Home / Environment / HP, Punjab Pollute Haryana Rivers: NGT Report
HP, Punjab Pollute Haryana Rivers: NGT Report
23 Jan
Summary
- Pollution from HP and Punjab contaminates Haryana's Tangri and Markanda rivers.
- Jatton Wala Nallah significantly raises Markanda river's BOD to 135 mg/l.
- NGT directed HSPCB to sample drains impacting rivers, report submitted Jan 2026.
Domestic and industrial waste from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are significantly polluting Haryana's Tangri and Markanda rivers. A report from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in January 2026, highlights this critical issue. The NGT is hearing a complaint filed in April 2022 regarding polluted wastewater from factories in Himachal Pradesh entering the Markanda river via the Jatton Wala Nallah.
Both Tangri and Markanda originate in the Shivalik hills of Himachal Pradesh, flowing through Haryana and Punjab. These rivers have historically caused flooding and spread sludge during monsoons. Following an NGT directive from October 15, 2025, the HSPCB conducted extensive water sampling between December 2, 2025, and January 12, 2026.
The sampling revealed alarming Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels. At Haryana's entry point near Kala Amb, the BOD was 16.0 mg/l. This increased dramatically to 18.0 mg/l after the Jatton Wala Nallah, carrying a BOD of 135 mg/l and a pollution load of 1736.1 Kg/Day, merged with the Markanda. The Tangri river entered Haryana with a BOD of 12 mg/l.
When the Markanda re-entered Haryana in Kurukshetra, its BOD was 25 mg/l, rising to 28 mg/l before merging with the Ghaggar in Kaithal. The report concludes that the Jatton Wala Nallah is the primary source of Markanda's pollution, contributing industrial effluents from Himachal Pradesh and sewage from Haryana. The pollution load from Tangri flowing through Punjab also deteriorates water quality, necessitating monitoring of its Punjabi stretch.
