Jojari River
| Jojari River | |
|---|---|
View of Jodhpur, Airport, Jojari River, AGR., Roads, Urban Areas taken during ISS Expedition 43. | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| State | Rajasthan |
| District | Jodhpur |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Hills near Poondloo village, Nagaur district |
| • coordinates | 26°32′27″N 73°48′30″E / 26.540759°N 73.808330°E |
| Mouth | Converges with Luni River near Khejadla Khurd, Jodhpur district |
| Length | 83 kilometres (52 mi) |
| Basin size | 3,600 square kilometres (1,400 sq mi) |
| Depth | |
| • average | 5 metres (16 ft) |
| • maximum | 10 metres (33 ft) |
The Jojari River is a 83 km (52 mi) seasonal watercourse in Rajasthan, India. It primarily carries surplus rainwater from the hills near Poondloo village in Nagaur district. Flowing in a north-east to south-west direction, it gathers water from multiple smaller streams along its path, ultimately converging with the Luni River near Khejalda Khurd in Jodhpur district.[1] This river is a tributary of Luni river.[2]
This river has become heavily polluted due to inflow of industrial and domestic waste with toxic chemicals, including sulfur, lead, and cadmium, primarily from untreated effluents discharged by Boranada’s textile and chemical industries. Additional pollution from untreated sewage has further degraded water quality, rendering the river toxic, destroying ecosystems, and impacting the health and livelihoods of approximately 1.6 million people living along its banks.[3][4]
Pollution crisis
The river is severely polluted by untreated industrial waste from over 700 Boranada factories, releasing sulfur, lead, cadmium, and other chemicals. Untreated sewage from villages like Doli and Dhava adds to the contamination. The river’s toxic water has destroyed ecosystems, killed wildlife, and rendered 100-150 km of farmland barren, with a 2024 study detecting heavy metals like lead, and cadmium in food grains.[5] Health issues, including respiratory and skin ailments, plague locals, and groundwater contamination threatens 1.6 million people. Villages like Melba face exodus due to unlivable conditions.[6]
The Rajasthan government allocated ₹176 crore in 2025-26, following ₹400 crore in 2023 and ₹172.58 crore in 2024, but weak enforcement, misdirected funds, and political disputes have stalled progress. Despite NGT orders and 73 factory closures since 2019, illegal dumping persists. Geocycle’s 2024 cleanup plan lacks clear impact.[7][8] As of 2025, the river remains toxic, requiring stricter regulations, upgraded treatment plants, and transparent fund use to restore it.[9][10]
References
- ^ "Jojari river pollution: Tribunal imposes Rs 10 lakh cost on state government". DNA India. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ Jain, Sharad K.; Agarwal, Pushpendra K.; Singh, Vijay P. (2007-05-16). Hydrology and Water Resources of India. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 747. ISBN 978-1-4020-5180-7.
- ^ "Industrial effluents choke Jojari". Hindustan Times. 2019-06-09. Archived from the original on 2024-11-30. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ BBC News Hindi (2025-04-08). Rajasthan के Jodhpur में Jojari River का पानी प्रदूषित होकर खेतों को यूं बर्बाद कर रहा Ground Report. Retrieved 2025-04-30 – via YouTube.
- ^ Bothra, Dinesh (26 May 2020). "Lead, cadmium found in foodgrain grown around Jojari river in Jodhpur, claims study". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "Jojari River's woes tied in political knots for 2 decades". The Times of India. 2025-03-03. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ "रिवर फ्रंट परियोजना:400 करोड़ से बनेगा 31 किमी का जोजरी रिवर फ्रंट सालभर बहेगा पानी, पार्क-कैफेटेरिया भी होंगे". Dainik Bhaskar. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Service, Statesman News (2025-02-28). "Rajasthan govt allocates Rs 176 crore to mitigate pollution in Jodhpur division's Jojari river". The Statesman. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Jain, Sweta; Mathur, Dr Ranjeeta. "Jojari River Water: Assessment of Ecotoxicology in Wheat Grains and Its Impact on Human Health". International Journal of Scientific Development and Research. 7 (1): 96–99. ISSN 2455-2631.
- ^ PR, ANI (2021-06-21). "Geocycle to undertake cleaning of Jojari river in Rajasthan". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-04-30.