Lok Sabha Question No. 4514 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: Major Challenges Hindering the Cleaning Initiatives for Yamuna River
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Satpal Brahamchari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4514

ANSWERED ON 27.03.2025

## MAJOR CHALLENGES HINDERING THE CLEANING INITIATIVES FOR YAMUNA RIVER

## †4514. SHRI SATPAL BRAHAMCHARI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is true that despite implementation of several schemes and allocation of funds for cleaning the Yamuna river, severe pollution persists in the river and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has made any assessment to identify the major challenges hindering the success of cleaning initiatives for the Yamuna river and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has set any timeline to effectively address river pollution considering its impact on the public health and environment; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) & (b) The Government of India (GoI) launched the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) in 2014-15 for the rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries (including Yamuna) for five years, up to March 2021 and has been further extended to March 2026. Under NGP, 34 projects for river Yamuna have been sanctioned for the creation of a sewerage treatment capacity of 2,243.25 million liters per day (MLD) at a cost of  ₹ 6,407.36 crores. The list of projects is enclosed in Annexure.

The main reasons for pollution in river Yamuna in Delhi are:

- i. Discharge of untreated/ partially treated sewage into river Yamuna. As informed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Gap in treatment in January 2025 is 822.8 MLD;
- ii. Absence of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in some approved industrial areas;
- iii. Delay  in  completion  of  new  projects  and  rehabilitation  and/or  upgradation  of  sewage treatment projects.

(c) & (d) 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 (including river Yamuna) by providing financial and technical assistance under Namami Gange Programme.

The Government of NCT of Delhi is working on various interventions including:

- a. Upgradation and increasing capacity of existing STPs;

- b. Construction of New STPs;
- c. Various drain interceptor projects.

All the operational STPs of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) are being monitored by the DPCC every month & analysis reports are available on the website of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). DPCC issues communication with the DJB to meet prescribed standards on a regular basis. Delhi Jal Board has informed that each contract has a provision of penalty in case of non-achievement of guaranteed parameters of  treated  effluent,  etc.  and,  payment  is  withheld/recovered  time  to  time  for  non-compliance.  In  case  the agencies do not respond properly even after repeated communication there is a provision to blacklist/debar from DJB tendering.  DJB has taken action on defaulting firms at various sites.

In  addition,  the  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB),  regularly  monitors  river  water  quality parameters and also Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) inspection and also issued directions dated 12.11.2024 to  the  Delhi  Pollution  Control  Committee  under  Section  18(1)  (B)  of  the  water  (prevention  &  control  of Pollution) Act, 1974 regarding the non-compliance status of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) installed in Delhi.

Further to monitor the industrial pollution, annual inspection of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) in river Yamuna main stem started in 2020. During 2024, 2847 GPIs on Yamuna including Hindon have been inventoried  in  the  4th  round  of  inspection.  All  the  GPIs  have  been  inspected.  So  far,  action  has  been completed on 2717 GPIs  (out of 2847 GPIs in Yamuna main stem), 1826 GPIs are compliant, 334 are noncompliant,  303  GPIs  are  temporarily  closed,  and  254  GPIs  are  permanently  closed.  Among  the  noncompliant (334 GPIs), 28 GPIs have been issued notice for closure and 306 GPIs have been issued show cause notice. It is observed that the Compliance status of GPIs has improved from 64% in 2020 to 79% in 2023

***

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4514 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.03.2025 REGARDING 'MAJOR CHALLENGES HINDERING THE CLEANING INITIATIVES FOR YAMUNA RIVER'.

## The list of projects sanctioned under Namami Gange Programme for rejuvenation of river Yamuna:

| Sl.No         | Name of Project                                                                                                         | Treatment Capacity (MLD)   | Sanctioned Cost (₹ In crore)   | Status         |
|---------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------|
| Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                           | Uttar Pradesh              | Uttar Pradesh                  | Uttar Pradesh  |
| 1             | Rehabilitation of Sewerage Infrastructure& Augmentation/Upgradation of STP (4 MLD) in Vrindavan                         | 4                          | 42.82                          | Completed      |
| 2             | Rehabilitation/Renovation of Mathura sewerage scheme at Masani                                                          | 67.8                       | 460.45                         | Completed      |
| 3             | Interception &Diversion with Rehabilitation work in Agra                                                                | 177.6                      | 842.25                         | Under Progress |
| 4             | Interception &Diversion and STP works Baghpat                                                                           | 14                         | 77.36                          | Completed      |
| 5             | Interception &Diversion works in Firozabad                                                                              | 0                          | 51.08                          | Completed      |
| 6             | Interception &Diversion works in Etawah                                                                                 | 44.94                      | 140.6                          | Completed      |
| 7             | Interception &Diversion works in Muzaffarnagar                                                                          | 54.50                      | 234.03                         | Under Progress |
| 8             | Interception &Diversion works in Budhana                                                                                | 10                         | 48.76                          | Completed      |
| 9             | Upgradation of Infrastructure of Existing CETP for Textile Printing Units at Mathura Industrial Area, Muthura (6.25MLD) | 6.25                       | 13.87                          | Completed      |
| 10            | I&D and STP Works for balance drains in Mathura                                                                         | 60                         | 292.56                         | Under Progress |
| 11            | Interception &Diversion works in Kairana                                                                                | 15                         | 78.42                          | Completed      |
| 12            | I&D and STP Works in Chhata                                                                                             | 6                          | 56.15                          | Under Progress |
| 13            | I&D and STP Works in Kosi                                                                                               | 12                         | 66.59                          | Under Progress |
| 14            | I&D and STP Works in Vrindavan                                                                                          | 13                         | 77.7                           | Under Progress |
| 15            | I&D and STP works in Hathras                                                                                            | 24                         | 128.91                         | Under Progress |
| 16            | I&D and STP works in Saharanpur                                                                                         | 135                        | 577.23                         | Under Progress |
| 17            | I&D and STP works in Banat                                                                                              | 5                          | 48.71                          | Under Progress |

| 18               | I&D and STP works in Babri &Bantikhera                                                                        | 5                | 55.47            | Under Progress   |
|------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| 19               | I&D and STP works in Thanabhawan                                                                              | 10               | 97.19            | Under Progress   |
| 20               | I&D and STP works in Shamli                                                                                   | 40               | 206.02           | Under Progress   |
| 21               | I&D and STP works in Deoband                                                                                  | 20               | 134.71           | Tendering        |
| 22               | I&D and STP works in Aligarh                                                                                  | 113              | 496.02           | Tendering        |
| Sub Total        | Sub Total                                                                                                     | 827.09           | 4226.88          |                  |
| Delhi            | Delhi                                                                                                         | Delhi            | Delhi            | Delhi            |
| 1                | Rehabilitation of Trunk Sewer No.4                                                                            | 0                | 87.43            | Completed        |
| 2                | Rehabilitation of Trunk Sewer No.5                                                                            | 0                | 83.4             | Completed        |
| 3                | Rehabilitation and upgradation of Kondli Phase-I STP (45 MLD), Phase-II STP (114 MLD) &Phase-III STP (45 MLD) | 204              | 239.11           | Completed        |
| 4                | Rehabilitation of Rising Mains                                                                                | 0                | 59.13            | Completed        |
| 5                | Rehabilitation of Trunk Sewers                                                                                | 0                | 43.92            | Completed        |
| 6                | Rehabilitation of Rising Main                                                                                 | 0                | 45.4             | Completed        |
| 7                | Rehabilitation and up-gradation of Phase-I STP (182 MLD)                                                      | 182              | 211.79           | Completed        |
| 8                | Construction of 564 MLD (124 MGD) Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP)                                          | 564              | 665.78           | Under Progress   |
| 9                | Construction of 318 MLD (70 MGD) at Coronation Pillar, Delhi                                                  | 318              | 515.07           | Completed        |
|                  | Sub Total                                                                                                     | 1268.0           | 1951.04          |                  |
| Himachal Pradesh | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                              | Himachal Pradesh | Himachal Pradesh | Himachal Pradesh |
| 1                | Sewerage scheme for Zone II &III of Paonta Sahib                                                              | 3.16             | 11.57            | Completed        |
|                  | Sub Total                                                                                                     | 3.16             | 11.57            |                  |
| Haryana          | Haryana                                                                                                       | Haryana          | Haryana          | Haryana          |
| 1                | Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Panipat                                                          | 90               | 129.51           | Completed        |
| 2                | Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Sonipat                                                          | 55               | 88.36            | Completed        |
|                  | Sub Total                                                                                                     | 145              | 217.87           |                  |
|                  | Grand Total                                                                                                   | 2243.25          | 6407.36          |                  |

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