Test of River Water

Test of River Water

                Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under Ministry of Environment and Forests tests the water samples of the rivers from 1275 monitoring stations located on 445 rivers. Central Water Commission (CWC) under Ministry of Water Resources also tests the river water samples collected from 396 monitoring stations located in all the major river basins of India.

                CPCB has identified 121 polluted rivers based on the water quality data analysis over the years, list of which is at Annexure. CWC made a study with water quality data of 10 years (2000-09) and published the report ‘Water Quality Hot Spots in Rivers of India’ in 2011. The study reveals that water of some stretches of major rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Sone and Wainganga are not fit for drinking purposes. 

                Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Boards have taken following steps to prevent and control pollution:

(i)         The provisions of Water Act 1974 are implemented by consent management to regulate discharge of effluents and enforcement of standards in respect of polluting sources.

(ii)         Control of industrial pollution under the provision of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

(iii)        A mutually agreed time targetted programme is implemented under Corporate Responsibility on Environment Protection (CREP) with a bank guarantee on various commitments

(iv)     Special Drives are taken against the major 17 categories of polluting industries

(v)      Directions are issued to industries discharging their waste water into rivers and lakes

(vi)        41 problem areas are identified as per Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI)

(vii)    Environmental auditing is takenup

(viii)     Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of small scale industrial units are promoted   

(ix)     Promotion of low-waste and no-waste technology

(x)       Diversion and development of treatment facilities

                This information was given by Union Water Resources Minister Shri Harish Rawat  in the Lok Sabha today in reply to a written question.

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(Release ID :95420)