Lok Sabha Question No. 5536 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-26
Subject: National River Conservation Plan
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Hasnain Masoodi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5536

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2019

## National River Conservation Plan

5536. SHRI  HASNAIN MASOODI :

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

- (a) the current status of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in the country;
- (b) the  details  of  projects  that  have  been  undertaken  in  Jammu  &  Kashmir  under NRCP;
- (c) whether  the  Ministry  proposes  to  undertake  conservation  of  river  Jhelum  under NRCP; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a): Pollution  abatement  of  rivers  is  a  continuous  and  ongoing  process.  It  is  the responsibility of the State Government / concerned local bodies to set up the facilities for collection,  transportation  and  treatment  of  sewage  for  abatement  of  pollution  of  rivers. The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  has  been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of pollution of identified stretches  of  various  rivers  through  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  National  River Conservation  Plan  (NRCP)  being  implemented  through  National  River  Conservation Directorate  (NRCD),  for  implementation  of  projects  on  cost  sharing  basis  between  the Central and State Governments. NRCP (excluding Ganga and its tributaries, which are handled by the Ministry of Jal Shakti) 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 Government for implementation of  various  pollution  abatement  schemes. Sewage  treatment  capacity  of 2522.03 million litres per day (mld) has been created so far under the NRCP resulting in reduction in pollution load being discharged into the rivers.
- (b): A Project for pollution abatement of river Devika and Tawi at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, at a cost of Rs. 186.74 crore, has been sanctioned under NRCP on cost sharing basis between Government of India and State Government. The Government of India share in the project is Rs. 168.66 crore and State Government share is Rs. 18.08 crore.  The  major  components  sanctioned  under  the  project  are  construction  of  three sewage  treatment  plants  (STPs)  having  total  sewage  treatment  capacity  of  13.6  mld,

laying of sewer lines, construction of sewage pumping stations, construction of improved wood  crematoria  and  river  front  development.  An  amount  of  Rs.  30.00  crore  has  also been released by the Government of India as its share for the project.

(c) & (d): Proposals  for  pollution  abatement  of  rivers  are  submitted  by  the  State Governments  from  time  to  time,  which  are  examined  and  considered  for  financial assistance under NRCP  depending on the pollution status of the river, State Government's commitment to bear matching share, conformity of projects formulated as per the Ministry's guidelines and availability of funds under the programme. No proposal has been received from the State Government for pollution abatement of river Jhelum in Jammu and Kashmir under NRCP.

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