AP pollution board classifies major rivers in state under ‘C’ category

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Vijayawada: Even as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) pulled up the AP government over Krishna river pollution in Vijayawada, the latest data of AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) shows that none of the major rivers in the state falls under ‘A’ or ‘B’ categories with excellent water quality. All the rivers in AP are classified under ‘C’ category. Water falling under ‘D’ category is not fit for human consumption.
The APPCB collected water samples from major rivers in the state in January, February and March this year and analysed them for pH value (acidity or alkalinity of water), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total coliform (bacterial contamination) and total dissolved solids (TDS).
The polluted river stretches in Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Nagavalli and Kundu were analysed based on the water quality criteria of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Last year too, the river samples were classified as ‘C’ category. This, in other words, means there has been no effort to improve water quality by checking pollution in the last one year.
According to CPCB norms, water in a river is classified as ‘A’ category if it can be consumed without conventional treatment but after disinfection. Samples falling under ‘B’ category or class are suitable for outdoor bathing, while ‘C’ category water can be consumed only after conventional treatment and disinfection. Samples classified as ‘D’ or ‘E’ are not fit for human use. While ‘D’ category samples are suitable for wildlife and not even domestic animals, ‘E’ class water is meant only for industrial cooling, and controlled waste disposal.
The APCCB data for the first three months of 2019 for river Godavari shows that it falls under class ‘C’. Samples were collected from five different stretches of the Godavari — Polavaram, upstream of Rajahmundry at Kumaradevam, downstream of Rajahmundry at Dhowlaiswaram, at Rajahmundry upstream and downstream of Nalla channel. The pH value ranged from 7.1 to 7.5 while dissolved oxygen ranged from 5.1 to 8. Biological oxygen demand ranged from 1 to 2. Total coliform count ranged from 75 per 100 ml to 210. The TDS varied from 124 to 204.
In case of Krishna river, water samples were collected from Sangameswaram, Srisailam, Vedadri, Amaravati, Prakasam Barrage (Vijayawada) and Hamsaladeevi. Compared with Godavari, Krishna appeared to be more polluted with the total coliform bacterial count going up to 1,600 per 100 ml. Turbidity in Krishna was also more than that of Godavari. The TDS in Krishna ranged from 20,500 to 21,300.

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