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River stretches for restoration of water quality

This recent study by Central Pollution Control Board highlights the water quality issues in 275 rivers comprising of 302 stretches in 27 states and 2 Union territories. The water data indicates that organic pollution as indicated by Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) continues to be the major water quality issue.

The water quality management is one of the many environmental problems in India. Increasing demand of water for human consumption, irrigation and growing industrial activities has impacted the water quality of rivers due to declining flows in rivers and depleting water levels of subsurface resources.

Water quality data on rivers is analysed to compare with water quality criteria. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) has been considered as principal parameters for identification of monitoring locations in exceedance to the criteria limit. The present study highlights the water quality issues in 275 rivers comprising of 302 stretches in 27 states and 2 UTS. The water data indicates that organic pollution as indicated by Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) continues to be the major water quality issues. This is mainly due to discharge of untreated domestic wastewater from the urban centres of the country. The municipal corporations at large are not able to treat increasing load of municipal sewage flowing into water bodies. Secondly the receiving water bodies also do not have adequate water for dilution.

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