Lok Sabha Question No. 1848 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-14
Subject: Revival of Rivers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: PR. SENTHILNATHAN, RANJANBEN BHATT, P.R. SUNDARAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1848

TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2017

## Revival of Rivers

1848.  SHRI PR. SENTHIL NATHAN: SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT: SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that majority of rivers in the country are dying;
- (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government to revive the said rivers;
- (c) the  number  and  details  of  rivers  identified  for  rejuvenation/restoration  in  the country, State-wise including Gujarat and Tamil Nadu;
- (d) whether the Government has provided funds for the development of rivers/restoration project for rivers in the country and if so, the details thereof during the last three years, State-wise including Tamil Nadu; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  introduce  any  special  innovative technologies for cleaning up of water bodies and rivers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) This Ministry does not maintain data on dying rivers in the country. However, it keeps a watch on water pollution level in rivers in the country.  The water quality of rivers  is  regularly  monitored  by  the  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  in collaboration  with  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)  through  a  network  of  1275 monitoring  stations  on  445  rivers.  As  per  the  report  published  by  CPCB  in  February 2015,  302  polluted  river  stretches  have  been  identified  on  275  rivers  based  on  Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, a key indicator of organic pollution.
- (b) to (d) Pollution abatement of rivers is a continuous and ongoing process. It is the responsibility of the State Governments/ concerned local bodies to set up facilities for  collection,  transportation  and  treatment  of  sewage  as  well  as  proper  disposal  of dead bodies for abatement of pollution of rivers. This Ministry has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various  rivers  under  National  River  Conservation  Plan  (NRCP).    NRCP  (excluding Ganga  and  its  tributaries  which  is  handled  by  Ministry  of  Water  Resources,  River Development  and  Ganga  Rejuvenation  w.e.f.  01.08.2014  onwards)  has  covered polluted stretches of 31 rivers in 75 towns spread over 14 States at a sanctioned cost

of  Rs.  4517.82  crore.  This  includes    Sabarmati  &  Mindhola  rivers  of  Gujarat  and Adyar, Cooum, Vaigai, Vennar, Cauvery & Tamrabarani rivers of Tamil Nadu. So far, Central share of  Rs. 2056.58 crore has been released to the State Governments for implementation  of  various  pollution  abatement  schemes  and  sewage  treatment capacity  of  2445.71  million  litres  per  day  (mld)  has  been  created  under  the  NRCP programme (excluding Ganga & its tributaries).  The details of rivers covered under NRCP and funds released during the last three years, State-wise, including Gujarat &Tamil Nadu,  is given at Annexure.

State  Governments,  apart  from  their  own  budgetary  allocation,  are  also accessing  financial  assistance  for  creation  of  sewerage  infrastructure,  including sewage treatment plants, in various cities/towns under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and  Urban  Transformation  (AMRUT)  programme  of  Ministry  of  Urban  Development and the Namami Gange programme (under NGRBA) of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

(e) From time to time, new sewage treatment technologies are taken up under the NRCP programme.    In the recent past, a 5 mld Pilot Plant using innovative Downflow Hanging Sponge (DHS) system for further treatment of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket  (UASB)  effluents  has  been  installed  at  Agra  with  assistance  of  Japan International  Cooperation  Agency.  Pilot  projects  for  in-situ  treatment  of  sewage through bio-remediation have also  been set up at Budha Nalla in Ludhiana, Punjab using  Green  Bridge  Technology  and  at  Baker  Ganj  Nalla  in  Patna  using  Eco-  Bio Block (EBB) technology.

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## Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to parts (b) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1848  to be answered on Tuesday, the 14 th  March, 2017 on 'Revival of rivers'

## State-wise details of rivers covered under National River Conservation Plan and funds released during the last three years

(Rs. in  crore)

| S. No.   | State          | Rivers covered                                      |   Funds Released during the last three years & current year (till February, 2017) |
|----------|----------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh | Godavari                                            |                                                                              0    |
| 2        | Jharkhand      | Subarnarekha                                        |                                                                              6.26 |
| 3        | Gujarat        | Sabarmati & Mindola                                 |                                                                            129.12 |
| 4        | Goa            | Mandovi                                             |                                                                              0    |
| 5        | Karnataka      | Tunga, Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Cauvery & Pennar        |                                                                              0    |
| 6        | Maharashtra    | Godavari, Tapi, Krishna, Panchganga & Mula Mutha.   |                                                                             48.41 |
| 7        | Madhya Pradesh | Wainganga, Narmada & Tapti.                         |                                                                              0    |
| 8        | Odisha         | Brahmini & Mahanadi                                 |                                                                              0    |
| 9        | Punjab         | Ghaggar, Beas & Satluj                              |                                                                            144.45 |
| 10       | Telangana      | Godavari & Musi                                     |                                                                              0    |
| 11       | Tamil Nadu     | Adyar, Cooum, Vaigai, Vennar, Cauvery & Tamrabarani |                                                                              0    |
| 12       | Kerala         | Pamba                                               |                                                                              5    |
| 13       | Sikkim         | Rani Chu                                            |                                                                             21    |
| 14       | Nagaland       | Diphu and Dhansiri                                  |                                                                             10    |
| Total    |                |                                                     |                                                                            364.24 |