Lok Sabha Question No. 3992 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Release of Contaminated Water into Sutlej River
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Kuldeep Indora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3992

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## Release of Contaminated Water into Sutlej River

## 3992.   SHRI KULDEEP INDORA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the release of contaminated water by industrial units and municipal bodies of Punjab into Sutlej river and Buddha Nullah which results in the polluted water being supplied  to  Indira  Gandhi  Feeder  and  Ferozepur  Feeder  through  Harike  Barrage  is causing  severe  water  pollution  in  districts  like  Sri  Ganganagar,  Bikaner,  Churu, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Barmer of Rajasthan;
- (b) if so, the status of action taken, issuance of notices, imposition of penalty, monitoring and remedial measures by the Pollution Control Board against these units; and
- (c) whether the Government has set any timeline for construction of Common Effluent Treatment  Plant  (CETP)/Sewage  Treatment  Plant  (STP)  under  Buddha  Nullah Rejuvenation  Project  and  issued  any  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SOP)/  clear guidelines for supply of pure water in canals of Rajasthan?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (c)

CPCB jointly with Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has monitored the water quality of Buddha Nallah, East Bein, Indira Gandhi Canal (Rajasthan Canal), Firozpur feeder canal at Harike Barrage and Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) in Ludhiana, Punjab in April, 2024.

Water quality  of  Buddha  Nallah  and  East  Bein was  found  non-  complying  with  respect  to General Standards for Discharge of Environmental Pollutants prescribed under Schedule-VI of Environment  (Protection)  Rules,  1986.  The  analytical  results  reveals  that  water  quality  of Indira Gandhi Canal is complying to the 'C' class of Water Quality Criteria for Designated Best Use i.e. Drinking Water Source after conventional treatment and disinfection whereas water quality of Firozpur Feeder is not complying to the 'C' class  of Water Quality Criteria for Designated Best Use  with respect to Biochemical Oxygen Demand ( BOD) (BOD 5 mg/L as against ˂ 3 mg/L or less).

Based on the inspection of the STPs and CETPs in Ludhiana, Punjab, CPCB issued directions to  Punjab  Pollution  Control  Board  (PPCB)  under  the  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1974 for necessary compliance. Subsequently, PPCB has issued the directions under Section 33 A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to concerned CETPs.

Based on water quality data, 351 Polluted River Stretches (PRS) were identified by  CPCB during the year 2018, out of which, 04 PRS were identified in Punjab State including Polluted Stretch of River Sutlej from Rupnagar to Harike Bridge under Priority Class I. For rejuvenation of  351  polluted  river  stretches  identified  by  CPCB    including  the  polluted  stretch  of  River Sutlej, action plans were prepared by River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) constituted by the respective State Government/ UT  Administration, under the overall supervision and coordination of Principal Secretary, Environment of the concerned State /Union Territory for bringing all the polluted river stretches identified by CPCB fit for bathing purposes (i.e. BOD ˂ 3 mg/L and FC ˂ 500 MPN/100 mL).

Progress of implementation of action plans are  reviewed by the RRC at State Level and Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) constituted at Ministry of Jal Shakti at Central Level.

The said action plans covers aspects such as Source control (Municipal sewage management, Industrial pollution control,  Waste management), River  catchment/Basin  Management (Adoption of good irrigation practices, Utilization of treated sewage, Ground water recharge aspects), Flood Plain Zone protection and its management (Setting up of bio-diversity parks, Removal  of  encroachments,  Rain  water  harvesting,  Plantation  on  both  sides  of  the  river), Ecological/Environmental Flow (E-Flow) and Watershed management.

Cleaning/Rejuvenation of rivers is a continuous process. It is the responsibility of States/Union Territories (UTs) and Urban Local Bodies to ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed norms before discharging into the rivers and other water bodies. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been supplementing efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of the rivers in the country through Central Sector scheme of  'Namami Gange' for the rivers in Ganga basin, and Centrally Sponsored Schemes of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for other rivers in the  Country.  Apart  from  this,  sewerage  infrastructure  is  created  under  programs  like  Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

The State Government of Punjab has undertaken Buddha Nallah Rejuvenation project. Under this project, 2 new STPs of 285 MLD have been established. 4 old STPs of 418 MLD have been rejuvenated. 2 Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) of 6 MLD capacity for management of dairy waste have also been established. In addition to this, 3 CETPs of 105 MLD for treatment of industrial waste water have been established at Ludhiana.