17 rivers in Karnataka highly polluted: Jal Shakti Ministry

A total of 17 river stretches in Karnataka are polluted mainly due to discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage and industrial effluents in their catchments, Jal Shakti Ministry said on Friday.

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), stretches of Krishna, Tungabhadra, Bhadra, Tunga, Malaprabha, Kali, Kagina, Bhima, Asangi Nalla, Cauvery, Kabini, Shimsha, Arkavathi, Lakshmantirtha, Yagachi, Kumardhara, and Netravathi rivers are polluted, the Ministry informed Parliament.

A total of 351 stretches on 323 rivers have been identified as polluted in the country in terms of bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels, an indicator of organic pollution, said the Ministry.

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The non-point sources of pollution like agricultural run-off, open defecation, run-off from solid waste dump sites also contribute to pollution of rivers, the Ministry added.

The CPCB, in collaboration with the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), is regularly monitoring the water quality of rivers and other water bodies in the country through a network of monitoring stations, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria in his written reply informed Lok Sabha.

Sewage generation in urban areas in the country is estimated at 61,948 million litres per day (mld), while the sewage treatment capacity was 23,277 mld, said the minister.

Karnataka has four grossly polluting industries and all of them are complying with environmental and pollution control board norms, Kataria said.

The CPCB has directed all 17 categories of highly polluting industries; including sugar industries, to install Continuous Effluent/ Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) to monitor the pollution levels.