Key Findings of the Report:
- Polluted Stretches: The number of polluted stretches in India’s rivers has increased to 351 from 302 two years ago.
- Critically Polluted Stretches: The number of critically polluted stretches — where water quality indicators are the poorest — has gone up to 45 from 34.
- Maharashtra, Assam and Gujarat account for 117 of the 351 polluted river stretches.
- Ganga with a BOD range of 3.5-8.8 mg/l is indicated as a ‘priority 4’ river.
The most significant stretches of pollution highlighted by the CPCB assessment include the:
- Mithi river — from Powai to Dharavi — with a BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) of 250 mg/l,
- Godavari — from Someshwar to Rahed — with a BOD of 5.0-80 mg/l;
- Sabarmati — Kheroj to Vautha — with a BOD from 4.0-147 mg/l; and
- Hindon — Saharanpur to Ghaziabad — with a BOD of 48-120 mg/l.
