QUESTION 7
GS3
10 marks
Industrial pollution of river water is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this problem and also the government's initiatives in this regard.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss the technical and regulatory measures to cut industrial river pollution and the government's initiatives in this area.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Scale: polluted stretches, untreated effluent from tanneries, distilleries, textiles, pulp and paper, chemical clusters≈35 words
- 2Mitigation: Common Effluent Treatment Plants for clusters, zero liquid discharge, online continuous effluent monitoring, cleaner production, relocation of units, polluter-pays penalties≈35 words
- 3Government initiatives: Water Act 1974 and consent mechanism, CPCB/SPCB norms, Namami Gange (industrial pollution component), NGT orders, Environment Protection Act penalties (2023 amendments)≈35 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Scale and sourcesTechnical mitigationRegulatory toolsGovernment programmesEnforcement gapsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Writing only about Namami Gange or sewage, not industry
- Listing laws without technical mitigation measures
Draw this
- Flow chart: industrial unit → ETP/CETP → monitoring → discharge, with control points
Value addition
- DataCPCB identified 311 polluted river stretches on 279 rivers in its 2022 assessment.Central Pollution Control Board
- RuleCPCB requires online continuous effluent and emission monitoring for 17 categories of highly polluting industries.Central Pollution Control Board
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 17 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 15 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 41 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Animesh Jain · Page 41 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.