Water Pollution

US, Mexico sign accord to combat Tijuana River sewage flowing across border

The United States and Mexico have signed an agreement outlining specific steps and a new timetable to clean up the longstanding problem of the Tijuana River pouring sewage across the border and polluting California beaches, officials from both countries announced Thursday. Billions of gallons of sewage and toxic chemicals from Tijuana have polluted the Pacific Ocean off neighboring Southern California, closing beaches and sickening Navy SEALs who train in the water. That's despite multiple efforts and millions of dollars that have been poured into addressing the problem over decades, including under the first Trump administration. There is a great commitment by the two countries to strengthen cooperation, Mexico's Environmental Secretary Alicia Brcena said Thursday after meeting with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in Mexico City for the signing of the memorandum of understanding. The accord comes three months after Zeldin flew to San Diego to meet with ...

Govt study suggests incentives to tackle Ganga's 'ghost gear' crisis

In a bid to combat escalating plastic pollution in the Ganga, a government-funded study has proposed a "cash-for-nets" scheme aimed at incentivising fishers to return worn-out or abandoned fishing nets. These abandoned, lost or discarded synthetic nets -- referred to as "ghost gear" -- pose a severe, long-term threat to aquatic ecosystems. Conducted over five years by the Wildlife Institute of India, the study forms part of the long-term conservation initiative -- Planning and Management for Aquatic Species Conservation and Maintenance of Ecosystem Services in the Ganga River Basin for a Clean Ganga. Based on extensive riverine and socioeconomic surveys, the study recorded 72 incidents of aquatic species becoming entangled in fishing gear -- both active and abandoned. The researchers documented fishing gear and materials every five kilometres along the river. For the socioeconomic survey, 150 key informant interviews, 10 focal group discussions with fishers, and personal observatio

Over 11k habitations in 7 states hit by water contamination: Parl panel

A parliamentary panel has raised concerns over water contamination issue in the country, highlighting that 11,348 habitations in 96 districts across seven states have not been provided with short-term measures for pollutants such as iron, nitrate, and heavy metals. In its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Water Resources has urged the Centre to take swift action to ensure safe drinking water in these vulnerable regions. The report further revealed that uranium contamination remains a pressing issue in Punjab, where 32 habitations across nine districts are affected. Despite interim measures in 22 of these areas, 10 habitations still await any mitigation efforts, it said. The committee has called for urgent and long-term interventions to safeguard public health. "The Committee notes that all arsenic and fluoride affected habitations have been covered by community water purification plants as an interim measure. However, they (panel) further observe th

23 Yamuna sites in Delhi stretch fail water quality test, says Parl panel

A parliamentary panel has said the Yamuna river's capacity to sustain life have been found to be almost non-existent in the Delhi stretch, noting that 23 out of the 33 monitored sites, including six in the national capital, failed to meet primary water quality standards. The Yamuna flows through a 40 km stretch in Delhi, entering at Palla from Haryana and exiting at Asgarpur into Uttar Pradesh. The dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, which reflect the river's capacity to sustain life, were found to be almost non-existent in the Delhi stretch, the parliamentary standing committee on water resources said in its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. In its report on the Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Project and river bed management in Delhi, the panel warned that despite the construction and upgrade of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, pollution levels remain alarmingly high. The Committee called for a coordinated response from all stakeholders to tackle pollution a

DPCC plans expansion of state labs to facilitate real-time water testing

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has proposed granting 'state' laboratory status to all labs in government colleges and those under the Delhi Jal Board to facilitate real-time water testing across the national capital, officials said on Monday. The proposal was made during the 74th board meeting of the DPCC on February 13, 2025, at the Delhi Secretariat, where critical issues such as recruitment, pollution control measures, and infrastructure improvements were discussed, they said. Currently, Delhi has only one state laboratory for water testing. The proposed move aims to bolster large-scale water quality monitoring and enhance data accuracy, they added. The DPCC is also set to issue a public notice to gauge the willingness of government institutions to participate in the initiative. "In the last meeting held in September 2024, it was directed that more labs, including Delhi Jal Board facilities and those in government colleges, be recognized as state labs to support ..

Groundwater in Punjab, Haryana contaminated with uranium, arsenic: Report

The Central Ground Water Board report attributes the rising uranium levels to leaching from agricultural land. Intensive use of fertilisers has exacerbated the problem

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