Which major rivers are facing degradation according to the CPCB report?

The Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers are facing significant degradation and failing to meet water quality standards.

What are the main causes of river pollution cited in the NGT petition?

The main causes cited include unregulated industrial discharge, large-scale illegal sand mining, riverbank encroachment, agricultural runoff, and the dumping of untreated municipal waste.

How does the CPCB monitor water quality?

The CPCB monitors water quality through its National Water Quality Monitoring Programme, which oversees 4,922 locations nationwide, assessing parameters like Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD).

Home / Environment / Rivers in Crisis: Major Waterways Degrade Significantly

Rivers in Crisis: Major Waterways Degrade Significantly

11 Mar

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Summary

Five major rivers show degradation, failing water quality standards.
Pollution sources include industrial discharge, sand mining, and waste dumping.
CPCB monitors water quality nationwide under its National Water Quality Programme.

Rivers in Crisis: Major Waterways Degrade Significantly

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has officially acknowledged the severe degradation of five prominent rivers: Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab. This critical finding was presented in a recent affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), detailing widespread non-compliance with established water quality standards across numerous monitoring sites.

The Satluj river is particularly affected, with 10 out of 16 monitored locations failing to meet quality benchmarks. Three of these non-compliant sites are situated in Himachal Pradesh, while seven are located within Punjab, including the heavily polluted stretch near Ludhiana's Budda Nullah. The Ravi river also shows issues, with two of its 13 monitored points flagged for non-compliance, one in Punjab and another in Jammu & Kashmir.