, Seonath and Kelo rivers in Chhattisgarh; Damangang in Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The Yamuna is the most polluted in national capital Delhi. In Goa, Sal, Mandovi, Talpona, Assonora, Bicholim, Chapora, Khandepar, Sinquerim, Tiracol, Valvant, and Zuari are the most polluted.
in Gujarat the polluted rivers are:
The most polluted rivers in Himachal Pradesh are:
In Jammu and Kashmir:
In Jharkhand:
In Karnataka:
In Kerala the polluted rivers are:
The polluted rivers in Madhya Pradesh are:
In Manipur:
In Meghalaya:
In Mizoram:
In Nagaland:
The polluted rivers in Punjab are Ghaggar, Satluj, Kali Bein and Beas; in Rajasthan Banas and Chambal; in Sikkim Maney Khola, Rangit, Ranichu and Teesta; in Tamil Nadu Cauvery, Sarabanga, Thirumanim Uthar, Vasista, Bhavani and Tambirapani; in Telangana Musi, Manjeera, Nakkavagu, Karakavagu, Maner, Godavari, Kinnersani and Krishna; in Tripura Burigaon, Gumti, Haora, Juri, Khowai and Manu.
The polluted rivers in Uttar Pradesh are:
In Uttarakhand:
In West Bengal:
Rivers in the country are polluted mainly due to discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage from cities / towns and industrial effluents in their respective catchments, problems in operation and maintenance of sewage / effluent treatment plants, lack of dilution, dumping of solid waste on river banks and other non-point sources of pollution.
Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have compounded the problem. According to the report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in March, 2021, sewage generation from urban areas in the country is estimated at 72,368 million litres per day (MLD), against which sewage treatment capacity of 31,841 MLD was available.
This gap between sewage generation and treatment remains a major point source for increase in pollution of rivers, stated the minister.
CPCB, in association with Pollution Control Boards / committees in different states / Union territories, have been monitoring the water quality of rivers and other water bodies across the country through a network of monitoring stations under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme.
Based on water quality monitoring results, pollution assessment of rivers has been carried out by CPCB from time to time. As many as 351 polluted stretches were identified on 323 rivers based on monitoring results in terms of biochemical oxygen demand, an indicator of organic pollution, according to the last report published by CPCB in September 2018.
Cleaning / rejuvenation of rivers is an ongoing process. It is the responsibility of the states / UTs and local bodies to ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed norms before discharging into water bodies, coastal waters or land to prevent and control of pollution therein.
The Union ministry has supplemented efforts of states / UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers in the country through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange for rivers in the Ganga basin, as well as through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for other rivers.
NRCP has so far covered polluted stretches on 34 rivers in 77 towns spread over 16 states with the sanctioned cost of projects as Rs 5,965.90 crore. Sewage treatment capacity of 2,522 MLD has so far been created under the programme.
Under the Namami Gange programme, a total of 346 projects including 158 projects for sewage treatment of 4948 MLD and sewer network of 5213 kilometres have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 3,0235 crore, the minister added.