Gujarat's Khari River Faces Severe Pollution Crisis: RTI Data Reveals Alarming Trends
In a disturbing environmental revelation, the Khari River flowing through Mehsana district in Gujarat has transformed into a highly toxic waterway, with successive reports from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) from 2022 to 2025 confirming severe contamination from untreated sewage and industrial effluents.
RTI Application Uncovers Growing Environmental Disaster
Information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application has substantiated long-standing complaints from local residents about foul odors, murky water conditions, and recurring fish kills. The data highlights what environmental advocates describe as a rapidly escalating environmental and public health emergency.
According to the RTI reply received by Mehsana-based advocate Kaushik Parmar, the most concerning indicator is the dramatic increase in fecal coliform levels. This bacteria serves as a clear marker of severe raw sewage contamination entering the river system.
Critical Pollution Metrics Show Alarming Increases
Fecal Coliform Contamination: In November 2022, measurements at Nagalpur village recorded 920 most probable number (MPN) per 100 milliliters, already exceeding the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) acceptable limit of 500 MPN/100 ml. By July 2025, this figure had nearly doubled to more than 1,600 MPN/100 ml at the Nagalpur-Palavasna causeway location.
"This data suggests a chronic, unchecked discharge of untreated human waste directly into the waterway," stated advocate Kaushik Parmar, who filed the RTI application.
Chemical Degradation: The river's chemical pollution presents equally severe concerns. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels, which measure inorganic salts and organic matter in water, climbed from 1,176 milligrams per liter in late 2022 to a staggering 1,716 mg/l by mid-2025. This far exceeds the CPCB's 500 mg/l limit for drinking water sources.
High TDS concentrations can render water corrosive and excessively salty, making it unsuitable for agricultural irrigation or human consumption.
River Ecosystem Suffers Oxygen Deprivation
Perhaps the most startling evidence of a choked river ecosystem comes from Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) measurements. This critical metric indicates how much oxygen bacteria consume while breaking down organic waste in water.
In 2022, the BOD level stood at 2.75 mg/l, just within the CPCB's 3 mg/l limit for bathing water quality. By July 2025, this measurement had skyrocketed to 21 mg/l—representing a nearly six-fold increase that signals a river so oxygen-deprived that most aquatic life cannot survive.
The GPCB report also documented detection of oil, grease, and phenolic compounds, strongly suggesting untreated industrial waste entering the river system.
Additional Pollution Indicators Raise Concerns
Total phosphate levels showed another dramatic increase, jumping from 0.21 mg/l to 4.55 mg/l during the same monitoring period. This measurement now approaches the CPCB's maximum effluent discharge limit of 5 mg/l, raising concerns about potential toxic algal blooms that could further degrade water quality.
"Despite repeated complaints and RTI submissions, enforcement has been consistently lax, enabling polluting units to continue their operations without meaningful intervention," Parmar emphasized.
Official Response and Ongoing Concerns
According to the RTI documentation, the GPCB's regional office has stated that it transferred pollution complaints to the chief officer of the Mehsana municipality. However, environmental advocates question whether sufficient action has been taken to address the root causes of contamination.
The comprehensive data paints a troubling picture of a waterway in ecological distress, with multiple pollution indicators showing significant deterioration over a relatively short three-year period. Local communities continue to face the consequences of this environmental degradation, with potential impacts on public health, agriculture, and regional ecosystems remaining serious concerns for environmental watchdogs and residents alike.
