The Central Pollution Control Board has released a report which states that five major rivers in the country, including the Ganga have deteriorated in spite of the the Covid-19 lockdown.
Due to the release of sewage and no fresh water discharge, the quality in these rivers do not qualify criteria for even outdoor bathing. Apart from Ganga the other rivers include Beas, Chambal, Sutlej and Swarnarekha.
However, the report said improvement was seen in the water quality of Brahmani, Brahmaputra, Cauvery, Godavari, Krishna, Tapi and Yamuna due to minimal industrial discharge, no human activities like puja material and garbage disposals.
The pollution watchdog had asked the State Pollution Control Boards to monitor the quality of water during the lockdown period.