Foreword
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in collaboration with the State Pollution Control Boards has been monitoring the aquatic resources at selected locations since 1977 under Global Environmental Monitoring Systems (GEMS) and Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources (MINARS) and Ganga Attion Plan (GAP) programmes. The monitoring network started with 17 stations on the R. Yamuna and slowly and steadily network grew and encompass 400 stations in 1990.

Voluminous data generated from these stations are computerised at CPCB for water quality data management. This report "Water Quality status of Indian Aquatic Resources -Rivers and Wells" covers analyses and interpretation of data on physical, mineral constituents, organic and bacteriological parameters. In Chapter II of this report an analysis of the existing river water quality at the monitoring stations vis-a-vis the desirable quality as laid down by CPCB's water quality criteria for primary parameters is presented. Data from 11 ground water monitoring status are dealt with in Chapter V.