Lok Sabha Question No. 3154 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-11
Subject: Pollution in Ganga
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3154

ANSWERED ON 11 .0 7.2019

## POLLUTION IN GANGA

## 3154. SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether pollution level has declined in the holy river Ganga;
- (b) if so, the details thereof region/ place - wise; and
- (c) if not, the action taken/likely to be taken against the officials responsibl e for the failure of Ganga river cleaning programmes?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a) & (b) The water quality in River Ganga has improved at various locations/stretch.

Water  quality  of  River  Ganga  is  monitored  at  94  locations  in  the  5  Ganga  St Uttarakhand,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Jharkhand  and  West  Bengal  through  the  respective StatePollution Control Boards (SPCBs).

The  observed  water  quality  indicates  that  Dissolved  Oxygen  which  is  an  indicator health has been found to be within acceptable limits of notified primary bathing water quali satisfactory to support the ecosystem of river across all seasons and also for almost entire stretch of Ganga.

Due  to  various  pollution  abatement  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  under  the Gange  Programme,  the  water  quality  assessment  of  river  Ganga  in  2018  has  shown  improved quality trend as compared to 2017.

Comparison  of  2017  &  2018  River  water  quality  data  over  the  entire  stretch  of  R respect to parameters such as Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Fa coliforms (FC) indicates the following:

- River water quality is assessed for outdoor primary water quality criteria for bathi pH (6.5 - 8.5), DO (>5mg/L), BOD (<3mg/L) and FC (<2500 MPN/100ml).
- The analysis of data for the year 2018 indicates that the DO (median) is meetin g the primary water quality criteria for bathing (>5mg/L) at all the locations of Riv Dissolved Oxygen level has improved at 35 locations  (3 in UK, 11 in UP, 17 in Bih WB).
- Median  BOD  is  meeting  the  primary  water  quality  criteria  for  bat hing  (<3mg/L)  at  all  the locations of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Bihar. BOD has improved at 41 locations (11 i in Bihar, 1 in Jharkhand & 6 in WB).
- Particularly in UP, the stretch from Kannauj Up stream(U/s) to Allahabad Down stream (D/s) and Mirz apur D/s to Ghazipur D/s is not meeting primary water quality criteria for terms of median BOD. In West Bengal, stretch from Serampore to Uluberia is not meet bathing norms.
- The median FC (<2500 MPN/100ml) is meeting the primary water qua lity criteria for bathing a all locations in Uttarakhand.
- In  UP,  FC  (median) is  meeting  the  primary water  quality criteria  for  bath Garhmukteshwar to Kannauj U/s, Bithoor (Kanpur), U/s Mirzapur, D/s Mirzapur, and Va U/s.
- The entire stretch o f Bihar and West Bengal is not meeting the primary water quality crit bathing in terms of FC.
- FC has improved at total 29 locations (1 in UK, 10 in UP, 13 in Bihar, & 5 in WB).

(c) No action in this regard is required to be taken. River cleaning is a continuous process and under Namami  Gange  Programme,  several  initiatives  have  been  taken  by  Government  of  India.  The continuously monitored at highest levels to ensure that progress in project implementation do

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