Why in the News?
- Rampant sewage discharge into the Pazhayar River in Nagercoil (Tamil Nadu), especially near Ozhuginesary, has raised serious environmental and public health concerns.
- A 2024 situational report highlighted severe domestic, agricultural, and industrial (rubber processing) pollution in the river.
- Nagercoil Corporation has initiated steps to seal sewage inlets, but pollution remains widespread.
About the Pazhayar River
- A perennial river in Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu.
- Part of the Kodhayar River Basin, covering 1,646.964 sq km.
- Basin lies entirely within Tamil Nadu, with a small stretch in Radhapuram (Tirunelveli district).

| Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard criterion for (2017)
(a) Measuring oxygen levels in blood (b) Computing oxygen levels in forest ecosystems (c) Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems (d) Assessing oxygen levels in high altitude regions |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

