Lok Sabha Question No. 1462 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-15
Subject: Ganga Utsav
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Raja Amareshwara Naik, Vinayak Bhaurao Raut, Bhola Singh, Sukanta Majumdar, Rajveer (Raju Bhaiya) Singh, Vinod Kumar Sonkar

1462

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1462

## ANSWERED ON 15.12.2022

## GANGA UTSAV

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK SHRI VINAYAK RAUT SHRI BHOLA SINGH DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR

SHRI RAJVEER SINGH (RAJU BHAIYA)

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

(a)  whether  the  National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga  (NMCG)  has  recently  organized  the  6th  edition  of River Festival 2022, Ganga Utsav in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether Ganga Utsav 2022, has been dedicated to the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and if so, whether NMCG has proposed to have 75 separate events in Ganga and its tributary basin cities and towns in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  achieved  the  objective  for  which  NMCG  was  formed  and  if  so,  the details of funds provided by the Government for the above scheme during each of the last three years and the current year;

(d) whether the said funds have been under-utilized and if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken in this regard;

(e) the details of action taken against individuals and industrial units which are responsible for polluting the river;

(f) whether the Government has assessed the working of NMCG and if so, the details and the outcomes thereof; and

(g) the other steps taken by the Government in promoting development in and around the Ganga basin?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) & (b) National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti celebrated the sixth edition of  'Ganga  Utsav'  on  4 th November  2022.  This  year,  the  event  was  dedicated  to  'Azadi  Ka  Amrit Mahotsav', which celebrates 75 years of independent India. As part of this initiative the National-level event was organized at New Delhi and over 75 special events was observed across 5 Ganga Basin States. Ganga Utsav  shall  be  celebrated  in  Ganga  Basin  States  till  August  2023  as  part  of  'Azadi  Ka  Amrit Mahotsav'

The  celebration  of  River  Ganga  witnessed  variety  of  cultural  programs;  folklores;  displaying  art forms; discussions; exchanges of many innovative ideas; engaging activities and soulful performances by renowned  artists.  The  events  at  States  have  reached  out  to  thousands  of  people,  especially  local communities and  youth  groups  through  a  series  of  public  outreach  and  engaging  activities  includingMaha Ganga Aarti, cultural performances, dance & drama, poetry recitals, Deepdaan etc. on the Ghats and other places around the river. It is one of its kind unprecedented public engagements leading to mass movement on creating awareness for Ganga Rejuvenation and to strengthen Public-River Connect.

(c)  &  (d) Under  Namami  Gange  Programme  (NGP),  a  comprehensive  set  of  interventions  such  as wastewater treatment, solid waste management,  river front management  (ghats and crematoria development),  e-flow,  afforestation,  biodiversity  conservation  and  Public  Participation  etc.  have  been taken up for rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries. Under NGP, a total of 406 projects have been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.32,897.83 crore. Out of these 224 projects have been completed while remaining are at different stages of implementation.

The  projects  taken  up  under  Namami  Gange  Programme  includes  176  sewerage  infrastructure projects with a sanctioned cost of Rs. 26,263 Crore for creation & rehabilitation of 5,270 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity and laying of 5,214 KM sewerage network. Out of these, 98 sewerage projects have been completed resulting in creation & rehabilitation of 1,858 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 4,204 KM sewerage network.

Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the  State  Government  in  addressing  the  challenges  of  pollution  in  river  Ganga  and  its  tributaries  by providing financial and technical assistance under Namami Gange Programme.

As per CPCB report of 2018, there were four Polluted Stretches on main stem of river Ganga (one stretch  in  Priority  Category  III,  two  stretch  in  Priority  Category  IV  and  one  stretch  under  Priority Category  V,  where  Priority  Category  I  being  most  polluted).  Now,  as  per  river  water  quality  data  of 2021, none of the Ganga Stretches are in Priority Category I to IV and only two stretches are in Priority Category  V  with  Biological  Oxygen  Demand  (BOD)  ranging  between  3-6  mg/l,  as  per  CPCB categorization  of  polluted  stretch.  With  the  various  interventions  taken  up  under  the  Namami  Gange Programme, the water quality of river Ganga has remarkably improved across various erstwhile polluted stretches of river Ganga.

The details  of  budgetary  provisions  and  release  by  Government  of  India  to  National  Mission  for Clean Ganga (NMCG) during each of the last three years and in the current year (till 31 October 2022) and funds released/expended under the Programme during the said period are as under:-

| F.Y.              | Budget Provisions (RE)   | Funds released by Government of India to NMCG   | Released/ Expenditure by NMCG*   |
|-------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| (Rupees in crore) | (Rupees in crore)        | (Rupees in crore)                               | (Rupees in crore)                |
| 2019-20           | 1,553.40                 | 1,553.40                                        | 2,673.09                         |
| 2020-21           | 1,300.00                 | 1,300.00                                        | 1,339.97                         |
| 2021-22           | 1900.00                  | 1,892.70                                        | 1,892.70**                       |
| 2022-23 (BE)      | 2800.00                  | 1,600.00                                        | 1,315.25                         |
| Total             | 7553.40                  | 6,346.10                                        | 7,221.01                         |

(* Includes expenditure incurred from the grants-in-aid carried for ward from previous years)

(** Inclusive of release to Escrow Accounts as per Concession Agreements for HAM projects)

(e) Under the Namami Gange Programme, inspection of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) located in Ganga basin is carried out on annual basis by joint team of technical institutes, concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCG).

In the fifth round of GPIs inspections, total 2706 GPIs located in the seven Ganga and Yamuna river main stem states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal were inspected  through  24  technical  institutes.  Actions  have  been  taken  against  2706  Grossly  Polluting Industries  (GPIs).  Out  of  2706  GPIs,  298  GPIs  were  found  temporary  closed,  158  GPIs  were  found permanent closed and 2250 GPIs were found operational. Out of 2250 GPIs, 2032 GPIs were complying and  218  GPIs  were  non-complying.  Concerned  SPCBs/PCC  issued  show-cause  notices  to  160  noncomplying GPIs and closure direction to 58 non-complying GPIs.

Stringent monitoring, regulation and  enforcement towards compliance  of Grossly Polluting Industries  against  regulatory  framework  mandated  under  Consent  mechanism  issued  in  respect  of provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 is undertaken through CPCB, State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).

Further,  National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga  (NMCG)  is  also  engaged  in joint  surveillance  for  the industries located on the bank of river Ganga and its tributaries and taking appropriate action against the polluting  industries  such  as  show  cause  notices,  closure  directions  under  Section  5  of  Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.

(f) Administrative  Staff  College  of  India  (ASCI)  was  engaged  as  Third  Party  Agency  (TPA)  for appraisal  of  Namami  Gange  Mission  (NGM).  ASCI  observed  in  its  report  that  the  NGM  has  led  to considerable  addition  to  wastewater  treatment  infrastructure  in  Ganga  river  basin  balanced  with investments  in  river  front  and  ghat  development,  river  surface  cleaning  processes,  afforestation, biodiversity, organic agriculture etc. Capacity building of implementing agencies and other stakeholders along  with  community  engagement  to  support  the  initiatives  are  the  other  key  contributions.  The decentralization and mainstreaming of program tasks within the basin states and local body establishments have been the hallmark of the program. ASCI in its appraisal stated that, NGM has shown good progress in achievement of its mandate of 'Aviral Dhara' and 'Nirmal Dhara'. It has demonstrated successful and replicable models for implementing a large-scale river rejuvenation program on a mission mode and gained global recognition

(g) In addition to other development initiatives such as setting up of Sewage treatment plants, effluent treatment  plants,  ghats,  crematoria,  river  front  development,  biodiversity  conservation,  a  number  of activities for promoting livelihood opportunities for the people of Ganga basin have also been started. These activities covered under Arth Ganga include promotion of natural farming, setting up of Ganga Sahakar Grams, creating market linkage for the agricultural and handicrafts items under Jalaj, promoting tourism among others.

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