📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Rehman Abubakr
Local
Domestic sewage identified as main cause of Markanda River pollution, Himachal tells NGT
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 19 Oct 2026, 07:15 AM
👁 14
Himachal Pradesh submitted a report to the National Green Tribunal stating that domestic sewage, not industrial effluents, is responsible for the deteriorating water quality of the Markanda River.
The state government of Himachal Pradesh has formally informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the primary source of pollution in the Markanda River is untreated domestic sewage. The report, filed by the state's Pollution Control Board, cites rising levels of biochemical oxygen demand and coliform bacteria that are typical of household waste discharge.
According to the findings, industrial effluents contribute only a marginal share to the river's contamination, contrary to earlier assumptions. The board recommends immediate action to upgrade sewage treatment infrastructure in the catchment areas, especially around the towns of Solan and Kandaghat, to curb further degradation.
The NGT is expected to review the submission and may direct the state to implement remedial measures within a stipulated timeframe. Authorities have pledged to prioritize the construction of new treatment plants and the rehabilitation of existing ones to restore the river's ecological balance.
Local residents, who rely on the Markanda for irrigation and domestic use, have expressed concern over the health risks posed by the polluted water. The state has also launched an awareness campaign to encourage proper waste disposal and to reduce the load on the river.
The move underscores a shift in focus from industrial regulation to municipal waste management as a critical component of river conservation in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the findings, industrial effluents contribute only a marginal share to the river's contamination, contrary to earlier assumptions. The board recommends immediate action to upgrade sewage treatment infrastructure in the catchment areas, especially around the towns of Solan and Kandaghat, to curb further degradation.
The NGT is expected to review the submission and may direct the state to implement remedial measures within a stipulated timeframe. Authorities have pledged to prioritize the construction of new treatment plants and the rehabilitation of existing ones to restore the river's ecological balance.
Local residents, who rely on the Markanda for irrigation and domestic use, have expressed concern over the health risks posed by the polluted water. The state has also launched an awareness campaign to encourage proper waste disposal and to reduce the load on the river.
The move underscores a shift in focus from industrial regulation to municipal waste management as a critical component of river conservation in Himachal Pradesh.