Lok Sabha Question No. 3724 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-09
Subject: Electric Crematoriums at Ghats of Ganga River
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: UDIT RAJ

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO.

## †3724

ANSWERED ON 09.0 8.201 8

## ELECTRIC CREMATORIUM S AT GHATS OF GANGA RIVER

## †3724. DR. UDIT RAJ

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

(a) whether the Government has executed the works relating to management of waste dispos cleaning of Ganga river actively under Namami Gange Mission and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the level of pollution in the said river has reached to an alarming level due of dead bodies on its small and big ghats and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the National Green Tribunal (NGT ) has issued notices to State Governments from time to time over immersion of dead bodies in the river and if so, the details thereof;

(d) the steps being taken by the Government to deal with the situation; and

(e) the time by which the scheme to set up electric crematoriums at this river's ghats is likely to be materialized?

## ANSWER

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

## ( DR. SATYA PAL SINGH )

(a) Yes,  Madam.  The  government  has  executed  the  projects  of  wastewater  management,  so waste  management  and  development  of  ghats  &  crematoria  for  cleaning  Ganga  River  un Namami Gange Programme. Till date, 105 projects of wastewater management, 3 projects of ghat cleaning (SWM) and 37 projects of ghat & crematoria development have b taken up.

(b) No information is available with respect to level of pollution due to cremation of d on small and big ghats of river Ganga. However, as per the Wat er Quality data of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Dissolved Oxygen which is an indicator of river health has been foun be within acceptable limits of notified primary bathing water quality criteria and sat support the ecosystem of river across all season and also for almost entire stretch of river G

Further, the river water quality assessment carried out in 2017 indicates improv water  quality  trends  as  compared  to  2016.    The  Dissolved  Oxygen  levels  have  improved 3 locations and is above the primary bathing water quality requirements of 5 mg/l, Biologic Demand (BOD) levels and Faecal coliforms have improved at 26 locations and at 30 loca 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 D iamond Harbour
- ( ix ) Ganga at Garden Reach
- ( x) Ganga at Baharampur
- ( xi ) Ganga at Howrah Shivpur

(c) No information is available with respect to the issuing of Notices by the Hon'ble NGT to State Governments over disposal of dead bodies into the river. However, the Hon'ble NGT has made reference to the 'Group of Secretaries Report' that indicated dumping of burnt and unburnt human dead bodies etc. amongst one of the factors causing pollution into the rivers, in thei dated 13/07/2017 in O.A. No. 200/2014 M. C. Mehta v/s Union of India.

(d) As per entry 14 of 12 th schedule of constitution of India, electric crematorium is respons of urban local bodies. However, NMCG provides financial assistance to set up crematoria, projects are approved within available resources. So far 54 crematoria have been taken up with assistance under different projects.

(e)5 projects of electric crematoria have already been completed in Kolkata, Howrah, Ma Hooghly- Chinsuraand  Halishahar  town  in  West  Bengal  under  NGRBA  programme.  Further  4 projects of electric crematoria are under construction at Garulia, Bhatpara & Naihati tow Bengal and Patna in Bihar with completion timeline of December, 2018.

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