Jodhpur, Sept. 24 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the alarming pollution in the Jojari, a seasonal river near Jodhpur, and said it would issue appropriate directions at the next hearing on October 9. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a suo motu (on its own) public interest litigation (PIL) on contamination in Jojari river and risk to human lives. Appearing for the Rajasthan government, additional advocate general Shiv Mangal Sharma assured the court that the state would fully cooperate in addressing the crisis. He also pointed to detailed orders passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2022, against which several civil appeals are pending. The Jojari, an 83-km seasonal tributary of the Luni river, originates in Nagaur district and flows southwest into Jodhpur. Over the years, however, it has turned into a drain for untreated waste from Boranada's textile and chemical industries as well as domestic sewage. Its waters are now polluted with toxic substances including sulfur, lead, and cadmium, destroying aquatic ecosystems, harming agriculture, and endangering the health and livelihoods of lakhs of people living along its banks. The Bench noted that the issue was of "serious concern" and stressed that concrete steps must be taken by the State to curb contamination and protect public health. It directed the AAG to remain present at the next hearing on October 9. Pollution in the Jojari has long been under scrutiny before the NGT in multiple petitions, with reports repeatedly flagging non-compliance by industries. In a recent reply in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the government admitted that the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) had issued notices to 102 textile units in the RIICO industrial area of Jodhpur for releasing untreated water into the river. Four units have since been ordered closed under the Water Act, 1974, and the Air Act, 1981, while three illegal factories in Shobhawaton ki Dhani and Salawas were demolished. Officials also reported removing 17 bypass lines illegally connected to the textile conduit system....