CPCB Report: 7 Dramatic Gains in India’s River Pollution Fight

CPCB Report (2023)

As per a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the count of bathing-unfit sites in Indian rivers declined slightly from 815 in 2022 to 807 in 2023.

Key Highlights of the CPCB Report (2023)

Released by: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
Objective: Monitor river health through Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels.

Overall Improvement:

Unfit to bathe locations

• 2023: 807 locations
• 2022: 815 locations
• Improvement: 8 fewer polluted locations.

Most polluted river stretches (‘Priority 1’)

• 2023: 37 stretches
• 2022: 45 stretches
• Indicates some progress in cleaning critical stretches.

Understanding BOD:

BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand):

• Indicator of organic matter in water.
• Low BOD = healthy river
• BOD > 3 mg/L: Water unfit for bathing.
• BOD > 30 mg/L: Classified as Priority 1 — most polluted, needing urgent action.

River Health Data:

Polluted River Stretches (PRS):

• 2023: 296 stretches in 271 rivers.
• 2022: 311 stretches in 279 rivers.

• State-wise data (2023):

Highest polluted stretches:

• Maharashtra – 54
• Kerala – 31
• Madhya Pradesh – 18
• Manipur – 18
• Karnataka – 14

Highest ‘Priority 1’ stretches (BOD > 30 mg/L):

• Tamil Nadu – 5
• Uttar Pradesh – 5
• Uttarakhand – 5

2022 comparison:

• Gujarat & Uttar Pradesh had 6 Priority 1 stretches each.
• Maharashtra topped with 55 polluted stretches, followed by:

• Madhya Pradesh – 19
• Bihar – 18
• Kerala – 18
• Karnataka – 17
• Uttar Pradesh – 17

About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) :

• Established: 1974
• Established Under: Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
• Statutory Status: Yes, it is a statutory organization.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
• Parent Body: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) acts as a judicial authority, while CPCB functions as a regulatory body.

Key Functions of CPCB:

CPCB performs both advisory and regulatory roles at the national level.

Under the Water Act, 1974:

1. Advise the Central Government on matters related to water pollution.
2. Coordinate activities of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs).
3. Plan and implement nationwide water pollution control programs.
4. Set water quality standards for rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
5. Provide technical assistance and training to SPCBs.

Under the Air Act, 1981:

1. Set air quality standards for the entire country.
2. Monitor and regulate emissions from industries and vehicles.
3. Advise on the control and prevention of air pollution.
4. Conduct research and development (R&D) on pollution control technology.

Under the Environment Protection Act, 1986:

1. Waste Management Oversight:

• Hazardous waste, biomedical waste, municipal solid waste, e-waste, plastic waste, etc.

1. Issue directions to industries for environmental compliance.
2. Act as a central agency for the implementation of national environmental laws.