Lok Sabha Question No. 1888 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-22
Subject: Funds for Cleaning of Ganga River
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Vijay Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1888 ANSWERED ON 22.09.2020

## FUNDS FOR CLEANING O F GANGA RIVER

## 1888. SHRI VIJAY KUMAR

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the quantum of funds spent on cleaning of the Ganga river and its tributaries during 20 - 2019 and the current year;
- (b) the time schedule fixed by the Government for Namami Gange Programme;
- (c) t he action plan chalked out for de - silting of the the Ganga river; and
- (d)  the  details  of  the  strategy  framed  for  cleaning  polluted  water  emanating  from  citie industries situated on the banks of river Ganga?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

- (a)The details of amount released to State Governments /State Programme Management Groups/CP Other Executing Agencies during 2014 -20 and in current year i.e. 2020 - 21 (till 31 July 2020) are indicated below: -

| Funds released                                                        | From Financial Year (FY) 2014 -15 to FY 2019-20 (Rs. in crore)   |   In current Financial Year i.e. 2020 -21* (Rs. in crore) | Total (Rs. in crore)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|
| Funds released by Government of India to National Mission Clean Ganga | for 8,917.02                                                     |                                                     53    | 8,970.02               |
| Funds disbursed by National Mission for Clean Ganga                   | 8,761.04                                                         |                                                    154.16 | 8,915.20               |

(* up to 31 July 2020)

- (b) The cleaning of rivers is a continuous process and the Government of India is supplem efforts of the States for checking the rising level of pollution of rivers by providing fina different  States.  As  per  Cabinet  approval  dated 13.5.2015,  the  Namami Gange  Programme  is  to  be implemented by December, 20 20 at a budgetary outlay of Rs. 20,000 crore. However, as a part of thi programme,  the  Government  of  India  will  continue  to  support  the  cost  of  Operation  &  Mai (O&M) of asset s for a period of 10 - 15 years from the date of completion.

(c) The measures for flood management including desilting/ dredging of rivers are formulated State Governments  as  per  their  priority.  The  Government  of  India  supplements the  efforts  of  State Governments by providing technical advice and also promotional financial assistance for critical are

A  Committee  for  preparation  of guidelines  on  de - siltation  from  Bhimgauda  (Uttarakhand)  to Farakka  (West Bengal)  was  constituted  by NMCG  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Shri  Madhav Chitale Expert Member, National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). Some of the major observations made by the Committee are as follows:

- (i) A reconnaissance of main River Ganga reveals that different rea ches are in a dynamic equilibrium phase. Sedimentation is mainly seen downstream of Bhimgauda barrage and near the confluences o tributary rivers with Ganga.
- (ii) Though  de - siltation  works  can  improve  hydraulic  performance  of  the  river  and  this itself  can justify undertaking  de - siltation,  these  have  no  direct  role  in  improving  environment  flow river. On the other hand, indiscriminate de - silting or sand mining would cause adverse impacts river e -flow.
- (iii) The  proposed  desilting of  any  river  reach  needs  to  be  justified  bringing  out  clea flooding caused due to siltation along with technical comparison of the alternative floo measures with  'do  nothing'  or  'proposed  desilting/  dredging'  being  other  options.  It  sho uld invariably  be associated  with  sediment  flux  studies  and  morphological  studies  to  conf significant adverse effect on downstream or upstream reach of the river including the saf effectiveness of river crossings, water intakes, existing river bank / flood protection measures etc.
- (iv)The  dredging/de - siltation/mining  activities  may  result  into  some  adverse  impacts,  i.e. bed degradation; (b) Bank erosion; (c) Channel widening; (d) lowering of water surface in the river ch annel; (e) lowering of water table elevation adjacent to the river; (f) a re structural integrity  of  bridges,  pipelines,  jetties,  barrages,  weirs,  foundations  sup tension  lines, xisting  bank  protection  works  and  other  manmade  str uctures;  and  (g)  a  loss  of environmental  values resulting  from  (a)  through  (e).  As  such,  restrictions  need  to  be before planning and executing any dredging/ de - silting / mining activities.

(d) Under the Namami Gange Programme, diverse set of int erventions meant for cleaning of river Gang and  its  tributaries  have  been  taken  up.  These  include  treatment  of  municipal  sewage,  t industrial effluents, drain bio - remediation, river surface cleaning, rural sanitation, riv development,  g hats  and  crematoria  development,  afforestation  &  biodiversity  conservation outreach programme etc. Under this programme, a total of 315 projects have been sanctioned at a co Rs 28,854 Crore for conservation and pollution abatement of the River Ganga and its tributaries.

For  pollution  abatement  in  river  Ganga,  151  sewerage  projects  (113  on  Ganga  stem  & tributaries) at a cost of Rs. 23120.63 crores have been approved for creation of 3758 MLD new STP capacity, rehabilitation of 1072 MLD STP capacity and construction of 5065 km sewerage netwo

For  97  Gangatowns,  against  sewerage  generation  of  2953  MLD,  113  projects  have  b sanctioned on main stem of Ganga for creation of about 3300 MLD along with rehabilitation of Through construction of new STPs and rehabilitation of old STPs, a capacity of 21 80 MLD has already been created.

To improve performance and ensure effective functioning, long term operation & mainten been included in the project cost. Public Private Partnership through Hybrid Annuity Mode been  introduced  in  sewerag sector  projects  for  performance  based  contracts  and  effective implementation for long term (15 years).

## Some of the other interventions under taken for abatement of pollution of river Ganga are below:

- (i) Stringent monitoring and regulation of industries and pollution sources is undertaken to asse compliance status of Grossly Polluted Industries (GPIs) for enforcing regulatory framew polluting  industries.  Stringent  action  is  taken  by  Central  Pollution  Control  Board te Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) against the GPIs discharging into main stem of Ganga Ri tributaries which are non - complying with respect to the prescribed norms.
- (ii)Besides,  the  identification  and  assessment  of  quality  and  quantity  of  major drains  joining  river Ganga  and  its  tributaries,  establishment/upgradation  of  Wastewater  Treatment  Plants CETPs) for the towns located on Ganga main stem and its tributaries, performance eval those STPs and CETPs are undertaken.

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