Lok Sabha Question No. 155 (STARRED), answered on 2021-07-29
Subject: Pollution in Satluj and Beas Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Bhagwant Mann, Hanuman Beniwal

THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *155

ANSWERED ON 29 .07 .2021

## POLLUTION IN SATLUJ AND BEAS RIVERS

## *155. SHRI BHAGWANT MANN SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that the waste water effluents and pollu released into Satluj and Beas rivers and their tributaries thereby increas ing pollut on therein;
- (b) if so, the specific action taken by the Government in this regard during the last three y
- (c) whether the Government is aware that people in many districts of Rajasthan and Punjab for drinking and if so, the details of diseases caused by polluted drinking water in these areas;
- (d) whether the Government is contemplating to formulate a concrete scheme to check the sa action against the industrial units and urban authorities responsible for discharg ing waste water effluents into the rivers and canals; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the time line fixed to stop this water pollution?

## ANSWER

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  T O  IN  REPLY  TO  PART s ( a)  TO  ( e)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARR ED QUESTION NO.*155 TO BE ANSWERED ON THURS DAY, THE 29 TH JULY, 2021 ON 'POLLUTION IN SATLUJ AND BEAS RIVERS' RAI SED BY SHRI BHAGWANT MANN & SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL.

(a) to(e) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with Pollution Boards/Committees in different States/Union Territories (UTs), has been monitoring water qua and other water bodies in the country through a network of monitorin g stations under the National Wate Quality Monitoring Programme. Based on water quality monitoring results, pollution assessment has been carried out by CPCB from time to time. As per the latest report published by CPCB in Septe 2018,  351  po lluted  stretches  were  identified  on  323  rivers  based  on monitoring  results  in  terms  of  Bi -chemical Oxygen Demand, an indicator of organic pollution. These included one stretch each o Beas rivers and Kaliben (tributary of river Beas) which conf luence upstream of Harike Barrage from wher Rajasthan Feeder/Indira Gandhi Canal and Ferozpur Feeder originate.

Rivers in the country, including identified stretches of rivers Satluj and Beas in Pun mainly due to discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage from cities/towns and industrial their respective catchments, problems in operation and maintenance of sewage/effluent tre lack  of  dilution  and  other  non - point  sources  of  pollution.  Rapid  ur banization  and  industrialization  ha compounded the problems.

Cleaning of rivers is an ongoing process. It is the responsibility of the States/UTs a ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed norms before discharging into water bodies or land to prevent and control of pollution therein. For conservation of rivers excluding Gan and its tributaries, the Central Government has been supplementing efforts of the States/UT financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers country  through  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  National  River  Conservation  Plan  (NRCP Under NRCP, pollution abatement projects for conservation of Satluj and Beas rivers have been implemented in towns of Punjab, namely, Banga, Bholath, Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhia Mukerian, Nawanshehar, Phagwara, Phillaur, Sultanpur Lodhi and Tanda at a total cost of Rs. with sewage treatment capacity of 648.20 million litres per day (MLD) created in these towns.

Buddha nallah, carrying untreated sewage, industrial effluents and other wastes from Lu remains  the  major  source  of  pollution  in  Satluj  r iver.  To  address  the  issue  of  pollution,  Buddha  N Rejuvenation Project has been launched in December, 2020 at a total estimated cost of Rs. implementation period of 2 years. The project envisages construction of 2 new sewage trea lants (STPs) at Jamalpur (225 MLD) and at Balloke (60 MLD), refurbishment of 4 existing STPs of total capacity, Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) of capacity 40 MLD, 50 MLD and 15 M cluster of small/medium scale dyeing industries, two Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) for 6 MLD wast from two dairy complexes, etc. To address the gap between sewage generation and treatment fo catchment areas of rivers Sutlej and Beas, more STPs have been proposed.

Discharge of industrial effluents is monitored by CPCB and the respective State Poll Boards/Committees  through  the  provisions  of  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  and (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The Centra l Government has notified general dischar standards and also industry specific effluent discharge standards under the Environment (Pro 1986 which are required to be complied by the industrial units, STPs and/or the CETPs for p control of pollution in water bodies. In case of non compliance with the prescribed norms, are taken by the regulatory bodies under the relevant statutory provisions.

CPCB has issued directions from time to time to Punjab Pollution Control Board, Rajasthan Sta Pollution Control Board and the urban local bodies to ensure required treatment of municipal waste  waters  before  discharging  to  rivers  Satluj,  Beas  and  their  tributaries  to  prevent canals emanating from Harike Barrage.

Based on inspections carried out by CPCB in June, 2021, actions have been initiate statutory provisions against the STPs, CETPs and the ETPs of grossly water polluting unit -compliant .

In compliance of the orders of National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Original Application N regarding  polluted  river  stretches  in  the  country,  States/UTs  are  required  to  implement plans forrestoration of the said stretches in their jurisdiction within the stipulated tim orders of NGT, regular review on implementation of action plans is undertaken in the States/ Central level.

The  water  released in  Ferozpur  Feeder  Canal  is  utilized  for  drinking  and  irrigation  p Malwa  region  of  Punjab  and  some  part  of  Rajasthan  through  Gang  Canal.  Indira  Gandhi  Fee passes through the States of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan, Indira G andhi Canal traverses through  western  part  covering  districts  of  Barmer,  Bikaner,  Churu,  Hanumangarh,  Jaisalme Sriganganagar  and  Nagaur  to  provide  water  for  drinking  and  irrigation  in  these  areas.  Ca reported  by  the  Punjab  Pollution Control  Board  and  Rajasthan  State  Pollution  Control  Board,  r conventional treatment and disinfection to make it suitable for drinking purposes, and not effects on human beings/beneficiaries.

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