Forest and environment minister Bijayshree Routray today informed the State Assembly that the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has found 43 stations of nine main rivers of the state as highly polluted. Replying to a question of MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy, Rourtay said that the Board in 2011 had conducted a survey on quality of water of nine main rivers of the state including Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani and Rushikulya. The Board had surveyed a total of 75 stations of which Sundargarh, Bonaigarh, Brajarajnagar, Hirakud reservoir, Sonepur, Tikarpada, Manmunda, Mundali, Paradip, Narasinghpur, Panposh, Rourkela, Athghat, Kathajodi, Rengali, Jajpur, Talcher, Dhenkanal, Samal, Cuttack, Kusei, Joda, Anandpur, Binjharpur, Chandabali, Dhamara, Madhopur, Aul, Bhubaneswar, Dharmasala, Bhuban, Pattamundai, Sambalpur, Choudwar, Jharsuguda etc have recorded pollution above standard. The Board, during the survey, had found polluting agents like biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total organic carbon (TOC) at different river stations. While BOD and TOC were found at some other stations in river water, there was either BOD or TOC or both at other stations which were above the normal standard. Efforts are on by the Odisha Water Supply and Sanitation Board to make the river water free from pollution, the Minister told the House.