Lok Sabha Question No. 862 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-21
Subject: Increasing Pollution in Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Kaushalendra Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 862

ANSWERED ON 21.07.2022

## INCREASING POLLUTION IN RIVERS

## †862 SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH

## SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: -

(a) whether the Government conforms to the data published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on the increasing level of pollution in most of the rivers;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) the steps being taken by the Government to minimise the level of pollution in rivers;

(d)  the  details  of  the  expenditure  incurred  towards  the  projects  related  to  making  the  rivers  pollution  free during the last three years and the current year, yearwise;

(e) whether an estimation was made or review was conducted on the utility of the amount spent towards the said purpose; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) & (b) : The report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the data collected therein, is the guiding document to assess the pollution in various stretches of rivers in the country. CPCB in association with  the  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs)  monitors  water quality of rivers and other water bodies in the country through a network of monitoring stations under the National  Water  Quality  Monitoring  Programme  (NWMP).  Based  on  water  quality  monitoring  results, pollution  assessment  of  rivers  has  been  carried  out  by  CPCB  from  time  to  time.  Rivers  in  the  country  are polluted due to discharge of untreated and partially treated domestic sewage from cities/towns and industrial effluents  in  their  respective  catchments,  problems  in  operation  and  maintenance  of  sewage  and  industrial effluent  treatment  plants,  lack  of  dilution  and  other  non-point  sources  of  pollution.  Rapid  urbanization  and industrialization  have  compounded  the  problem.  So  far,  CPCB  has  adopted  the  criteria  of  Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as an indicator to assess the quality of water in rivers and pollution levels.

Presently, CPCB under NWMP monitors water quality of rivers at 2018 locations in the country. Based on the  assessment  of  water  quality  data  for  the  year  2016  &  2017,  CPCB  in  its  report  of  September  2018, identified 351 polluted river stretches on 323 rivers in 29 States and 2 Union Territories (UTs). State/UT wise details  of  polluted  river  stretches  is  given  at  Annexure. As  per  CPCB,  the  data  collected  by  Central  Water Commission (CWC) with regard to the assessment of water quality in rivers have also been referred by the Board in their report.

It  was  informed  by  CPCB  that  the  data  published  by  Centre  for  Science  and  Environment  (CSE)  is  not available with them, as the Board was not involved in publication of the same by CSE.

(c)  to  (f)  : It  is  the  primary  responsibility  of  the  States/UTs/  Local  Bodies  and  Industrial  Units  to  ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed standards before discharging into water bodies,  seas  or  land  to  prevent  and  control  of  pollution  therein.  Cleaning  and  rejuvenation  of  rivers  are ongoing activities. This Ministry has been supplementing efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers (except Ganga) in the country through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). Rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries is undertaken through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange programme.

NRCP has so far covered polluted  stretches  on  35  rivers  in  78  towns  spread  over  16  States  in  the country with the project sanctioned cost of Rs. 6142.12 crore, and inter-alia, a sewage treatment capacity of 2745.70 MLD has been created. Under the Namami Gange programme, a total of 374 projects including 161 projects for sewage treatment capacity of 5015.26 MLD and sewer network of 5134 km have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 31098.00 crore.

Details of expenditure incurred for cleaning of rivers in the country by this Ministry during last three years and current year are as under:

(in Rs.crore)

| Financial Year   | National River Conservation Plan   | Namami Gange Programme   |
|------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------|
|                  | Expenditure Incurred               | Expenditure Incurred     |
| 2019-20          | 136.66                             | 2673.09                  |
| 2020-21          | 99.87                              | 1339.97                  |
| 2021-22          | 202.32                             | 1892.70                  |
| 2022-23*         | 8.53                               | 685.13                   |
| Total            | 447.38                             | 6590.89                  |

*Upto 30 th June, 2022

In  addition  to  these,  sewerage  infrastructure  is  also  created  under  programs  like  Atal  Mission  for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

As  per  the  Provisions  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  and  Water  (Prevention  &  Control  of Pollution),  Act  1974,  industrial  units  are  required  to  install  effluent  treatment  plants  (ETPs)  and  treat  their effluents to comply with stipulated environmental standards, before discharging into river and water bodies. Accordingly,  CPCB, SPCBs and PCCs monitor industries with respect to effluent discharge standards and take punitive action for non-compliance under provisions of these Acts.

Additionally,  in  compliance  of  the  orders  of  Hon'ble  National  Green  Tribunal  (NGT)  in  Original Application  No.673/2018  regarding  rejuvenation  of  polluted  river  stretches  in  the  country,  States/UTs  are required to implement approved action plans for restoration of the polluted stretches in their jurisdiction as identified by CPCB and published in their report of 2018, within the stipulated timelines. As per the orders of NGT, regular review on implementation of these action plans is undertaken in the States/UTs and the same is also done at the Central level by Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India.

*****

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  862  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  21.07.2022  ON  'INCREASING  POLLUTION  IN RIVERS'.

State/UT-wise & Priority wise number of Polluted River Stretches

| S. No.      | STATE/UNION TERRITORY            | PRIORITY   | PRIORITY   | PRIORITY   | PRIORITY   | PRIORITY   | Grand Total   |
|-------------|----------------------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|---------------|
| S. No.      | STATE/UNION TERRITORY            | I          | II         | III        | IV         | V          | Grand Total   |
| 1           | ANDHRA PRADESH                   | -          | -          | -          | 2          | 3          | 5             |
| 2           | ASSAM                            | 3          | 1          | 4          | 3          | 33         | 44            |
| 3           | BIHAR                            | -          | -          | 1          | -          | 5          | 6             |
| 4           | CHHATTISGARH                     | -          | -          | -          | 4          | 1          | 5             |
| 5           | DAMAN, DIU AND DADRA NAGARHAVELI | 1          | -          | -          | -          | -          | 1             |
| 6           | DELHI                            | 1          | -          | -          | -          | -          | 1             |
| 7           | GOA                              | -          | -          | 1          | 2          | 8          | 11            |
| 8           | GUJARAT                          | 5          | 1          | 2          | 6          | 6          | 20            |
| 9           | HARYANA                          | 2          | -          | -          | -          | -          | 2             |
| 10          | HIMACHAL PRADESH                 | 1          | 1          | 1          | -          | 4          | 7             |
| 11          | JAMMU &KASHMIR                   | -          | 1          | 2          | 2          | 4          | 9             |
| 12          | JHARKHAND                        | -          | -          | -          | 3          | 4          | 7             |
| 13          | KARNATAKA                        | -          | -          | 4          | 7          | 6          | 17            |
| 14          | KERALA                           | 1          | -          | -          | 5          | 15         | 21            |
| 15          | MADHYA PRADESH                   | 3          | 1          | 1          | 3          | 14         | 22            |
| 16          | MAHARASHTRA                      | 9          | 6          | 14         | 10         | 14         | 53            |
| 17          | MANIPUR                          | -          | 1          | -          | -          | 8          | 9             |
| 18          | MEGHALAYA                        | 2          | -          | -          | 3          | 2          | 7             |
| 19          | MIZORAM                          | -          | -          | 1          | 3          | 5          | 9             |
| 20          | NAGALAND                         | 1          | -          | 1          | 2          | 2          | 6             |
| 21          | ODISHA                           | 1          | -          | 3          | 2          | 13         | 19            |
| 22          | PUDUCHERRY                       | -          | -          | -          | 1          | 1          | 2             |
| 23          | PUNJAB                           | 2          | -          | -          | 1          | 1          | 4             |
| 24          | RAJASTHAN                        | -          | -          | 1          | -          | 1          | 2             |
| 25          | SIKKIM                           | -          | -          | -          | -          | 4          | 4             |
| 26          | TAMIL NADU                       | 4          | -          | -          | 1          | 1          | 6             |
| 27          | TELANGANA                        | 1          | 2          | 2          | 2          | 1          | 8             |
| 28          | TRIPURA                          | -          | -          | -          | -          | 6          | 6             |
| 29          | UTTAR PRADESH                    | 4          | -          | 1          | 2          | 5          | 12            |
| 30          | UTTARAKHAND                      | 3          | 1          | 1          | 4          | -          | 9             |
| 31          | WEST BENGAL                      | 1          | 1          | 3          | 4          | 8          | 17            |
| Grand Total | Grand Total                      | 45         | 16         | 43         | 72         | 175        | 351           |