Haryana Forms Special Team to Check Pollution in Yamuna River

The Haryana government has set up a special committee to tackle the growing pollution problem in the Yamuna river. This high-level team will keep a close watch on 11 major drains that flow into the river and are causing serious pollution.

The committee is headed by the chairman of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and includes senior officials from different government departments. They will check the water quality of these drains and the river every month to see if conditions are improving.

This action was taken after the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti raised concerns in May about the Yamuna being among the most polluted rivers in India. The pollution comes from both natural causes and human activities, making the situation quite serious. The pollution board has found that several drains, including the Ditch Drain, Panipat Drain, and Sonepat's Drain Number 6, have shown increasing pollution levels over the past three years. The biological oxygen demand, which measures pollution, has been rising in these waterways.

Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, who chairs the River Rejuvenation Committee, has directed that water quality should be monitored continuously. The committee will track the progress of sewage treatment plants, check on industrial waste treatment, and ensure proper sewerage networks in towns near the river.

Nearly 3,000 Industrial Units contribute to the rising water pollution with many of the factories are not operating their water in treatment plants and disposing them into river making the pollution control difficult.= The government has now ordered all industries to install special energy meters on their treatment plants to ensure they are working properly.