RIVER POLLUTION

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.