Lok Sabha Question No. 2656 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-02
Subject: Cleaning of Ganga River
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: JITENDRA CHAUDHURY

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 2656

ANSWERED ON 02.0 8.201 8

## CLEANING OF GANGA RI VER

## 2656. SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY

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

(a) whether it is a fact that the Government does not have any data regarding the length of kilometers which has been cleaned and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(b) whether it is a fact that the Government has no proper plan to clean the Ganga river and thereof;

(c) the funds allocated/spent during each year of the period 2014 to 2016 for cleaning the s aid river, State -wise; and

(d) the action the Government has been taking to clean the river?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION & HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

## ( DR. SATYA PAL SINGH )

(a) Under the Namami Gange Programme, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is carrying out water quality monitoring of river Ganga from Gangotri to West Bengal. Based on the water qua last three years, reaches of the river upstream of Rishikesh is meet ing the primary bathing water qualit criteria.

The comparison of observed water quality (2017) with bathing water quality criteria i Dissolved Oxygen which is an indicator of river health has been found to be within accepta notified primary bathing water quality criteria and s atisfactory to support the ecosystem of river acro seasons and for almost entire stretch of river Ganga. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is fou acceptable limit in part of stretches Down Stream (D/S) of Haridwar to Kannauj, at Kanpur, habad, at Varanasi; and some stretches in West Bengal (e.g. Baharampore, Serampore, Palta, Dakhs Howrah, Garden Reach, Uluberia and Diamond Harbour).

Further, the river water quality assessment carried out in 2017 indicates improveme quality trends as compared to 2016.  The Dissolved Oxygen levels have improved at 33 locat above the primary bathing water quality requirements of 5 m g/l, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels and Faecal coliforms have decreased at 26 locations and at 30 locations, respectively.

Some stretches, where improvement has been observed are :

- ( i ) Ganga at Rishikesh U/S
- ( ii ) Ganga at Haridwar D/S
- ( iii ) Ganga at Allahabad D/ S (Sangam),
- ( iv ) Ganga at Kanpur D/S (Jajmau Pumping Station)

- ( v) Ganga at Varanasi U/S (Assighat)
- ( vi ) Ganga at Buxar, Ramrekhaghat
- ( vii ) Ganga at Punpun, Patna
- ( viii ) Ganga at Diamond Harbour
- ( ix ) Ganga at Garden Reach
- ( x) Ganga at Baharampur
- ( xi ) Ganga at Howrah Shivpur

(b) No ,Madam. The Government has a comprehensive plan to clean the river Ganga and has accor approved  Namami  Gange  Program  in  May  2015  for  conservation  of  river  Ganga  at  a  total  ou Rs.20,000 Crores and supplement the efforts of the state governm ents in addressing the pollution of ri Ganga by providing financial assistance to the states.

The  programme  covers  short  term,  medium  term  and  long  term  activities.  Under  sho activities,  certain  entry  level  activities  which  cover  development  of ghats  &  crematoria,  river  surface cleaning activities etc. have been planned. Under medium term activities, existing sewage t and  effluent  treatment  plant  will  be  upgraded  and  new  Sewage  Treatment  Plant  (STP)  & Treatment Plants (ETPs ) will be established. Beside, rural sanitation activities have been ta villages on the bank of river Ganga. The long term action plan involves restoration of who river Ganga and maintaining the ecological & geological integrity o f river.

(c) The details of the state - wise funds allocated / spent by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) sincefinancial year 2013 - 14  to financial year 2016 - 17 till 31 st March 2017, under the Namami Gange Programme are tabulated below: -

|   Sl. No. | State         | 2013- 14   | 2014- 15   |   2015- 16 |   2016- 17 |
|-----------|---------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
|         1 | Uttarakhand   | 17.05      | 4.26       |      30.26 |      30.66 |
|         2 | Uttar Pradesh | 92.3       | 74.58      |     147.58 |     587.17 |
|         3 | Bihar         | 91.14      | -----      |     120.23 |      82.03 |
|         4 | Jharkhand     | 6.26       | 0.97       |      27.83 |      46.18 |
|         5 | West Bengal   | 48.91      | 73.85      |     185.79 |     114.25 |
|         6 | Haryana       | -----      | -----      |      30    |      52.73 |
|         7 | Delhi         | -----      | -----      |       4.96 |       2.17 |

(d) Namami Gange programme is being carried out through variety of coordinated activities cleaning of river Ganga including treatment of municipal sewage, treatment of industrial surface  cleaning,  rural  sanitation,  River  Front  Development,  Construction  of Ghats  and  Crematoria, afforestation & biodiversity conservation, public outreach etc. So far a total of 221 pro sanctio ned at an estimated cost of Rs. 22,238 crore for various activities.

Under Namami Gange programme, towards cleaning of the river a total of 105 projects have be sanctioned for creation and rehabilitation of sewerage infrastructure for creating a total of 3295 MLD and laying of sewerage network of 482 3 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 17,485 crore. Out of thes e, 26 projects have been completed.

Further, a total of 67 projects have been sanctioned for River Front Development, dev Ghats and Crematoria, Ghat cleaning and river surface cleaning activities at an estimated c . 1296 crore.  Out  of these,  24  projects  have  been  completed  and  other  projects  are  at  various implementation.