Lok Sabha Question No. 461 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-06
Subject: National River Conservation Plan
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Arun Bharti

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 461

ANSWERED ON 06.02.2025

## NATIONAL RIVER CONSERVATION PLAN

## 461. SHRI ARUN BHARTI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the funds allocated, sanctioned, disbursed and utilized under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) during the last two years and the current year, month-wise;

(b) the details of the rivers and stretches which are currently covered under the said plan along with the criteria adopted in this regard, State-wise;

(c)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  under  NRCP  to  control  pollution  caused  by  untreated  sewage  and  industrial effluents in rivers particularly in the State of Bihar;

(d)  the  measurable  outcomes  achieved  under  NRCP  in  terms  of  improved  water  quality  and  biodiversity restoration in key river stretches; and

(e) whether the Government is infusing the new technologies and methodologies to improve the efficiency of river conservation under the NRCP and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) to (e) It is the primary responsibility of States/Union Territories (UTs) and Urban Local Bodies to ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed norms before discharging into the rivers and other water bodies. The Govt. of  India has been supplementing efforts of the States/UTs, including the State of Bihar, by providing financial assistance for abatement of pollution in rivers/tributaries in Ganga basin through  the  Central  Sector  Scheme  of  Namami  Gange  Program  and  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of National River Conservation Plan for other rivers/tributaries in the country.

The State/UT Governments prepare the proposals for river pollution abatement projects and submit the same to this Ministry for financial assistance under NRCP. Proposals are considered subject to conformity with the scheme guidelines. Implementation/execution of projects is vested with the State Government departments and the Government of India disburses funds to the States against the sanctioned projects after reviewing the interim progress of the projects. The budget earmarked in the last 2 years, and the current financial year and the monthly disbursement to States are attached at Annexure-I .

Proposals are considered based on the Scheme guidelines of NRCP that can be accessed at: https://nrcd.nic.in/writereaddata/FileUpload/Guidelines\_for\_Report\_Preparation\_under\_NRCP\_NGR\_A\_Dec %202010.pdf

The  Projects  identified  by  the  States  for  pollution  abatement  of  various  river  stretches  have  been sanctioned under NRCP since its inception in 1995. These projects were located on 57 rivers across 100 towns in 17 States.

In  case  of  industrial  effluents,  industrial  units  are  required  to  treat  their  effluents  to  comply  with stipulated  environmental  standards  before  discharging  into  rivers  and  water  bodies.  Accordingly,  Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees monitor industries with respect  to  effluent  discharge  standards  and  take  punitive  action  against  non-complying  industries  under  the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

The State of Bihar lies entirely in the Ganga Basin. Under the Namami Gange Programme in the State of Bihar, 38 sewerage infrastructure projects with a treatment capacity of 803 Million Litre Per Day (MLD) have  been  sanctioned,  and  18  sewerage  infrastructure  projects  with  a  capacity  of  341  MLD  have  been completed and made operational.

So far, inter-alia, a sewage treatment capacity of 2941 million litres per day (MLD) has been created, under NRCP resulting in reduction of direct discharge of untreated sewage into the rivers thereby improving their water quality and restoring their ecology.  State-wise details of river stretches covered under NRCP is at Annexure-II .

The identification of project and technology is done by the state government departments based on various parameters like land availability, Pollution level etc.

***

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 461 TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  06.02.2025  REGARDING  'NATIONAL  RIVER CONSERVATION PLAN'.

Funds allocated, sanctioned, disbursed and utilized under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) during the last two years and the current year, month-wise

| Month                      | Released/Disbursed/utilized/(Rs. in crore)   | Released/Disbursed/utilized/(Rs. in crore)   | Released/Disbursed/utilized/(Rs. in crore)   |
|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|                            | 2022-23                                      | 2023-24                                      | 2024-25 (December, 2024)                     |
| Funds Allocated/Sanctioned | 449.02                                       | 432.01                                       | 591.12                                       |
| April                      | -                                            | -                                            | -                                            |
| May                        | -                                            | -                                            | -                                            |
| June                       | 1.07                                         | -                                            | -                                            |
| July                       | -                                            | -                                            | -                                            |
| August                     | 10.00                                        |                                              | -                                            |
| September                  | 63.00                                        | 76.91                                        | 77.33                                        |
| October                    | 27.99                                        | 27.14                                        | 66.25                                        |
| November                   | 92.25                                        | 23.74                                        | 22.50                                        |
| December                   | 24.67                                        | 29.17                                        | 10.00                                        |
| January                    | -                                            | -                                            | -                                            |
| February                   | -                                            | 142.78                                       | -                                            |
| March                      | 213.95                                       | 91.49                                        | -                                            |
| Total:                     | 432.93                                       | 391.23                                       | 176.08                                       |

## ANNEXURE-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 461 TO BE ANSWERED  IN LOK SABHA ON 06.02.2025 REGARDING  'NATIONAL  RIVER CONSERVATION PLAN'.

Details of the rivers and stretches which are currently covered under NRCP:

|   S. No. | State          | Rivers/Stretches covered                                                                                                                |
|----------|----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh | Godavari                                                                                                                                |
|        2 | Telangana      | Godavari &Musi                                                                                                                          |
|        3 | Jammu &Kashmir | Devika, Tawi, Jhelum &Banganga                                                                                                          |
|        4 | Jharkhand      | Subarnarekha                                                                                                                            |
|        5 | Gujarat        | Sabarmati, Mindola &Tapi                                                                                                                |
|        6 | Goa            | Mandovi &Zuari                                                                                                                          |
|        7 | Karnataka      | Tunga, Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Cauvery &Pennar                                                                                             |
|        8 | Maharashtra    | Godavari, Tapi, Krishna, Panchganga & Mula- Mutha &Nag                                                                                  |
|        9 | Madhya Pradesh | Wainganga, Narmada &Tapti                                                                                                               |
|       10 | Manipur        | Nambul, Imphal-Manipur                                                                                                                  |
|       11 | Odisha         | Brahmini, Mahanadi Coastal Area (Puri)                                                                                                  |
|       12 | Punjab         | Ghaggar, Beas &Satluj                                                                                                                   |
|       13 | Rajasthan      | Jojari                                                                                                                                  |
|       14 | Tamil Nadu     | Adyar, Cooum, Vaigai, Vennar, Cauvery & Tamrabarani                                                                                     |
|       15 | Kerala         | Pamba, Chitrapuzha &Periyar                                                                                                             |
|       16 | Sikkim         | Rani Chu, Tista, Rangit                                                                                                                 |
|       17 | Nagaland       | Diphu and Dhansiri, Chethe, Zungki, Garu, Melak, Tapi, Punyaonganmong, Keleureu, Sedzu and Tizu, DonyungShumang, Mutsum, Marachu & Tizu |

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