Zero dissolved oxygen at Hindon river stretches: Survey

Meerut: An ongoing five-day research survey of the Hindon river has raised serious concerns about water quality, with preliminary tests showing zero dissolved oxygen (DO) levels at several locations, rendering the water "uninhabitable" for most aquatic life. Field teams conducted on-site assessments of parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and DO, while additional samples have been sent for detailed laboratory analysis.Prem Narayan, environmental scientist at People Science Institute (PSI), Dehradun, and part of the survey team, said, "The first sample, collected from a drain near Star Paper Mill in Paragpur, Saharanpur, recorded a pH of 7.83 and TDS of 1,617 mg/L, with no dissolved oxygen. A second sample from the Hindon near Nanhoora Khurd in Rampur Maniharan (Muzaffarnagar) showed pH 7.72 and TDS 512 mg/L, again with zero DO. A third sample from Nyamu in Charthawal (Muzaffarnagar) recorded pH 7.48 and TDS 448 mg/L, with DO still at zero. The same condition has been observed in Baghpat as well."Another PSI scientist, Priyanshu Gupta, said that a healthy river typically has dissolved oxygen levels of around 5 mg/L or more to sustain aquatic life. "The absence of DO indicates severely degraded conditions where aquatic life cannot survive," he said. In contrast, a sample from the river's origin in Saharanpur showed relatively clean water, with pH 8.20, TDS 256 mg/L and DO at 8 mg/L."TOI had earlier reported on the river's adverse impact, including cases of serious illnesses such as cancer in several villages along its banks. It has also documented the condition of residents in hundreds of villages along the Hindon's tributary, Krishni, as well as repeated directives by regulatory bodies, yet the situation on the ground remains grim.The survey, being conducted from March 15 to 19 as part of the Hindon River research expedition, involves participants travelling along the river and engaging with local communities, public representatives and civil society. Meetings are being held to discuss pollution, water conservation and local concerns.Raman Kant Tyagi of NGO Neer Foundation, one of the organisers of the research expedition, said, "The aim is to raise awareness. Despite multiple orders from various regulatory bodies over the years, including the NGT, to stop untreated industrial discharge and sewage flow, implementation on the ground remains largely on paper. Civil society must also take ownership of cleaning the system," he said.A tributary of the Yamuna, the Hindon flows about 355 km through districts such as Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar before merging with the Yamuna. Over the years, untreated sewage and industrial effluents have emerged as its primary pollutants. Except during the monsoon, the river largely carries wastewater from urban settlements and industries, affecting riverbank communities for decades.Dev Muni Maharaj, chief priest of Pura Mahadev temple in Baghpat, expressed concern over the impact on residents. "Toxic water in the Hindon and its tributaries is adversely affecting the health of people living along its banks. Contaminated water has seeped into the groundwater. Crops irrigated with this toxic water are harmful. This needs urgent attention," he said.