(a) whether the pollution control research institute has conducted any intensive study regarding rising pollution levels in various rivers including Yamuna and Ganga;
(b) if so, the outcome thereof and the details of recommendations made in the said study; and
(c) the reaction of the Government thereto?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) to (c) As per information provided by the Pollution Control Research Institute (PCRI), Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL),Haridwarno study regarding rising pollution levels in various rivers including, Yamuna, Ganga has been conducted by the institute during last four years.
However, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) along with State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) is monitoring the water quality of both surface and ground water under the National Water Monitoring Programme (NWMP) through a network of monitoring stations across the country. The water quality is assessed for various parameters, including Dissolve Oxygen (DO), Biological Oxygen Demand(BOD), bacteriological, heavy metals, pesticides, etc. According to CPCB the tributaries of river Ganga have shown improvement in water quality with respect to DO since 2014.
The steps taken by the Government to check the pollution of rivers and water bodies, inter alia, include formulation and notification of standards for effluents from industries, operations or processes; enforcing of these standards by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) through consent mechanism and regular monitoring; setting up of monitoring network for assessment of water quality; installation of Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring systems (OCEMS) to check the discharge of effluent directly into water bodies; promotion of cleaner production processes; installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units; issuance of directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and under Section 18(1)(b) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, etc.
*****