Lok Sabha Question No. 1718 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: Prensence of Arsenic in Ganga and Yamuna River
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: AJAY (TENI) MISRA

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. †1718

ANSWERED ON 28 .12.2017

## PRENSENCE OF ARSENIC IN GANGA AND YAMUNA RIVER

## †1718. SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI

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

(a)  whether  the  level  of  arsenic  in  the  water  of  major  rivers  of  the  country  includin Yamuna has reached an alarming stage due to discharge of industrial waste and fly ash from thermal power plants therein; and

(b) if so, the details of the measures taken by the Government to check the increasing le in the said rivers?

## ANSWER

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

## ( DR. SATYA PAL SINGH )

(a) & (b) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is monitoring water quality at 3000 location States  and  6  Union  Territories  spread  over  the  country,  of  which  1533  locations  cover including River Ganga. Arsenic is one of the parameters analysed in water s amples. Monitoring of water quality does not indicate detectable presence of Arsenic at any of monitored locations o the CPCB network.

However, the Central & State Pollution Control Boards are implementing the Water Act, 197 restore water quality and following important steps are taken to prevent and control water

1. During  year  2016 - 17,  monitoring  network  was  expanded  from  2500  to  3000  locations by addition of 500 new monitoring locations.
2. Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) has been prepared and shared with all the State Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/ Pollution  Control  Committees (PCCs)  on  monitoring,  analysis, parameters, frequency and data re porting etc.
3. Online web based portal developed for quick data transfer and retrieval as Envi Water Quality Data Entry System (EWQDES).
4. CPCB identified 302 polluted river stretches in 275 rivers in the country.
5. CPCB issued Directions under Sectio n 5 f the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 regardi ' Treatment and Utilization of Sewage for Restoration of water quality of River ' to Municipal Corporations of 46 Metropolitan cities and 20 State Capitals in October, 2015.

6. CPCB  issued Directions  under  Section18  (1)  (b)  of  the  water  (Prevention  and  Cont Pollution) Act, 1974 regarding treatment & utilization of sewage to SPCBs/PCCs.
7. CPCB  issued  Directions  under  Section18  (1)  (b)  of  the  water  (Prevention  and  Con Pollution)  Act,  1974  regarding untreated  sewage  and  industrial  effluent  and  disposal coastal towns in India .
8. CPCB prepared a reference document as a model plan for re storation of river stretches and communicated to all the SPCBs/PCCs for preparation of detailed project report.
9. Model plan for restoration of River Hindon by incorporating assessment of point s pollution  (Industrial  and  Municipal  wastewater  discha rge)  has  also  been  prepared  and suggested  measures  were  shared  with  local  administration  for  providing  technical from CPCB.
10. Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change has notified standards for treated of Sewage Treatment Plants on da ted 13 October, 2017 for adherence.
11. With respect to industrial effluents, consent management for compliance of standard enforced by SPCBs/PCCs to improve the water quality of the rivers.
12. With respect to industrial units in the country CPCB has gi ven directions under Section 5 of E (P) Act, 1986 for setting up of online Continuous water quality monitoring system the  effluent  quality  being  discharged.  Subsequently  non  complying  units  in  fa installation of online monitoring system ha ve been identified for action.
13. Common  effluent  treatment  plants  for  cluster  of  Small  Scale  Industrial  units  h established. Directions under Section 5 of the E (P) Act, 1986 is also given to a Effluent  Treatment  Plants  (CETPs)  to  install  co ntinuous  effluent  monitoring  system  to comply with the stipulated standards.

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