Lok Sabha Question No. 2607 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-17
Subject: Ganga Utsav
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Supriya Sadanand Sule

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2607

ANSWERED ON 17.03.2022

## GANGA UTSAV

2607. DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE

SHRI SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE SHRI DNV SENTHILKUMAR. S.

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organized Ganga Utsav event and if so, the details and the aims and objective thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  achieved  the  objective  for  which  NMCG  was  set  up  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c) the details of funds provided by the Government to NMCG during each of the last three years and the current year along with the utilization of said funds;
- (d) whether these funds are under-utilized and if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken in this regard;
- (e) whether NMCG has been empowered to fine those responsible for polluting the river and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by NMCG against such industrial units which are polluting river Ganga; and
- (f) whether the Government has assessed the working of NMCG and if so, the details and the outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a) Yes  Sir.  National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga  (NMCG)  organises  Ganga  Utsav  in  first  week  of November. The Utsav is held to celebrate 4 th November, the day on which Ganga was declared as the National River. In the year 2021, Ganga Utsav was observed at more than 100 locations in Ganga & Non - Ganga Basin area and more than 75 different types of events were held across the country.

As  a  part  of  this  celebration,  various  public  connect  activities  like  dialogues,  storytelling,  cultural programmes,  literature festival, painting competition, photo  exhibitions, marathons,  afforestation activities etc. were organised. Ganga Mashaal Yatra with 'Meri Ganga Meri Shaan' Campaign was taken out by Ganga Task Force personnel from Rishikesh to West Bengal touching upon 25 locations in the Ganga Basin ensuring public participation of people in the journey.

The  Utsav  highlights  the  significance  of  'People's  Connect'  in  the  revival  of  Ganga,  with  focus  on encouraging stakeholder engagement and public participation towards the rejuvenation of river Ganga.

(b): Yes Sir. The objective of rejuvenating river Ganga is being achieved through National Mission for Clean Ganga. Government of India has approved 'Namami Gange' programme for rejuvenation of river

Ganga  and  its  tributaries  and  NMCG  is  implementing  this  programme  by  adopting  a  river  basin approach.

NMCG has taken up a comprehensive set of interventions in the areas of wastewater treatment, solid waste management, river front management (ghats and crematoria development), e-flow, afforestation, biodiversity conservation and Public Participation etc.

Under Namami Gange Programme, so far, a total of 364 projects have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 30,853 Cr and 183 projects have been completed and made operational.

As against the estimated sewage generation of 2953 Million Liters Per Day (MLD) (year 2016) from towns along Ganga Main Stem, only 1305 MLD STP capacity existed prior to the implementation of the Namami Gange Programme (year 2014) which has now increased to 2407 MLD. In addition, another 934 MLD STP capacity has been sanctioned and is at various stages of implementation.

Apart from river Ganga main stem, sewage treatment interventions have also been taken in towns along polluting tributaries of river Ganga. So far 42 projects have been taken up in towns located along river Yamuna, Hindon, Kali  (East  and  West),  Ramganga,  Saryu,  Gomti,  Chambal,  Rispana-Bindal,  Dhela, Kharkai, Son, Kosi, Damodar, Banka and Barakar.

For  Industrial  Pollution  abatement,  around  2,740  Grossly  Polluting  Industries  (GPIs)  have  been inspected  out  of  which  2,124  GPIs  are  found  to  be  compliant,  128  non-compliant  and  488  nonoperational. Among the non-complaint, 106 GPIs have been issued notice for closure and 22 GPIs have been issued show cause notice.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) are working along with National Mission for Clean Ganga for monitoring the river water quality to determine the health of the river.

Due to various interventions under the Namami Gange Programme since its inception in 2015-16, the river  water  quality  of  the  various  erstwhile  polluted  stretches  has  improved.  As  per  CPCB data as on 2021, none of the Ganga Stretches are in priority category I to IV and only two stretches are in Category V. Water Quality Median data for 2021 (January to May), of river Ganga shows that the major indicatorDissolved  Oxygen  (DO),  has  been  found  to  be  within  acceptable  limits  for  primary  bathing  quality across  all  84  monitoring  locations  in  the  main  stem  of  river  Ganga.  Similarly,  other  important  river health indicators i.e., Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Feacal Coliform (FC) have also been found  to  be  within  acceptable  limits  across  68  monitoring  locations  (out  of  84  locations)  and  33 monitoring locations (out of 80 locations) respectively.

The definition of various priority categories is given below:

| Priority Category   | I             | II              | III              | IV             | V               |
|---------------------|---------------|-----------------|------------------|----------------|-----------------|
| Criteria            | BOD > 30 mg/l | BOD: 20-30 mg/l | BOD: 10-20 mg /l | BOD: 6-10 mg/l | BOD: 3-6 mg / l |

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.

(c)  &  (d): The  final  estimates  and  funds  released   by  Government  of  India  and  subsequently disbursed/released by National Mission for Clean Ganga  during the last three financial  years i.e. FY 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and  for the financial year 2021-22 till 31 January 2022 are tabulated below:-

| Financial Year   | Final Estimates   | Releases by Government of India   | Disbursement/ Expenditure by National Mission for Clean Ganga   |
|------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|                  | (Rupees in crore) | (Rupees in crore)                 | (Rupees in crore)                                               |
| 2018-19          | 2,370.00          | 2,307.50                          | 2,626.54                                                        |

| 2019-20   | 1,553.44   | 1,553.40   | 2,673.09   |
|-----------|------------|------------|------------|
| 2020-21   | 1,300.00   | 1,300.00   | 1,339.97   |
| 2021-22*  | 1,900.00   | 950.00     | 1,015.99   |
| Total     | 7,123.44   | 6,110.90   | 7,655.59   |

(* up-to 31 January 2022)

From the table above, it may be seen that there is no underutilization of funds under Namami Gange Programme.

(e): As  per  the  provisions  of  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  (refer  to  as  Act),  the  Court  of competent jurisdiction can take cognizance, under Section 19, for the offence against those who fail to comply with or contravenes any of the provisions of the Act or rules or orders or directions issued under the said Act. NMCG itself cannot impose fine, however empowered to file complaint against those who are  polluting  the  river,  in  accordance  with  the  provision  of  Section  19  of  the  above  said  Act.  The offenders are liable for punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees or with both. The complaints against the person polluting the river and water bodies are also being filed by the concerned State Pollution Control Board, constituted under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

(f): The Government of India has been assessing the working on NMCG through performance audit of NMCG  by  CAG  and  through  third  party  evaluation  of  Namami  Gange  Program  carried  out  by Administrative Staff College of India in 2020.

## Performance Audit of NMCG by CAG

An  Audit  Team  of  Principal  Director  (Audit),  Scientific  Department,  New  Delhi  under  the  C&AG conducted Performance Audit of rejuvenation of river Ganga from 30 th January 2017 till 30 th June 2017 covering the period from 2014-15 to 31.03.2017. The audit was conducted at NMCG headquarter and at the  various  Central  and  State  Government  and  other  agencies  offices,  in  the  five  river  Ganga  basin states. The Report No 39 of 2017 of the C&AG on Rejuvenation of River Ganga (Namami Gange) was presented to Lok Sabha on 19 December 2017. The said report was selected for examination by Public Accounts Committee (2017-18).

NMCG has been regularly apprising the Public Account Committee on the various actions taken on the observation points as noted by the CAG.

## Third Party evaluation of Namami Gange Program by Administrative Staff College of India

A third-party evaluation of Namami Gange Program was carried out in 2020 by Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad covering the programme period from 2014 to 2020 and having a dialogue with multiple institutions, entities, partners and authorities at different levels. ASCI assessed the program on the outputs achieved on various parameters.

The evaluation report recommends that the Namami Gange Program needs horizontal extension to cover tributaries of river Ganga. The report also recommended for extension of the programme for the next 10year time frame from 2021 to 2030.

The key learnings from the third-party evaluation report have been incorporated as part of the Namami Gange Mission - II (NGM-II).

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