From Mula to Indrayani River: Which are the Most Polluted Rivers in Maharashtra? Check the Complete List

Maharashtra is home to many important rivers. These rivers provide water for homes, farming, industries, and many other needs.

But some river stretches in the state have been found to have high levels of pollution.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), eight rivers are listed under Maharashtra in the category of polluted river stretches where BOD is more than 30 mg/l or exceeds 6 mg/l on all occasions.

The eight rivers are Bhima, Godavari, Mula & Mutha, Pawana, Indrayani, Koyna, Mithi and Kundalika.

Complete List of Polluted Rivers in Maharashtra

Here is the data formatted as a table:

Which Is the Most Polluted River in Maharashtra?

If we compare the highest BOD values given in the CPCB table, three river stretches have the highest recorded value of 50 mg/l.

They are:

1. Mula & Mutha – 50 mg/l

Mithi – 50 mg/l

Kundalika – 50 mg/l

So, according to this CPCB data, Mula & Mutha, Mithi and Kundalika have the highest BOD value among the eight Maharashtra river stretches listed in this section.

It is important to understand that this does not mean the entire river is polluted at the same level. CPCB's data is based on particular river stretches and monitoring points.

1. Bhima River

• The Bhima River is one of the important rivers of Maharashtra.

• CPCB has listed the stretch from Vithalwadi to Takli as a polluted river stretch.

• At Pune, downstream of Bundgarden, the BOD level recorded was 40 mg/l.

Other monitoring points showed lower values, including 28.2 mg/l at Pune upstream of Vithalwadi and 16 mg/l at Pargaon.

2. Godavari River

• The Godavari is one of India's major rivers.

• The CPCB has listed the stretch from Nashik downstream to Paithan in Maharashtra.

• The highest BOD value shown in the table is 36 mg/l at Nashik downstream.

The table also contains readings from several other locations along the river, including the area around Jayakwadi Dam and Paithan.

3. Mula & Mutha River

• The Mula and Mutha rivers are closely associated with Pune.

• CPCB has listed the stretch downstream of Pune city as polluted.

The table records:

• Mula-Mutha at Mundhawa Bridge – 36 mg/l

• Mula at Aunth Bridge – 50 mg/l

• Mula at Harrison Bridge – 50 mg/l

• Mutha at Sangam Bridge – 32 mg/l

The source mentioned in the CPCB table is city sewage from Pune.

4. Pawana River

• The Pawana River is another important river in the Pune region.

• CPCB has listed the Pune-Sangavi Gaon stretch.

• The BOD level recorded at the monitoring location was 36 mg/l.

The CPCB table mentions Pune sewage as the source.

5. Indrayani River

• The Indrayani River flows through the Pune region and is an important river for the area.

• CPCB has listed the stretch from Alandi to its confluence with the Bhima River.

• At Alandi Gaon, the BOD level was recorded at 36 mg/l.

The source mentioned in the table is Pune sewage.

6. Koyna River

• The Koyna River is another important river of Maharashtra.

• CPCB has listed the Karad stretch of the river.

• At the monitoring location at Karad, the BOD level was recorded at 35.5 mg/l.

The CPCB table mentions Karad sewage as the source.

7. Mithi River

• The Mithi River flows through Mumbai.

• CPCB has listed the Mumbai stretch of the Mithi River as a polluted river stretch.

• The BOD level recorded in the table is 50 mg/l.

This places the Mithi River among the Maharashtra stretches with the highest BOD value in this CPCB list.

8. Kundalika River

• The Kundalika River is also included in the CPCB list for Maharashtra.

• At Are Khurd, the BOD level was recorded at 50 mg/l.

• The CPCB table mentions Roha sewage as the source.

Interestingly, another monitoring point, Kundalika at Roha city, recorded a much lower BOD of 6.5 mg/l. This shows that pollution levels can change from one location to another along the same river.

What Is BOD?

You may be wondering what BOD means. BOD stands for Biochemical Oxygen Demand.

In simple words, it tells us how much oxygen is needed by microorganisms to break down organic waste present in water.

When there is a lot of organic waste in a river, more oxygen may be needed to break it down. Therefore, a higher BOD level can indicate higher organic pollution.

CPCB uses BOD as one of the important measures for identifying polluted river stretches. The Board explains that water bodies with BOD above 6 mg/l are considered polluted under the criteria used in this document and are identified for remedial action.

Why Are These Rivers Important?

The rivers listed by CPCB are important for Maharashtra's people and environment.

They support:

• Agriculture

• Drinking and other domestic needs

• Industries

• Fish and other aquatic life

• Towns and cities

• Local ecosystems

Pollution in rivers can affect both people and nature. This is why monitoring river water quality is important.