NGT Demands Detailed Ganga Water Quality Report from CPCB in West Bengal

On October 8, 2025, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file a detailed report on the water quality monitoring of the West Bengal segment of the Ganga river. This order is related to the ongoing efforts to monitor and restore the Ganga, particularly in the context of bacteriological pollution in the river's West Bengal stretch.

The NGT has asked the CPCB to disclose, within four weeks, the primary data obtained from water samples on parameters like E. coli, faecal streptococci, faecal coliform, and total coliform. These indicators are crucial for assessing water quality and contamination from faecal matter. The West Bengal government has requested six more weeks to submit its own detailed report on the matter.

This development assumes significance as environmentalists have long raised concerns over the pollution and deteriorating water quality of the Ganga in West Bengal. The state's largest cities, Kolkata and Howrah, are among the biggest polluters of the river. Many of the sewage treatment plants in the state are either non-operational or non-compliant with the prescribed norms, further exacerbating the issue.

The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for November 28, 2025.