River Pollution & Supreme Court

  • The Supreme Court of India after five years of near inaction in 2026 has closed its 2021 Suo motu case on polluted rivers and transferred monitoring responsibility to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
  • The Court reaffirmed that the right to a clean environment and hygienic conditions is part of Article 21 (Right to Life).

River Pollution Status (as per Central Pollution Control Board 2025)

  • Polluted River Stretch (PRS): Defined where BOD > 3 mg/L.
    • BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand): Indicates oxygen required to decompose organic matter; higher BOD means poorer water quality.
  • 296 polluted stretches identified across 271 rivers (out of 645 ....
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