Target: Making Bharalu River At least Fit For Bathing

GUWAHATI: The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) is surveying the Bharalu river that snakes through Guwahati. The target is to make the polluted stretches of the river fit at least for bathing purposes.

The PCBA is conducting the survey to comply with the instruction it has received from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT has instructed all pollution controls boards for bringing the 351 polluted stretches of rivers of the country to be fit at least for bathing purposes. To make this really happen, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of all the polluted rivers should be brought to BOD<3mg/L and FC (faecal Coliform) <500 MPN /100 ml.

The NGT has asked all pollution control boards to prepare action plans.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 351 polluted river stretches of the country have been divided into five different categories – Category I, Category II, Category III, Category IV and Category V. The Bharalu river of Guwahati falls in Category I with all monitoring locations exceeding BOD concentration 6mg/L.

According to PCBA sources, the board constituted the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) on December 24, 2018 following a directive from the NGT. The committee has representatives from GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation), Water Resources Department, the Forest and Environment Department and others.

The survey of the Bharalu is being conducted now under the RRC.

According to PCBA sources, a report of the survey will be submitted to the government for the preparation of the action plan as asked by the NGT.

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