Lok Sabha Question No. 960 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Pollution in Yamuna River
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Ramvir Singh Bidhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 960

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2024

## Pollution in Yamuna River

## 960. SHRI RAMVIR SINGH BIDHURI:

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

- (a) whether the water of the river Yamuna has polluted further in Delhi and the Biological Oxygen Demand i.e. BOD level has reached up to 85; and
- (b) whether the Government has sought report from the Government of Delhi to tackle the said dangerous level of pollution since the same has also become poisonous for the aquatic life therein leading to death of lakhs of fish?

## ANSWER

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

## (a)

Water  quality  of  river  Yamuna  is  monitored  under  National  Water  Quality  Monitoring Program (NWMP) in association with the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) of respective States/ UT including Delhi PCC in Delhi. The details of the Polluted River Stretch (PRS) on river Yamuna identified in 2018 and 2022 in Delhi are given below:

|   Year | Data period   | Identified polluted river stretch   |   BOD value | Priority Class   |
|--------|---------------|-------------------------------------|-------------|------------------|
|   2018 | 2016 &2017    | Wazirabad to Asgarpur               |          80 | I                |
|   2022 | 2019 &2021    | Palla to Okhla D/s                  |          83 | I                |

Water quality data of river Yamuna monitored under NWMP in Delhi during 2023 is provided at Annexure I. During the current assessment under NWMP by DPCC, a concentration of 56 mg/L of BOD was observed during 2023 at Asgarpur (after confluence of Shahdara drain & Tughlakabad drain) which indicates a reduction in BOD as compared to that observed in 2018 and 2022.

Steps taken by the Government for prevention and control of pollution in river Yamuna are detailed below:

- i. The government of India has formulated river action plans to restore water quality of rivers. The river action plans have been taken up on rivers by Govt. of India through State  Govt.  to  intercept,  divert  and  treatment  of  municipal  wastewater  from  urban centers which is not been able to adequately handle the complete sewage treatment.
- ii. The Central & State Pollution Control Boards are implementing the provisions of both -  The  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974  and  the  Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to prevent and control pollution of aquatic resources.
- iii. General standards for discharge of Environmental Pollutants - Effluents (Part A) and waste  water  generation  discharge  standards  (Part  B)  notified  under  Schedule-VI  of Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.
- iv. Regulation of industrial Pollution is implemented through various provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 under the consent mechanism by the respective SPCBs / PCCs.
- v. CPCB has directed  all  17  categories  of  high  pollution  potential  industries,  Grossly Polluting Industries of Ganga basin and common waste treatment facilities to install Online Continuous Effluent/ Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for strengthening monitoring mechanism and effective compliance through self-regulatory mechanism and constant vigil on pollution levels. Real-time values of environmental pollutants of trade effluent and emissions generated through OCEMS are transmitted online to CPCB and concerned SPCB/PCC on 24x7 basis. Central software processes the data and in case of value of pollutant parameter exceeds prescribed environmental norms,  an  automatic  SMS  alert  is  generated  and  sent  to  industrial  unit,  SPCB  and CPCB,  so  that  corrective  measures  can  be  taken  by  the  industry  immediately  and appropriate action can be taken by concerned SPCB/PCC/CPCB.
- vi. CPCB is also periodically issuing directions to all the concerned departments in the States for management of sewage and waste water in accordance with the provisions notified under the E (P) Rules, 1986 and for ensuring proper operation of existing STPs, CETPs  and  industrial  pollution  control,  under  Section  18  (1)(b)  of  the  Water (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974  as  well  as  under  Section  5  of  the Environment (Protection) Act,  1986.  The  directions/  guidelines  issued  by  CPCB  in recent years, for prevention & control of pollution in river Yamuna are detailed below:

|   S.No | Date of Direction   | Direction Issued                                                                             | To               |
|--------|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
|      1 | 19.01.2023          | To enlist technologies to ensure Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in Molasses based Distilleries. | All SPCBs/ PCCs. |

|   2 | 02.01.2023   | Augmentation and upgradation of CETPs and display of OCEMS data by CETPs located in Delhi and Haryana.                          | DPCC and HSPCB        |
|-----|--------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
|   3 | 02.01.2023   | Industrial Ammoniacal discharge into River Yamuna.                                                                              | DPCC and HSPCB        |
|   4 | 02.03.2022   | Non-compliance status of M/s CETP, Mangolpuri Industrial Area, Phase-I, Delhi-110083.                                           | DPCC                  |
|   5 | 23.02.2022   | Non-compliance by M/s CETP, Lawrence Road Industrial Area, ring Road, Delhi- 110035.                                            | DPCC                  |
|   6 | 23.12.2021   | Regarding Industrial Ammonical discharge in to river Yamuna.                                                                    | HSPCB and DPCC        |
|   7 | 06.12.2021   | In the matter of control of pollution in river Yamuna.                                                                          | UPPCB, DPCC and HSPCB |
|   8 | 24.09.2021   | For ensuring 100 % collection and treatment of domestic and industrial wastewaters generated in the catchment of Shahdara drain | DPCC                  |
|   9 | 11.03.2021   | For installation & connectivity of Online continuous effluent monitoring systems (OCEMS) by GPIs.                               | HSPCB, DPCC and UPPCB |
|  10 | 15.02.2021   | Wider use of Mobile based application on STP monitoring.                                                                        | All SPCB/ PCCs.       |

## Annexure I

## Water Quality data of River Yamuna monitored under NWMP in Delhi during 2023

| STN Code                                   | Name of Monitoring Location                                                         | Year                                       | Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)   | Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)   | pH      | pH      | BOD (mg/L)   | BOD (mg/L)   | Fecal Coliform (MPN/100ml)   | Fecal Coliform (MPN/100ml)   | Total Coliform (MPN/100ml)   | Total Coliform (MPN/100ml)   |
|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------|---------|--------------|--------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
| Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor | Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor                                          | Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor | Min                       | Max                       | Min     | Max     | Min          | Max          | Min                          | Max                          | Min                          | Max                          |
| Bathing                                    | Bathing                                                                             | Bathing                                    | > 5 mg/L                  | > 5 mg/L                  | 6.5-8.5 | 6.5-8.5 | < 3 mg/L     | < 3 mg/L     | < 2500 MPN/100ML             | < 2500 MPN/100ML             | -                            | -                            |
| 1120                                       | River Yamuna At Palla                                                               | 2023                                       | 6.3                       | 11.3                      | 7.1     | 7.5     | 1.0          | 3.0          | 180                          | 560                          | -                            | -                            |
| 5098                                       | River Yamuna At Wazirabad                                                           | 2023                                       | 4.0                       | 8.2                       | 7.2     | 7.5     | 4.0          | 9.8          | 200                          | 5500                         | -                            | -                            |
| 1121                                       | River Yamuna At Nizamuddin                                                          | 2023                                       | 0.3                       | 2.5                       | 7.1     | 7.5     | 26.0         | 48.0         | 9300                         | 31000                        | -                            | -                            |
| 5099                                       | River Yamuna At Isbt Bridge                                                         | 2023                                       | 0.3                       | 3.0                       | 7.1     | 7.5     | 22.0         | 46.0         | 5500                         | 10000 0                      | 17000                        | 17000                        |
| 5100                                       | River Yamuna At Ito Bridge                                                          | 2023                                       | 0.3                       | 4.1                       | 7.2     | 7.5     | 18.0         | 38.0         | 6100                         | 81000                        | -                            | -                            |
| 1375                                       | River Yamuna At Okhla Barrage (D/S)                                                 | 2023                                       | 0.3                       | 1.8                       | 7.1     | 8.0     | 30.0         | 50.0         | 12000 0                      | 38000 0                      | -                            | -                            |
| 1812                                       | River Yamuna At Asgarpur (After Confluence Of Shahdara Drain And Tughlakabad Drain) | 2023                                       | 0.3                       | 1.1                       | 6.8     | 7.7     | 35.0         | 56.0         | 17000 0                      | 47000 0                      | -                            | -                            |

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