River water in state not safe for drinking: Arukha

Bhubaneswar: State forest and environment minister Bikram Keshari Arukha on Tuesday told the assembly that water in none of 11 major rivers or their tributaries in the state were suitable for drinking.
"The river water contain biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total coliform (TC) bacteria - both of them polluting agents - beyond the permissible limits," Arukha quoted the latest Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) report.He added that Kathajodi river in Cuttack and Daya river in Bhubaneswar were among the worst-polluted rivers with very high BOD and TC levels.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board norms, water with BOD less than 2 mg per litre and TC up to 50 microbes per millilitre is suitable for drinking. Similarly, BOD up to 3mg/litre and TC up to 500 microbes per millilitre can be used for bathing. Kathajodi has BOD up to 9.7 mg/l and TC level between 3,600 and 58,600ml, while BOD in Daya was between 3.4 and 4.3 mg/litre and TC above 60,000ml.
Incidentally, the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar witnessed spurt in jaundice cases, caused by polluted water.
The TC level in Hirakud reservoir in Mahanadi river ranged between 5,400 to 24,000ml.
Brahmani river in Panposh and Rourkela contain 3.5 mg/l to 4.5 mg/l BOD while TC was found to be between 18,000 to 39,000ml. Waste water from Rourkela Steel Plant and Rourkela city add to the river pollution, the minister reveals.
Between April 6 and April 16, the pollution panel has informed various civic bodies, water resources department and the housing and urban development departments regarding the latest pollution level, the SPCB officer said.
Arukha said waste water from various towns situated on the river banks contributes to the pollution of the rivers. The Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board has begun drives to prevent entry of waste water into the rivers in cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Puri, Talcher, Chandbali, Dharamsala, Balasore, Baripada and Bhadrak to reduce river water pollution.
At various points in rivers the peak pollution levels were exceptionally high. The biggest concern is drain water entering the rivers from the towns. Rajiv Kumar, member secretary, OSPCB, could not be contacted for comment. Another officer of the board, however, said the pollution figures were an average of the year 2015.
Ranjan Panda, a pioneer of water conservation, said the pollution data is understated. "The OSPCB has not been monitoring chemical oxygen demand (COD) -marker of industrial pollution - which is also very high in the rivers. The government must ensure fair monitoring and begin concrete action to prevent pollution by ensuring treatment of various wastes before being discharged," he said.