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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on May 29, 2025, directed authorities to file a response for getting answers on increasing pollution threatening the Godavari river, especially in the Telangana stretch,
The court asked the Telangana State Pollution Control Board; Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Godavari River Management Board to file their reply on the matter before the southern bench of the NGT. The tribunal will next hear the case on August 1, 2025.
An application was registered suo motu on the basis of a news item titled Telangana: Deepening pollution crisis in Godawari threatens lives livelihoods that appeared in Telangana Today on May 13, 2025. The news item detailed severe pollution in the Godavari river, particularly in the Telangana region, primarily caused by the unchecked discharge of industrial effluents and untreated sewage.
Pollution levels in Telangana’s stretch of the river have reached a critical point, with districts such as Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Khammam being the worst-affected, according to the news item.
Factories and public sector units in these areas continue to release untreated effluents directly into the river, leading to high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels. The article added that in places like Bhadrachalam, the river water has turned black and emits a foul odour, making it unfit for human use.
The news item highlighted that urbanisation and unchecked encroachments along the riverbank have further contributed to the pollution. Deforestation along the river course has also worsened the situation. The news item noted that these environmental issues have led to an increase in health problems among the local population, including skin diseases and gastrointestinal ailments.
Despite repeated warnings, illegal discharges by industries and public units continue unabated, the article noted. It also reported that Maharashtra’s 300-kilometre stretch of the Godavari, from Nashik to Paithan, is experiencing extremely high organic pollution, with elevated BOD levels that threaten aquatic life.
Agricultural runoff, including fertilisers and pesticides from fields near Nashik and Nanded, flows directly into the river without any filtration. Additionally, heavy metal contamination in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) and Paithan has resulted in excessive levels of iron, zinc, nickel, and copper, rendering the water unsafe for consumption.
The news item also highlighted that the pollution crisis is intensifying in Andhra Pradesh, particularly from Rajamahendravaram to the Dowleswaram Barrage, identified as one of the most polluted segments of any river in India. Despite earlier initiatives such as the National River Conservation Plan, the news item concluded that pollution levels remain high across the river.
The NGT on May 29, 2025 directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the district collector of Chennai to file their reply before its southern bench on the matter of severe pollution plaguing Captain Cotton Canal in Chennai.
The application was registered suo motu on the basis of a news item titled Chennai Citizen Connect: Captain Cotton Canal nearly choked due to garbage dumping, published in DT Next on May 11, 2025. The article detailed severe pollution in the Captain Cotton Canal in Chennai, which has become nearly choked due to rampant garbage dumping and untreated sewage discharge.
The situation is particularly dire at the stretch near Anderson Road, close to the Ayanavaram bus stand, where heaps of plastic waste and garbage severely impede the water flow. In addition to solid waste, untreated raw sewage is reportedly being released directly into the canal, further degrading its condition and contributing to the destruction of this once-functional waterway.
In some areas of the city, the wastewater from corporate offices and residential areas is directly released into water bodies and officials don’t take any necessary steps on this issue, the application said.
The explosion at an illegal cracker unit in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, is a matter of serious concern and raises substantial issues relating to compliance of environmental norms and implementation of the provisions of scheduled enactment, the NGT said on May 29, 2025.
The court directed notice to be issued to the CPCB, the district collector of Thanjavur and TNPCB. It directed the respondents to file their response by way of affidavit before the NGT’s southern bench.
The application was registered suo motu on the basis of a news item titled 2 killed in blast at illegal cracker unit in Thanjavur published in the Hindu on May 19, 2025. The article detailed the death of two persons in an explosion at an illegal cracker manufacturing unit in Neiveli Thenpathy village in Thanjavur district.
The blast occurred in a shed where crackers were being manufactured. According to the article, the shed was damaged. The news item indicated violation of the provision of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991.