Lok Sabha Question No. 2381 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: Pollution in Hindon, Krishna and Paondhoi Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2381

ANSWERED ON 13.03.2025

## POLLUTION IN HINDON, KRISHNA AND PAONDHOI RIVERS

## †2381. SHRI IMRAN MASOOD

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  prevent  pollution  in  Hindon,  Krishna  and  Paondhoi  rivers flowing through Saharanpur Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is aware of the fact that hundreds of people have lost their lives during the last few  years  due  to  diseases  such  as  cancer,  respiratory  issues,  diarrhea,  bone  diseases  and  skin  ailments caused by contaminated underground water in the villages situated on the banks of Hindon and Krishna rivers and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the details of the content of arsenic and fluoride found in the underground water of the villages situated on the banks of the respective rivers as compared to the unharmful approved amount;

(d) the details of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) levels of the Hindon, Krishna and Paondhoi rivers as compared to the unharmful approved amount; and

(e) whether the Government has any plan to install arsenic removal plants in the polluted areas and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Yes.  The  Government  of  India  has  been  supplementing  efforts  of  the  States/UTs  by  providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in rivers/tributaries in Ganga basin through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange Program. A comprehensive pollution abatement project for 135 million  litres  per  day  (MLD)  sewage  treatment  plant  (STP)  in  Saharanpur  has  been  sanctioned  under 'Namami Gange Program' to abate the pollution of the referred rivers. To prevent pollution in Hindon and its  tributaries, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in coordination with the Central Government and State Government has prepared  a plan namely 'Pollution Source Mapping of River Hindon & its Tributaries and Restoration Plan for Polluted Stretches' .  The plan is available on the CPCB website:

## https://cpcb.nic.in/openpdffile.php?id=UHVibGljYXRpb25GaWxlLzk5NF8xNzI5NjgyMDExX1Bvb Gx1dGlvbiBTb3VyY2UgTWFwcGluZyBvZiBSaXZlciBIaW5kb24ucGRm.

Progress of implementation of action plans is reviewed by the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) at State Level and Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti at Central Level.

(b) No. No such information has been received from Uttar Pradesh Government linking loss of lives due to contamination of the underground water through such diseases like cancer, respiratory issues, diarrhoea, bone  diseases,  and  skin  ailments.   As  per  the  information  received  from  Department  of  Health,  Uttar Pradesh regular health check-ups are conducted in Hindon River Basin.

(c) & (e) Water quality data of groundwater related to Arsenic and Fluoride from eight locations in the districts of Uttar Pradesh falling in Hindon River basin is provided in Annexure that indicates that all the locations water quality is within the acceptable limits as per the BIS Drinking Water-Specification (IS 10500:2012). As informed by Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam, Rural there is no plan to install arsenic removal plant in Jal Jeevan Mission.

(d) As per the Central Pollution Control Board norms following primary water quality criteria for bathing water has been prescribed for monitoring of river health:

- i. Dissolved Oxygen: 5 mg/l or more;
- ii. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): 3 mg/l or less;
- iii. pH between 6.5 to 8.5;
- iv. Faecal Coliform: 500MPN/100 ml (desirable), 2500 MPN/100 ml (maximum permissible);
- v. Faecal Streptococci: 100MPN/100 ml (desirable), 500 MPN/100 ml (maximum permissible).

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) & (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2381  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  13.03.2025  REGARDING  'POLLUTION  IN HINDON, KRISHNA AND PAONDHOI RIVERS'.

Groundwater Quality Data related to Arsenic and Fluoride from eight locations in the districts of Uttar Pradesh falling in Hindon River basin

| S.No                                                                | Monitoring Location                                                 | Fluoride (mg/L)   | Fluoride (mg/L)   | Arsenic (mg/L)   | Arsenic (mg/L)   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------|------------------|
|                                                                     |                                                                     | Min               | Max               | Min              | Max              |
| BIS Drinking Water-Specification (IS 10500:2012) (Acceptable Limit) | BIS Drinking Water-Specification (IS 10500:2012) (Acceptable Limit) | 1.0 mg/L          | 1.0 mg/L          | 0.01 mg/L        | 0.01 mg/L        |
| 1.                                                                  | TUBE WELL AT MEERUT CITY, U.P                                       | 0.2 (BDL)         | 0.3               | NA               | NA               |
| 2.                                                                  | TUBE WELL AT BAGPAT CITY, U.P                                       | 0.2 (BDL)         | 0.2 (BDL)         | NA               | NA               |
| 3.                                                                  | SAHIBABAD INDUSTRIAL AREA, GHAZIABAD, U.P                           | 0.2 (BDL)         | 0.2 (BDL)         | NA               | NA               |
| 4.                                                                  | MEERUT ROAD INDUSTRIAL AREA GHAZIABAD, U.P                          | 0.2 (BDL)         | 0.2 (BDL)         | NA               | NA               |
| 5.                                                                  | HAPUR ROAD INDUSTRIAL AREA GHAZIABAD, U.P                           | 0.2 (BDL)         | 0.2 (BDL)         | NA               | NA               |
| 6.                                                                  | PILKHUA INDUSTRIAL AREA GHAZIABAD, U.P                              | 0.2 (BDL)         | 0.2 (BDL)         | NA               | NA               |
| 7.                                                                  | VILLAGE DAURALA, MEERUT                                             | 0.4               | 0.5               | NA               | NA               |
| 8.                                                                  | KHEKRA, BAGHPAT                                                     | 0.2 (BDL)         | 0.2 (BDL)         | NA               | NA               |