Lok Sabha Question No. 543 (STARRED), answered on 2018-04-05
Subject: Removal of Silt Deposits from Ganga and Yamuna Rivers
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*543

ANSWERED ON 05. 04.2018

## REMOVAL OF SILT DEPO SITS FROM GANGA AND YAMUNA RIVERS

## †*543. SHRI ARVIND SAWANT

Will  the  Minister  of  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted or proposes to conduct an inspection of loc having silt deposits in Ganga and Yamuna rivers and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  date  on  which  the  said  inspection  was  conducted  along  with  the  steps  taken Government in this regard;
- (c) whether various States have raised their concern in this regard, if so, the detail the action taken the reon;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to remove silt deposits from Ganga and Yamuna ri and
- (e) whether the Government has fixed any time limit for the purpose and if so, the detai along with the time by which silt deposits are likely to be removed?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  WATER  RESOURCES, RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION, ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS AND SHIPPING

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM G ADKARI)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (A)  TO  (E)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO. † *543 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 5 TH APRIL,  2018 REGARDING ' REMOVAL  OF  SILT  DEPOSITS  FROM  GANGA AND YAMUNA RIVERS ' ASKED BY SHRI ARVIND SAWANT , MP.

(a) to (c) On the request of State Government of Bihar, a Central team led by Secretary, Mi of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation along with officials and exp i.e. Sh. A.B. Pandya, former Chairman, Central Water Commission and Prof. Z. Ahmed,  IIT Roorkee had visited the State on 5 th June'  2017  and  held  discussions  with  State  Government officials. An aerial survey of the reach of river Ganga from Buxar to Farakka was carri the Central team.

The  team  held  discussions  with  Hon'ble Chief  Minister  of  Bihar  along  with  State Government officials and experts wherein it was decided that a Committee to look into aspects of floods and siltation in the State of Bihar shall be constituted. The opini Government  of  Bihar  has also  been  obtained  in  respect  of  constitution  of  the  Committ including its Terms of Reference.

Consequently, a Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri A Pandya, Former Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC), to address the iss ues of flood and siltation in the S ate of Bihar. The Committee was constituted on 24th August, 2017.

(d) Erosion and deposition of silt is a natural process in alluvial rivers. Rivers carry drop silt load as per their regime conditions ,i.e . d scharge in the river, river slope, morphology nature of silt etc. A Committee headed by Dr. B.K. Mittal, former Chairman, CWC had st the  siltation  pattern  in  few  rivers  in  India  and  inter - alia  concluded  that  siltation  was  not pronounced and alarm ing. The Committee also found that de - silting in general was not feasible technically due to several reasons like non - sustainability, non- availability  of  vast  land  required  for  the  disposal  of  dredged  material  etc.  Howe effective measures for rem oval of drainage congestion in specific reaches of rivers for ch capacity improvement and navigation purposes are formulated and implemented by concern States/ agencies as per requirement. The Union Government renders assistance to States w t echnical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature.

(e)No, Madam . The Government has not fixed any time limit for removal of the silt deposits

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