Pariksha SaathiNamami Gange: Compliance of Grossly Polluting Industries in Ganga Basin Rises from 39% to 86% Since 2017
The Jal Shakti Ministry on 13 October 2026 reviewed how industrial pollution is being tackled under the Namami Gange Programme, centred on annual inspections of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) that began in 2017 with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Every GPI in the basin is meant to be checked each year by independent technical institutes, alongside State Pollution Control Board officers, who sample effluent, test parameters such as BOD and COD, verify online monitoring links and look for bypass discharges. The 2025 round assessed 3,703 GPIs — 1,296 in the Ganga basin and 2,407 in the Yamuna basin — across 113 districts in six States and one Union Territory; 40 institutes have been named for the 2026 round. Results reported: in the Ganga basin, compliance rose from 39% in 2017 to 86% in 2025, and the organic pollution (BOD) load fell from 26 to about 7.16 tonnes per day, a drop of roughly 72%. Sector-specific charters now cover pulp and paper, sugar, distillery, textile and tannery units, which earlier made up about 70% of GPIs and 88% of the pollution load. Of 41 Common Effluent Treatment Plants assessed in 2025, 27 met the norms.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society on 12 August 2011. It first served as the implementing arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority, which was dissolved with effect from 7 October 2016 when a new set-up was created under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Under that set-up, Ganga rejuvenation is overseen at five levels: the National Ganga Council chaired by the Prime Minister, an Empowered Task Force chaired by the Union Jal Shakti Minister, NMCG, State Ganga Committees and District Ganga Committees.
Reference: 'About NMCG' page, National Mission for Clean Ganga
Check yourself: who chairs the National Ganga Council?
The Prime Minister. The Empowered Task Force below it is chaired by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, and NMCG is the implementing mission.
Revision task: separate the Ganga-basin-only figures in this item (compliance 39% to 86%, BOD load 26 to 7.16 TPD) from the combined Ganga-and-Yamuna figures (3,703 GPIs assessed), since questions may mix them up.
Test yourself
Under Namami Gange, compliance of Grossly Polluting Industries in the Ganga basin rose from 39% in 2017 to what level in 2025?
Show the answer
Answer: 86%
Compliance rose from 39% in 2017 to 86% in 2025, and the organic pollution (BOD) load fell from 26 to about 7.16 tonnes per day; the 2025 round assessed 3,703 Grossly Polluting Industries.
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