Water at 75 locations of major rivers, such as Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Sone and Wainaganga are not fit for drinking, the Government said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Water Resources Ministry, which monitors water quality at 396 stations located in all the major river basins, published a report Water Quality Hot Spots in Rivers of India in 2011, Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat said while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha.

The Minister said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) also monitors the water quality of the rivers at 1,275 stations located on 445 rivers.

“It has identified 150 polluted stretches on 121 rivers in the country based on bio-chemical-oxygen demand (BOD) levels,” said Rawat.

Maharashtra topped the list of having the maximum number of rivers having 28 polluted stretches, namely Bhima, Godavari, Mula and Mutha, Pawana, Panchganga, Patalganga, Indrayani, Koyna, Kundalika, Kalu, Kanhan, Kolar, Mithi, Tapi, Girna, Nira, Weinganga, Wardha, Krishna, Purna, Nira, Chandrabhaga, Venna, Ulhas, Rangavali and Bhatsa.

The Minister told the House that 19 such polluted stretches were found in Gujarat by CPCB.

The MoEF is supplementing the efforts of State Governments in abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) including National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) programme for implementation of projects on a cost-sharing basis between Union and State Governments.

Rawat said NRCP now covered 42 rivers in 195 towns spread over 20 states at a sanctioned cost of Rs 8,904 crore

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