Lok Sabha Question No. 3389 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-12
Subject: Awareness Campaigns on Pollution in Rivers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3389

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.07.2019

## Awareness Campaigns on Pollution in Rivers

3389. SHRI B.B. PATIL:

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

- (a) whether  any  awareness  campaigns  were  conducted  to  study  effects  of pollution in rivers, dying marine ecosystem and degradation of environment in urban areas;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  measures  being  taken  for  reducing  water  pollution  of  rivers  in  urban areas?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) to (b) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is implementing  Environment  Education,  Awareness  and  Training  scheme  with  the objective to promote environmental awareness among all sections of the society and to mobilize people's  participation  for  conservation  of  environment.  Under  the National  Green  Corps  (NGC)  programme  of  the  Ministry,  about  one  lakh  schools have been identified as  Eco-clubs,  wherein nearly  thirty  lakh  students  are  actively participating in various environment protection and conservation activities, including the  issues  related  to  environment  management,  river  water,  marin  water  pollution aspects.

The  Ministry  has  launched  the  Green  Good  Deed  (GGDs)  movement  in January  2018  which  is  social  movement  with  the  aim  of  bringing  about  mass environmental awareness in the society at all levels.

Further,  the  Ministry  has  also  been  involved  in  promoting  environment education  to  all  sections  of  the  society  through  various  awareness  programmes. Various  outreach  activities,  theme-based  exhibition  galleries,  etc.  organized  from time  to  time  by  the  National  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New  Delhi  and    its  four Regional Museums, located in Mysuru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar and SawaiMadhopur'.

(c) It is the responsibility of State Governments/concerned local bodies to ensure proper treatment and disposal of sewage generated so that the untreated sewage is not discharged in rivers and other water bodies, thereby polluting them. The Ministry has  been  supplementing  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  in  abatement  of pollution  in  identified  stretches  of  various  rivers  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) on cost sharing basis between the  Central  &  State  Governments  for  taking  up  various  pollution  abatement  works relating to interception & diversion of raw sewage, construction of sewerage systems, setting  up  of  sewage  treatment  plants,  low  cost  sanitation,  river  front/bathing  ghat development, etc.  Implementation of NRCP works has led to reduction in pollution load  draining  into  rivers  as  well  as  improving  the  environmental  &  sanitation conditions in the towns in which the programme have been implemented.

NRCP {excluding Ganga and its tributaries, which are handled by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR) from 01/08/2014 onwards} has so far covered polluted stretches of 34 rivers  in 77 towns spread over 16 States in the country at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 5870.54 crore,  and Central share of Rs. 2378.73 crore has been released to the State Governments for implementation of various pollution abatement schemes. Sewage treatment capacity of 2522.03 mld  (million litres per day)  has  been created so far under the NRCP.

State  Governments,  apart  from  their  own  budgetary  allocation,  are  also accessing  financial  assistance  for  creation  of  sewerage  infrastructure,  including Sewage  Treatment  Plants  (STPs),  in  various  cities/towns  under  Atal  Mission  for Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformation  (AMRUT)  and  Smart  Cities  Mission  of Ministry  of  Housing  &  Urban  Affairs  as  well  as  Namami  Gange  programme  of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR).

To ensure proper treatment of municipal wastewater before discharge into the 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 (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in the country for setting up of STPs in their respective States. 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,  to  control  discharge  of  industrial  effluents,  CPCB  and  respective SPCBs/PCCs  monitor  industries  with  respect  to  effluent  discharge  standards  and take action for non-compliance under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. To improve the monitoring of compliance,  directions  have  been  issued  by  CPCB  to  specific  industries  to  install online 24x7 effluent monitoring systems. Steps have also been taken by CPCB to promote low  waste concept in grossly  water  polluting  industries,  particularly  those located on the river banks.

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