WBPCB identifies 54 units in Bengal with high BoD

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has identified 54 industries with Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 100 kgs and above and is awaiting central directive to take action.
BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a water body to break down organic material present in a given water sample and measures the intensity of pollution by an industry.
"We have identified 54 industries with BOD of 100 kgs and above. There are 800 units across the Ganga with the potential to pollute. We have submitted our report," WBPCB chief Kalyan Rudra said at MCC Chamber of Commerce.

He said these reports were prepared for the Ganga Action Plan under the National Green Tribunal directive.
The state pollution department had closed down 79 dyeing and bleaching units and 16 slaughter houses which do not have any pollution control approval or effluent treatment plant.
Rudra said the Centre had several schemes to promote common effluent treatment plant to support the small industries who could not afford to set up treatment plants with cluster approach or realigning the discharge drainage by local municipality.
Rudra said the Centre was advocating zero liquid discharge concept and this would be implemented in due course.

In Kolkata, there are some 34 canals or drains connected to the Ganga of which 12 account for 95 per cent of pollution while in Howrah, eight of 20 such major drains caused 80 per cent of total pollution.