Water Pollution

Delhi BJP leader hospitalised 48 hours after taking dip in 'frothy' Yamuna

The BJP has accused the AAP government of the Rs 8,500-crore scandal linked to Yamuna cleaning projects

Faecal contamination in Yamuna soars to 1,959x over safe limit in Sept

Despite improved dissolved oxygen levels from August rains, faecal pollution in the Yamuna surged to 4.9M units in September, 1,959 times the safe limit, marking the worst contamination since 2022

Coast Guard ship conducts demonstration of pollution response at sea

With 152 ships and 78 aircraft in its arsenal, the ICG is on track to achieve its targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 100 aircraft by 2030

Rajya Sabha passes bill to amend water Act to decriminalise minor offences

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill which seeks to decriminalise minor offences related to water pollution, enable the Centre to prescribe service conditions of chairpersons of State Pollution Control Boards, and exempt certain categories of industrial plants from statutory restrictions. Piloting the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill 2024 in the Upper House of Parliament, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that development and environment protection must go together. There should be harmony in ease of living and ease of doing business, he added. Replying to a debate on the Bill, the minister said its provisions will lead to greater transparency in dealing with various issues related to water pollution. The Bill, which seeks to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, was approved by the Rajya Sabha by voice vote. According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, the amendment proposes to rationalise ..

This is Kejriwal's model: BJP slams Delhi CM over toxic foam in Yamuna

BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused Kejriwal of spending thousands of crores given by the Centre on advertisements or "doing corruption" instead of cleaning Yamuna

How to choose the best water purifier for your home: Things to know

To choose the best water purifier, you need to know the quality of water at your home, besides several other important factors

Narmada pollution: NGT directs Dindori collector to appear before it

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Dhindori district collector, Narmada Valley Development Authority vice chairman and other authorities concerned, to appear before it in a matter regarding pollution of the river Narmada. A bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad in a recent order said, It is not disputed that continuously untreated municipal sewage is being discharged in river Narmada causing pollution. The violators have also committed an offence under provision of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, it said. The bench said, Before taking any strict action in the matter, including prosecution against the responsible officers, we find it appropriate to give an opportunity to all parties concerned. Therefore, we direct Vice Chairman, Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA), Bhopal; Chief Municipal Officer, Dindori; and Collector Dindori to appear before this tribunal on October 4, it said. The tribunal was hearin

World Ocean Day: Volunteers take part in beach clean up drive in Vizag

Enthusiastic volunteers chipped in to clean a city beach on Thursday in response to a call given by the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam (Vizag Zoo) as part of commemorating the World Ocean Day. Volunteers from diverse walks of life, government employees, NGOs, students, citizens and others, cleaned up the Sagar Nagar beach, opposite the zoo's beach road gate starting from 6 AM. "Participants actively engaged in collecting and removing various types of debris, including plastic bottles and other waste material that pose a threat to marine life," said Nandani Salaria, curator, Vizag Zoo in a press note shared today. Salaria emphasised that collective action is crucial in addressing the challenges faced by the oceans, highlighting the vital role played by zoological parks in promoting environmental conservation. As a token of appreciation, all the volunteers were given certificate of participation for their contribution in the coast cleaning activity, which is also aimed

People form human chain along Yamuna to save river from heavy pollution

A large number of people gathered along the Yamuna river banks to form a human chain on early Sunday morning under a citizen-centric initiative to save the river from heavy pollution. Under the 'Yamuna Sansad' initiative, people formed the human chain at many places, including ITO, Wazirabad, Kalindikunj, Geeta Colony and Old Usmanpur, raising the demand to revive the river overburdened with sewage and industrial waste discharged in it. A large number of representatives of social, cultural and religious organisations too participated in the campaign. Many politicians, including former BJP organisation secretary Govindacharya, Delhi AAP convener and Arvind Kejriwal government minister Gopal Rai, and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, too attended the campaign. 'Yamuna Sansad' convener Ravi Shankar Tiwari said the human chain was formed expressing peoples' resolve to contribute to reviving the Yamuna that has been "rendered into a drain despite years of efforts by governments to clea

Impact of population growth poses threat to India's water security: Experts

The combination of climate change and population growth poses a serious threat to India's water security, and without adequate measures to address these challenges, water scarcity will worsen with social, economic and environmental impacts, experts have warned. According to the United Nations (UN), India might have already become the most populous country in the world with over 142 crore people. However, the government is yet to conduct a census to give an official figure. Experts highlighted the urgent need for better water management, policy reforms, and protection of natural ecosystems to address the combined challenge of climate change and population growth on water security. Climate change further exacerbates the challenges, they said, with rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and sea-level rise intensifying the water scarcity problem. According to Aditi Mukherjee, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) author, poor water management due to distorte

Water samples near ethanol plant in Ferozepur unfit for drinking: CPCB

Water samples drawn from 29 borewells near an ethanol plant in the district were found unfit for drinking and had an unpleasant odour, a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said. Total dissolved solids (TDS), boron and sulphates were found in high concentrations beyond acceptable limits in the water samples, according to the report submitted to the National Green Tribunal. Water samples taken from two borewells located inside the plant contained huge amounts of heavy metals, including arsenic, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel and lead, it said. In January, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered the immediate closure of the plant after agitation against the unit by villagers. An inspection team also found that 10 borewells and six piezometers were installed on the plant premises allegedly without obtaining permission from the CGWB (central ground water board) or the PWRDA (Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority). The CPCB report said two of the

22-km-long human chain planned on June 4 to draw attention towards Yamuna

A group of concerned citizens is rallying thousands of people to form a 22-kilometer-long human chain on the banks of the Yamuna on June 4 to draw attention to the sorry state of the river plagued by pollution and degradation. The chain will extend from Wazirabad to Okhla in Delhi, a 22-kilometer stretch which accounts for 75 per cent of the river's pollution load. Twenty-two drains fall into the river in this stretch. This will probably be the biggest such effort to sensitize the people of Delhi and ensure their participation in cleaning the Yamuna in the capital, said members of "Yamuna Sansad", a campaign by environmentalists, conservationists, academicians and researchers working to revive the river. Experts say untapped wastewater from unauthorised colonies and jhuggi-jhopri clusters, and poor quality of treated wastewater discharged from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) is the main reason behind high levels of pollution in the ...

Yamuna pollution: NGT directs UP chief secretary to ensure remedial action

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to ensure remedial action in matters pertaining to pollution of river Yamuna in Mathura and Agra. The NGT was hearing two applications on pollution of the river in Mathura and Agra. The applications alleged discharge of untreated sewage in Yamuna in Mathura and pollution of the river in Agra by local authorities and private businesses or commercial establishments. A bench of Chairperson Justice A K Goel noted in pursuance of the tribunal's earlier orders, the state pollution control board (PCB) had filed separate reports acknowledging the pollution of river Yamuna in Mathura and discharge of 131 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage in it and failure of the authorities to take necessary remedial action in Agra. The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad, noted the untapped drains and discharge of untreated sewage into the ..

High ammonia levels in Yamuna to hit water supply in parts of Delhi

Water supply in parts of Delhi will be hit with high ammonia levels in the Yamuna leading to a 50 per cent decrease in production at Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants, the DJB said on Tuesday. The WTPs at Chandrawal and Wazirabad can treat up to 90 MGD and 135 MGD of water, respectively. The ammonia level at the Wazirabad pond is 5 parts per million at present. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm. At present, the Delhi Jal Board has the capacity to treat 0.9 ppm. "Due to high levels of pollutants (ammonia more than 5 ppm) being received in the Yamuna at Wazirabad pond, water production has been curtailed by 10 per cent to 50 per cent from WTPs of Wazirabad and Chandrawal. "Therefore, water supply will be available at low pressure from Tuesday evening till the situation improves," the DJB said in a statement. The areas which will be affected are: Civil lines, Hindu Rao Hospital and adjoinin

Brackish groundwater in most parts of Delhi: Central Ground Water Board

The groundwater in most parts of Delhi is brackish in nature and the nitrate concentration is high in the northeastern parts of the capital, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has said in a report. "Chemical analysis of ground water samples collected in May 2021 showed that nitrate content in groundwater is within the permissible limit of 45 micrograms per litre in most of the state. However, concentration in the north-eastern parts of Delhi is high," the CGWB's groundwater year book 2021-22 said. Except a few locations in the northern and western parts of the city, all areas have a fluoride concentration within the permissible limit of 1.5 micrograms per litre, it said. The eastern parts of Delhi, especially the areas around the Yamuna floodplains and the Delhi Quartzite Ridge zones, have an electrical conductivity (EC) within the permissible range of 0 to 2,250 microsiemens per centimetre, the CGWB said. "The rest of the capital, barring some pockets of southwest, northwest an

Food and Drug Administration dept seals mineral water factory at Kapurthala

The Food and Drug Administration Department on Monday sealed a factory here which was engaged in the business of packaged drinking water without having mandatory BIS certification, officials said. The factory did not have the mandatory BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certificate & the FSSAI licence, they said. The team was headed by Harjot Pal Singh, Assistant Commissioner along with Mukul Gill, Food safety officer, raided the factory and recovered 265 cartons of packaged drinking water containing 24 cups of 200 ml each, several empty cases, two machines installed for packaging water along with other material to be used in packing and sealing. The premises were sealed after the team took one sample of packaged drinking water.

Beyond Joshimath: How not to make the future a repeat of the past

Can we have stronger regulatory and associated institutions to ensure environmental protection? If not, the shock effect of Joshimath won't last much more than a week, cautions T N Ninan

Ammonia pollution in Yamuna affecting water supply in parts of Delhi: DJB

Water supply in parts of Delhi has been affected due to ammonia pollution in the Yamuna river, the Delhi Jal Board said on Tuesday. Operations at Wazirabad, Chandrawal, Bawana, Nangloi, Dwarka and Haiderpur water treatment plants (WTPs) have been hit. Water supply will remain affected till the situation improves, it said. Water will be available at low pressure in parts of south Delhi, central Delhi, west Delhi, northwest Delhi and southwest Delhi, the DJB said. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm. At present, the DJB can treat up to 0.9 ppm.

Protesters refuse to stop demonstration in front of ethanol plant in Punjab

The protesters, who have been sitting on a dharna in front of the distillery and ethanol plant in Mansurwal village of this district for nearly five months, refused to lift the dharna on Saturday despite minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal reaching out to them. The Punjab minister for Rural Development and Panchayat assured the protesters on all the decisions which were agreed upon between their delegation and the government. Villagers with the support of some farmer unions have been holding the protest in front of the plant in Mansurwal village, seeking its closure while claiming that it was polluting underground water in several villages in the area, besides causing air pollution. The protest is being held under the banner of the Sanjha Zira Morcha since July 24. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Friday evening held a meeting with a delegation of agitators in Chandigarh to address their issues. While interacting with the protesters on Saturday, Dhaliwal assured them of protecting

Experts to prepare plan for restoring polluted water bodies in Meghalaya

A 10-member expert committee headed by Meghalaya Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) B K Lyngwa will soon come up with an action plan for restoration of polluted water bodies in the northeastern state. The committee constituted in June in compliance with a High Court order to advise the state government on measures for restoration and protection of water bodies in the state, will advise the state government on latest technology and methods to be used for cleaning and rejuvenation of water bodies. After chairing the second meeting of the committee, Lyngwa said on Thursday, "We are in the process of formulating the action plan. The question of funding will come later on." The action plan will be site specific to every river and will cover the whole state except those water bodies in the wildlife protected areas, reserved forests and water-bodies dealt with by the State Wetland Authority and River Rejuvenation Committee and the fish ponds, he said. The major rivers of Meghal