Lok Sabha Question No. 222 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-16
Subject: Pollution in Musi River
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Venkatesh Netha Borlakunta, Kavitha Malothu

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *222

ANSWERED ON 16.03.2023

## POLLUTION IN MUSI RIVER

- *222 SHRI VENKATESH NETHA BORLAKUNTA SHRIMATI KAVITHA MALOTHU Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Hyderabad  to  Nalgonda  stretch  on  river  Musi  in  Telangana  has  been identified as one of the polluting stretches in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Ministry  to  clean  the  said  stretch  along  with  the expected time of completion of the work;
- (d) whether it is a fact that the Government of Telangana has requested the Union Government for providing funds to clean Musi river; and
- (e) if so, the details of the requests received by the Ministry since 2014 along with the action taken on each of such requests?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.* 222 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2023 ON 'POLLUTION IN MUSI RIVER'

(a)  &  (b) The  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  in  association  with  the  State  Pollution  Control Boards/Committees in different States/Union Territories (UTs) has been monitoring the water quality of rivers and other water bodies 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. As per the CPCB Report of September, 2018 the stretch of Musi river from Hyderabad to Nalgonda in Telangana falls under Priority-I category. However, in their latest report published in November, 2022, a stretch from Bapughat to Rudravelly, Kasaniguda to Valigonda has been identified as Priority-I stretch in Musi river.

(c) to (e) Cleaning/rejuvenation of rivers is an ongoing process.  Through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of  National  River  Conservation  Plan  (NRCP),  this  Ministry  has  been  supplementing  efforts  of  the States/UTs  by  providing  financial  and  technical  assistance  for  pollution  abatement  of  rivers,  excluding Ganga  and  its  tributaries,  relating  to  interception  &  diversion  of  raw  sewage,  construction  of  sewerage system,  setting  up  of  sewage  treatment  plant  (STP),  low  cost  sanitation,  river  front/bathing  ghat development, etc. in identified polluted stretches of rivers in the country including Musi and Godavari in Telangana.

In Telangana, pollution abatement works were sanctioned and completed under NRCP for conservation of river Musi at a cost of Rs.335.65 crore where 4 STPs of 593 million liters per day (MLD) total capacity were created and commissioned during 2007 to 2013 in Hyderabad. However, since 2014 onwards, there is neither any ongoing project under NRCP nor any proposal under consideration in Telangana.

Under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, sewerage master plan for  priority  zones  in  Rajendranagar Circle was taken up wherein two STPs of 23 MLD & 5 MLD were constructed at Attapur & Miralam and commissioned to prevent entry of sewage into Musi river from the catchments of the said STP zones.

Government of Telangana has also sanctioned 31 STPs of 1,259.50 MLD capacity at a cost of Rs.3,866 crore to achieve 100% treatment of sewage (to cater to the present and future generation of sewage) from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area.

Water  is  a  State  subject,  and  it  is  the  responsibility  of  the  States/UTs  and  local  bodies  to  ensure treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed norms before discharging into water bodies or  land  to  prevent  and  control  pollution  therein.  As  per  the  provisions  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act, 1986  and  Water  (Prevention  &  Control  of  Pollution),  Act  1974,  industrial  units  and  local  bodies  are required  to  install  Effluent  Treatment  Plants  (ETPs)/Common  Effluent  Treatment  Plants  (CETPs)  and Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) respectively and treat their  effluents/sewage  to  comply  with  stipulated environmental  standards  before  discharging  into  river  and  water  bodies.  Accordingly,  Central  Pollution Control  Board  (CPCB),  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCB)/Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs) monitor industries with respect to effluent discharge standards and take punitive action for non-compliance under the provisions of these Acts.