Lok Sabha Question No. 1288 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-09
Subject: Funds to Control River Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN, MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1288

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2018

## Funds to Control River Pollution

1288.  SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN: SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

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

- (a) whether the Union  Government  plays  a prominent role in ensuring implementation  of  directions  related  to  pollution  control  in  polluted  areas  of  the rivers;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of action taken on the letters received from public representatives regarding pollution in the rivers; and
- (d) the amount of funds spent for checking/controlling pollution in rivers during the last three years?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) & (b) Rivers  in  the  country  are  mainly  polluted  due  to  discharge  of untreated and partially treated  sewage  from cities/towns and industrial effluents. As per the report published by Central Pollution Control Board (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.

It  is  the  responsibility of the State Governments/concerned local bodies to set-up proper  facilities for collection,  transportation  &  treatment  of  sewage generated for abatement of pollution of rivers.  CPCB has issued directions under Section  18  1(b)  of  the  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974  in April, 2015 to all the State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees in the country, for setting up of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in their respective States. CPCB has also issued directions in October, 2015 to municipal authorities of  184  towns  (66  metropolitan  cities  and  State  capitals  +  118  towns  along  river Ganga)  under  Section  5  of  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  to  ensure proper treatment and disposal of sewage generated for abatement of pollution of rivers.

Besides, the Central Government has revised the discharge standards for STPs  in  October  2017,  which  have  been  made  more  stringent  and  now  also includes fecal coliform as one of the parameters.

To control discharge of industrial effluents, the CPCB and respective State Pollution  Control  Boards/Pollution  Control  Committees  monitor  industries  with respect to effluents discharge standards and take action for non-compliance under the  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974  and  the  Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

(c) This Ministry receives letters from time to time from various public representatives in the form of suggestions for providing financial assistance to the States for taking up pollution abatement works in towns along various rivers in the country. The proposals received in this regard from the States are considered for financial  assistance  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  National  River Conservation  Plan  (NRCP)  subject  to  their  conformity  with  guidelines,  pollution status, prioritization, appraisal by independent  institutions and availability of plan funds. With  regards  to  letters  received  from  public  representatives  for  control  of industrial  pollution,  the  matter  is  examined  by  the  CPCB/State  Pollution  Control Boards for taking action as per the relevant environmental laws.

(d) This  Ministry  is  supplementing  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  in abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers under the scheme of NRCP, on cost sharing basis between the Central & State Governments.  During the last three years and current financial year (till date), Rs.377.29 crore has been released  to  various  State  Governments  for  implementation  of  sanctioned  works under the NRCP.

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