Lok Sabha Question No. 1857 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-21
Subject: Pollution in Gang Canal
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: NIHAL CHAND CHAUHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1857

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2018

## Pollution in Gang Canal

1857. SHRI NIHAL CHAND:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Union  Government has taken any note of the  contaminated  water flowing  into  Gang  canal  from  Punjab  to  Rajasthan  through  Ferozepur  and  Sirhind feeder;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (c)  the  directions  likely  to  be  issued  to  the  Government  of  Punjab  by  the  Union Government to prevent the said pollution?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (c) Gang canal (also called Bikaner canal) is getting water through Ferozepur feeder, which offtakes from Harike barrage situated at the confluence of Satluj and Beas rivers in Punjab. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in collaboration with  the  Punjab  Pollution  Control  Board  (PPCB)  is  regularly  conducting  survey  of rivers Satluj & Beas as well as other point sources discharging into these rivers. As per  the  studies  carried  out  by  CPCB  in  collaboration  with  PPCB  and  Water Resources Department of Punjab, the water quality of rivers Satluj and Beas as well as the Rajasthan feeder canals is impacted due to discharge of untreated/ partially treated sewage and industrial effluent from cities and towns of Punjab.

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) for implementation of  projects  on  cost  sharing  basis  between  the  Central  and  State  Governments. Under the NRCP, for conservation and pollution abatement of rivers Satluj and Beas, schemes  pertaining  to  interception  and  diversion  of  sewage,  sewage  treatment plants,  crematoria,  afforestation,  public  participation  &  awareness,  etc.  has  been sanctioned in 14 towns in Punjab at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 717.32 crore. Sewage treatment capacity of 644.2 million litres per day (mld) has been created so far under the NRCP in Punjab.

CPCB had issued directions under Section 18 (1) (b) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 in November, 2014 to Punjab Pollution Control Board and Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board in the matter of contamination of Rajasthan  feeder  canals  originating  from  Punjab  for  management  of  municipal  as well as industrial wastewater in Punjab and conventional treatment with disinfection of water of the feeder canals for drinking purpose in Rajasthan. Directions has also been  issued  by  the  CPCB  under  Section  18  (1)  (b)  of  the  Water  (Prevention  and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 in May, 2018 on the issue of contaminated water in Rajasthan feeder canals originating from Punjab to the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control  Board,  Punjab  Pollution  Control  Board,  Rajasthan  State  Pollution  Control Board  to  install  Real  time  Water  Quality  Monitoring  Systems  (RTWQMS)  at  the respective  jurisdiction  of  all  inter-state  borders  on  river  Sutlej  by  the  concerned Departments.

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