Coal mine concentration in West Bengal and the bordering states is very dense, so the rivers nearby are affected very intensely. The Damodar River and it’s numerous tributaries bear the burden of the pollutants released from coal mining. According to the chairman of the Bihar State Pollution Control Board, P Mishra, certain stretches of the river contain up to forty to fifty times of the allowable amount of total suspended solids. Total suspended solids (TSS) is the measurable amount of pollutants in a river that has been deemed safe by the U.S. Clean Water Act.