Of the 129 water quality monitoring stations in 11 rivers, water was found unfit for human use at 93 places.
Twenty-one quality measuring points — where water was fit for human consumption till last year — recorded high pollution level making them unfit for human use in tests done during April-October this year, reveals written reply submitted by forest and environment minister Bijayshree Routray in the assembly on Tuesday.
The Daya river passing through Bhubaneswar has been found unsuitable for use at all the four places where assessment were done.
Most of the rivers in Odisha are designated ‘Class C’ river (rivers are classified A to E), which means its water can be used for drinking after treatment followed by disinfection.
The Daya originates as a branch of Kuakhai at Saradeipur in Khurda district.
Taking serious note of Daya’s worsening fate, revenue and disaster management minister Maheswar Mohanty chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday.
Gangua, which carries water from nine of the 10 natural drainage channels of Bhubaneswar, was found unfit for use at all its four monitoring points this year.
An official of Odisha State Pollution Control Board said most of the rivers are losing their quality to untreated waste water from towns discharged to them besides certain industries.
Ranjan Panda, who fights for water conservation, said the government has not been taking any initiative to check pollution in the rivers.
Similarly, work will soon be taken up for construction of five more STPs in Bhubaneswar to check pollution in Kuakhai and Daya, the minister said.