CPCB conducts Water Quality Monitoring for Ganga at 41 locations

NEW DELHI: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had carried out Biological Water Quality Monitoring (BWQM) along main stem of river Ganga from Haridwar Barrage, Uttarakhand to Garden Reach, West Bengal during pre-monsoon and 39 locations during post-monsoon, in total at 41 locations. A draft report has been prepared on the basis of preliminary bio-monitoring study of biological parameters using benthic macro-invertebrates as indicator organisms following Biological Water Quality Criteria (BWQC). The information of the report was given by Dr Satya Pal Singh, Union Minister of State for Water Resources in the Parliament on February 4, 2019.

As per the report, biological water quality at Haridwar barrage was found to be clean in post-monsoon of 2017-18. The biological water quality of main stream of the river Ganga remains stable in the entire stretch except for 3 locations downstream of Jagjeetpur, Kannauj after confluence with the river Ramganga, river East Kali and river Pandu where biological water quality was found to be heavy in post-monsoon 2017-18 due to pollution/surface runoff.

The monitoring criteria is developed by CPCB based on combination of internationally accepted parameters viz. Saprobic Score and Diversity Score. The first round was conducted in 2014 – 2015, and the second phase was carried out in 2015-2016 to classify the river water quality status using BWQC.

(with inputs from PIB)