Source: TH
Context: The CPCB 2023 report shows India’s polluted river sites declined slightly to 807 (2023) from 815 (2022), with fewer “Priority-1” stretches needing urgent remediation.
About CPCB Report on Polluted River Sites:
What it is?
- A nationwide assessment by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the health of rivers.
- Uses Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) as a proxy for organic pollution.
- BOD > 3 mg/L → water unfit for bathing and BOD > 30 mg/L → Priority-1 (most polluted).
Trends in Report (2023 vs 2022):
- Polluted Sites – Reduced from 815 (2022) to 807 (2023).
- Polluted River Stretches (PRS) – 296 PRS across 271 rivers (down from 311 across 279 rivers in 2022).
- State-wise – Maharashtra (54) highest PRS, followed by Kerala (31), MP & Manipur (18 each), Karnataka (14).
- Priority-1 Stretches – Reduced to 37 (2023) from 45 (2022).
- Monitoring Network – 4,736 locations including rivers, lakes, canals, drains.
Relevance in UPSC Syllabus:
- GS-III (Environment) – River pollution, water quality indicators, CPCB role, BOD as pollution metric.
- GS-II (Governance/Policy) – River rejuvenation schemes (Namami Gange, NRCP, AMRUT).
- Essay / Ethics – Sustainable development, inter-generational equity, water security.
