New Delhi, 13 October (H.S.):

Under the Namami Gange Programme, efforts to control industrial pollution across the Ganga basin have resulted in an increase in the proportion of industries complying with prescribed pollution control standards from 39 per cent in 2017 to 86 per cent in 2025. During the same period, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) load declined from 26 tonnes per day to 7.16 tonnes per day. Measures to reduce pollution include regular inspections of industrial units, monitoring of effluent treatment systems, the promotion of cleaner production technologies and greater emphasis on water recycling.

According to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, industries with a high potential for causing pollution are identified and inspected annually under the Namami Gange Programme. During the 2025 inspection cycle, a total of 3,703 industrial units were assessed, including 1,296 in the Ganga basin and 2,407 in the Yamuna basin. The assessment covered potential pollution risks affecting 46 tributaries and their sub-tributaries across 113 districts in six states and one Union Territory.

The inspection mechanism, introduced in 2017, involves independent technical institutions conducting inspections of industrial units in collaboration with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The inspections examine compliance with the conditions stipulated in the Consent to Operate, the functioning of effluent treatment plants, water samples, water flow and prescribed pollution parameters. These parameters include pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS).

The inspections also assess the status of online monitoring systems, the discharge of wastewater into drains and water bodies, and groundwater conditions. Evidence, including photographs and videos, is documented in cases involving unauthorised discharge or non-operational treatment plants. For the 2026 inspection cycle, 40 technical institutions have been designated, compared with 25 institutions that participated in 2025.

According to the Ministry, 3,154 of the industrial units assessed in 2025 were operational. Of these, 2,715 were complying with the prescribed standards, while 448 operational units were found to be non-compliant. In such cases, the respective State Pollution Control Boards issue show-cause notices and take further action, including the closure of units wherever necessary.

To prevent industrial pollution, sector-specific, standards-based charters have also been developed for the paper and pulp, sugar, distillery, textile and tannery industries. According to the Ministry, these five sectors accounted for approximately 70 per cent of the highly polluting industrial units in the Ganga basin and 88 per cent of the total pollution load in earlier assessments.

The charters aim to reduce water and chemical consumption, minimise dependence on freshwater, limit wastewater generation, and promote the reuse and recycling of treated effluent.

In 2022, a total of 246 industrial units contributing significantly to the pollution load were identified for priority action. Seventeen sector-specific workshops were organised for these units, with 222 participating and submitting action plans. The remaining 24 units had either shut down or adopted dry-process operations.

According to the Ministry's assessment, the pollution load from these units declined by approximately 65 per cent, from 18.68 tonnes per day in 2021–22 to 6.381 tonnes per day in 2022–23. Subsequently, 156 units were removed from the priority list, while priority action continued against 66 units.

Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), which treat wastewater generated by industrial clusters, are also being monitored. In 2025, 41 such plants in the states through which the main stretches of the Ganga and Yamuna flow were assessed, of which 40 were operational. Their combined operational capacity stood at 514.53 million litres per day (MLD), while the actual volume of wastewater treated was 286.31 MLD. Of these plants, 27 were found to be complying with the prescribed standards.

Based on the assessment, recommendations were made to improve plant operation and maintenance, upgrade treatment technologies, strengthen biological treatment systems and ensure regular testing of treated effluent.

The Ministry also reported improvements in resource efficiency in the sugar industry. Between 2017 and 2025, freshwater consumption per tonne of sugarcane processed declined from 155 litres to 58 litres. During the same period, wastewater discharge fell from 190 litres to 136 litres per tonne of sugarcane, while BOD emissions decreased from 0.0065 kg to 0.0029 kg per tonne of sugarcane.

In the paper and pulp sector, 60 mills based on recycled fibres are operating under zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems. According to the Ministry, these mills have contributed to estimated groundwater savings of 928.89 million litres per day and annual energy savings of 1,649.80 megawatt-hours.

The Ministry's assessment also highlights the absence of black liquor discharge from paper and pulp mills, the absence of wastewater discharge from distilleries, and the non-occurrence of incidents involving coloured water discharge and fish mortality. In addition, the Ministry has reported groundwater savings of approximately 719 million litres per day, improvements in water quality in tributaries such as the Ramganga, Kosi, Dhela and Bahela, and reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions.

According to the Ministry, these measures are intended not merely to ensure compliance with prescribed pollution control standards but also to prevent pollution at the production stage, conserve water, promote the reuse of treated wastewater and improve resource efficiency.

To achieve these objectives, regular inspections, scientific assessments, technological improvements and enforcement action against non-compliant industrial units are being pursued in a coordinated manner.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar