Household sewage in Ganga
Total as well as faecal coliform are beyond prescribed standards as the “household sewage generated in the concerned urban areas is being discharged into river Ganga without any prior treatment”, stated the report filed by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) on March 17, 2025.
The BSPCB is regularly carrying out water samples analysis at 34 sites of the Ganga and from the result of such analysis, it appears that pH; dissolved oxygen level; biochemical oxygen demand level of the water at the 34 sites are conforming to the standards as laid down by the Union environment ministry. However, the parameters with respect to total coliform and faecal coliform are found beyond the standards.
Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) are being constructed in different cities in Bihar and 4 STPs in Patna; 1 in Barh; 1 in Munger; 1 in Sonpur; 1 in Sultanganj; 1 in Maner; 1 in Navgachiya; 1 in Chapra; 1 in Danapur and 1 in Phulwari Sharif have already been constructed.
The state of Bihar through the Urban Development and Housing Department and the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO) is constructing STPs in different cities in Bihar. Upon commissioning of the STPs, the water quality of the Ganga and its tributaries will improve. In the meantime, bioremediation is being done to treat the untreated wastewater.
The matter was registered suo motu on the basis of a news item titled Ganga water unsafe even for bathing says Bihar government on river pollution appearing in Hindustan Times on February 26, 2024.
As per the news item, almost all major rivers passing through Bihar are unsafe even for bathing and the information is on the basis of the annual survey report on health of rivers tabled by the BSPCB.
Hasdeo river pollution
At present, sewage is only directly flowing into the Hasdeo river from a single point which is Ghogra nala, Pahlapar, Nagar Palika Parishad, Champa, stated the joint committee report on March 17, 2025.
The committee first visited the under-construction STP of 5.3 MLD in Champa on March 7, 2025. The committee noticed that the construction of the STP has been almost 90 per cent complete. The sewage generation in Champa is about 2.5 MLD at present. The committee also inspected the drains situated near the anicut built on Hasdeo river and near Shani temple and found that both the drains have been closed and are connected to a pipe.
There are a total of 22 points from which the drains used to directly flow into the Hasdeo river. Out of these, 21 points have been connected to the pipe which would take all the sewage water to the STP. At present, this pipe, in which the sewage of all 21 drainage point flows takes the sewage to a point situated at Barrier Chowk, near Muktidham Chowk and there, partial treatment of the sewage water is done by addition of alum and bleach by the Nagar Palika Parishad, Champa and then the water flows into the Hasdeo river.
The report said the natural rock formation in the river has been disturbed during the construction of drainage. There has been no disturbance in the natural flow of the Hasdeo river. At present, no illegal excavation has been done in the Hasdeo river.
The joint committee recommended that the Nagar Palika Parishad, Champa should regularly continue the partial treatment of the sewage water till the construction of the STP is completed. Drains should be cleaned regularly to prevent blockage of any kind and drains need to be inspected to prevent any accidental spillage of the sewage into the Hasdeo river.
Flood plain zone of Tedhi river, Gonda
The report filed by the District Magistrate, Gonda, Uttar Pradesh stated that the work on the determination/demarcation of the flood plain zone of Tedhi river has started. This would help in identifying and assessing the encroachment in the flood plain area.
The report dated March 4, 2025, mentioned that for the delineation of the flood plain zone, NIH, Roorkee was requested to provide their technical assistance and expertise. NIH has stated that the final report would be submitted by June 2025. For the delineation of the FPZ, NIH has recommended the use of high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) data. The Government of Uttar Pradesh has sanctioned an amount of Rs 134.64 lakh and the same has been received by the irrigation department.
For the DEM data, a field survey of the Tedhi river area is to be conducted by the Survey of India. With regards to the same, letters have been issued by the Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, Gonda for the execution of the survey for the floodplain zoning and collection of the 1 meter DEM data. The office of the Uttar Pradesh Geospatial Directorate, Lucknow has informed that the survey work is scheduled to commence from March 3, 2025 and a dedicated survey team has been formed.
