Lok Sabha Question No. 931 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Cleaning of Polluted Rivers in Maharashtra
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SANJAY(KAKA) RAMCHANDRA PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 931

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2019

## Cleaning of Polluted Rivers in Maharashtra

## 931. SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

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

- (a) the measures being taken by the Union Government to make the rivers pollution free in the State of Maharashtra which have already been declared polluted;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Union Government proposes to direct the State Government and the authorities  such  as  Krishan  Khore  Vikas  Mahamandal,  Vidarbh  Vikas  Mahamandal, Marathawada Vikas Mahamandal in the process of making such rivers pollution free;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether any guidelines or manual have been prepared or likely to be prepared in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) This  Ministry  is  supplementing  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  in pollution  abatement  in  identified  stretches  of  various  rivers  through  the  Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  of  National  River  Conservation  Plan  (NRCP)  by  implementing various  projects  on  cost  sharing  basis  between  the  Central  and  State  Governments including Maharashtra. Under the NRCP, for conservation and pollution abatement of rivers  namely  Godavari,  Krishna,  Panchganga,  Tapi  and  Mula-Mutha,  32  schemes pertaining  to  Interception  and  Diversion  (I&D)  of  sewage,  Sewage  Treatment  Plants (STPs),  crematoria,  afforestation,  public  participation  &  awareness,  etc  have  been sanctioned in  8  towns  of  Maharashtra  at  a  cost  of  Rs.  1182.86  crore.    Against  these sanctioned projects, STPs of 258 million litres per day (mld) capacity have been created and  a  central  grant  of  Rs  208.95  crore  has  been  released  for  implementation  of sanctioned schemes under NRCP in Maharashtra.

O.I.H.

(c) to (e) For implementation of works under NRCP, various agencies are selected by  State  Government  concerned.  To  de-pollute  rivers,  the  Central  Pollution  Control Board (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 (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in the country to make it mandatory for local bodies to establish STPs of adequate capacity and provide sewerage system to cover  the  entire  local/urban  areas  to  ensure  proper  collection  and  transportation  of sewage and bridge the treatment capacity gap alongwith enforcement of standards for sewage  treatment.  CPCB  has  also  issued  directions  in  October,  2015  to  municipal authorities of 66  metropolitan  cities and  State  capitals  under  Section  5  of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to ensure proper treatment and disposal of sewage generated for abatement of pollution of rivers.

Further, Hon'ble National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench, New Delhi has passed an order on 20.09.2018 in Original Application (O.A) No. 673 / 2018 directing all the  States  and  Union  Territories  (UTs)  to  prepare  action  plans  for  bringing  all  the polluted  river  stretches  up  to  bathing  standards.  The  'River  Rejuvenation  Committee' (RRC)  constituted  by  the  concerned  State  Governments  and  Union  Territories  have been tasked to prepare and finalize the action plans.

In addition, Ministry has formulated guidelines for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for consideration of projects under NRCP.

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