JAMMU, Dec 16: In 2022, eight polluted river stretches were identified in Jammu and Kashmir, as stated by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav.
The pollution in these stretches is largely due to the influx of untreated or partially treated sewage from urban areas, industrial discharges, poor solid waste management, issues within sewage and effluent treatment facilities, lack of dilution, and various other non-point sources, according to the minister.
Yadav also noted that J&K has one Grossly Polluting Industry (GPI) that is currently operational and meets environmental standards. “GPIs are categorized as industries that release effluents into water bodies and either deal with hazardous materials or produce a Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) load of 100 kg per day or more,” he explained.
He continued, “Across the nation, there are 3,519 GPIs and 311 polluted river stretches spanning 279 rivers, based on monitoring conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2019 and 2021. The CPCB is actively collaborating with State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees to monitor and tackle these challenges.” (KNO)
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