Water body pollution in Punjab
Authorities need to close 819 polluting sources in Punjab. The largest number of such sources in the state are under the jurisdiction of its Department of Rural Development and Panchayats. Some 290 polluting sources have either been closed or removed while 510 still need to be closed by the department, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) said in its report filed in compliance to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order dated September 19, 2025.
The PPCB report dated December 15, 2025, related to polluting water bodies in Punjab. The NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of water body pollution based on a news article published in The Tribune on September 16, 2024, titled Over 1200 sources polluting water bodies in Punjab reveals government report.
The NGT had directed PPCB to disclose the timelines for closing all the sources responsible for river pollution.
PPCB’s member secretary directed environmental engineers of regional offices to furnish the proposed action plan and timelines for the closure of all such sources.
As the Department of Water Resources is the custodian of the state’s water bodies, a letter (dated December 11, 2025) was written to the principal secretary of the Government of Punjab, Department of Water Resources. It requested that necessary directions be issued to concerned officers to close all polluting sources (industrial, village wastewater, urban local body outlets, dairy waste, individual and others) which are discharging wastewater into rivers/water bodies.
Letters were also sent to the Director of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab and the Director, Department of Local Government, Punjab, with a request to furnish timelines for closure of polluting sources falling under the jurisdiction of their respective departments.
The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has closed and removed 31 more polluting sources, the Department of Local Government has closed and removed 30 more polluting sources and the officers of the PPCB had removed and closed 18 industrial pollution sources, three dairy waste sources and four individual sources of pollution.
The total number of polluting sources which have been closed and removed has risen from 606 to 692 and the balance number of polluting sources has reduced from 905 to 819.
After the NGT’s September 19, 2025, order was passed, the concerned departments (Department of Rural Development and Panchayats and Department of Local Government, Punjab Pollution Control Board) have achieved success in closing 14.19 per cent sources of pollution (industrial, village wastewater, urban local body outlets, dairy waste, individual and others).
Yamuna floodplain demarcation
Uttar Pradesh’s irrigation department on December 17, 2025, informed the NGT about the steps taken to demarcate the floodplain/submergence area of the Yamuna river.
The Survey of India constituted a team of officials for on-site identification and demarcation of the Yamuna floodplain in coordination with department officials.
The Survey of India team, in the presence of department officials, established the coordinates at 250-metre intervals on site using survey instruments for identification and demarcation of the floodplain area. Based on the on-site coordinates established by the Survey of India, the department installed 254 demarcation pillars in Gautam Budh Nagar district for marking the floodplain of Yamuna.
Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has completed the work of marking and demarcation of the floodplain (Khub area) of the Yamuna for the critical reaches from Asgarpur to Etawah and Shahpur to Prayagraj. The Government of Uttar Pradesh, through the Special Secretary, issued a government order on December 21, 2024, whereby the return period of 100 years has been fixed for the critical reaches of the Yamuna.
A notification has also been issued for determination of floodplain zones on the basis of flood coordinates (latitude and longitude) in the districts of Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Jalaun, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Hamirpur, Kanpur, Fatehpur, Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi and Prayagraj.
The notification has been disseminated to the concerned district magistrates/industrial development authorities and the director of the state information and public relations department, as well as all other concerned officers for due compliance.
The irrigation department has conducted on-site verification of the floodplain zone in Gautam Budh Nagar district on the basis of the latitude and longitude finalised by the CWC and notified by the Uttar Pradesh government, and the earlier demarcation pillars were suitably modified accordingly.
The Superintending Surveyor, Survey of India, Uttar Pradesh Geospatial Directorate, Lucknow, through a letter dated December 10, 2025, informed that a drone survey team has been deployed in respect to the remaining stretch of approximately 3 km upstream of Okhla Barrage. However, the survey could not be completed due to non-receipt of mandatory permissions from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and related regulatory constraints.
Ganga floodplain zone demarcation
Uttar Pradesh’s irrigation and water resources department is undertaking physical demarcation of the Ganga’s floodplain (segment-B, phase-II) covering the stretch from Unnao to Ballia (approximately 710 km). The physical demarcation of all the districts is to be completed by March 31, 2026.
This was stated in the ‘Further progress report’ by the Chief Engineer, Sone, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Uttar Pradesh in compliance with the NGT order dated May 19, 2025.
The report dated December 18, 2025, pertains to the issue of defining and demarcating the floodplain zone of the Ganga and its tributaries in Uttar Pradesh, especially in reference to the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 and the action taken by the authorities for protecting the floodplain zone.
A total of 7,350 floodplain boundary pillars are proposed to be fixed across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Floodplain delineation has been completed in all districts based on approved technical criteria. Tendering process has been completed and work awarded in 10 districts. While tendering is in advanced stage in three districts.
The irrigation and water resources department is making concerted efforts to complete the entire physical demarcation work of the Segment B, Phase II (Unnao to Ballia) by March 31, 2026. Regular monitoring is being undertaken at departmental level to ensure timely completion and full compliance.
The project has been approved by the Technical Audit Committee of Flood Control Council, Uttar Pradesh. The project has been presented to the Steering Committee for approval. The project has to be sent for approval to Ganga Flood Control Commission. 21582 pillars have to be fixed in seventeen districts of Uttar Pradesh and work will start after approval of the Ganga Flood Control Commission and is scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2026.
