In the past five years, state pollution agencies have directed the closure of 833 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) along the Ganga and its tributaries. In 2024 alone, 98 such industries received closure orders, with Uttarakhand having the highest number at 80, followed by West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh revealed that a total of 239 GPIs faced closure directions in five states in 2023, 178 in 2022, 187 in 2020, and 131 in 2019. At the national level, out of 4,498 GPIs, 3,637 are operational.
Among the operational industries, 601 were found non-compliant with environmental standards, leading to actions such as Closure Directions: 29; Show Cause Notices: 571; and Directives: 1 by State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees (SPCBs/PCCs). The Minister also highlighted that there are 6,09,886 industries in the country, with 5,44,364 being operational.
Regarding industrial pollution, 23,981 operational industries were found non-compliant with environmental standards. Actions taken by SPCBs/PCCs included Closure Directions: 3600; Show Cause Notices: 13718; legal cases filed: 229; and Directives: 6434 as per environmental laws.
Minister Singh explained that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitors water quality at 4,922 locations nationwide, including 2,265 river locations, in collaboration with SPCBs/PCCs. Polluted river stretches are identified based on the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) parameter, with Priority Class I to V classifications based on pollution levels.
