India, July 21 -- The number of polluted river stretches in the country has declined from 351 in 2018 to 296 in 2025, based on biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), an indicator of organic pollution, the Government informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

In a written reply to the House, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said the number of polluted river stretches had come down to 311 in 2022, before further declining to 296 in 2025, according to the latest report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

He said rivers are polluted mainly due to the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage from cities and towns, industrial effluents, inadequate dilution, dumping of solid waste on riverbanks, agricultural runof...