Lok Sabha Question No. 586 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-25
Subject: Health of  Indian Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Amar Singh

## 586. DR. AMAR SINGH

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the fact that the health of many Indian rivers has taken a severe beating in recent decades owing to unchecked industrial activities and a lack of proper waste management systems; and

(b) if so, the details of the initiatives proposed to be taken by the Government to conserve and rejuvenate Indian rivers?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Rivers in the country are polluted mainly due to discharge of untreated and partially treated sewage from cities/towns and industrial effluents in their respective catchments, poor operation and maintenance of  sewage/  effluent  treatment  plants,  lack  of  dilution  and  other  non-point  sources  of  pollution  like agricultural runoff, open defecation, runoff from solid waste dump sites, etc. also contribute to pollution of rivers. Rapid urbanization, industrialization and climate change have compounded the problems.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in association with the State Pollution Control Boards/Committees  in  different  States/Union  Territories  (UTs),  has  been  monitoring  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  last  report  published  by  CPCB  in November 2022, 311 polluted river stretches (PRS) were identified on 279 rivers based on monitoring results  in  terms  of  Bio-chemical  Oxygen  Demand (BOD), an indicator of organic pollution. State and river-wise details are available at:

https://cpcb.nic.in/openpdffile.php?id=UmVwb3J0RmlsZXMvMTQ5OF8xNjcyOTg4MDQ1X21lZ GlhcGhvdG8xMjk5NS5wZGY=

(b) It is the primary responsibility of States/ Union Territories (UTs), local bodies Industrial units to ensure  required  treatment  of  sewage  and  industries  effluent  before  discharging  into  rivers  and  other recipient water bodies, land or coastal waters for prevention and control of pollution therein.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 586

ANSWERED ON 25.07.2024

## HEALTH OF INDIAN RIVERS

This  Ministry  has  been  supplementing  efforts  of  the  States/Union  Territories  (UTs)  by  providing financial  and  technical  assistance  for  abatement  of  pollution  in  the  identified  stretches  of  rivers  in  the country through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange for river Ganga and its tributaries, and the Central Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation plan (NRCP) for other rivers.

NRCP has so far covered on 53 rivers in 98 towns spreading over 17 States in the country with a sanctioned cost of Rs. 8649.67 crore, and inter-alia, a sewage treatment capacity of 2910.50 million litres per day (MLD) has been created. Under the Namami Gange programme, a total of 467 projects, including 200  projects  for  sewage  treatment  of  6217.15  MLD  and  a  sewer  network  of  5282.39  km,  have  been sanctioned at a cost of Rs.39080.70 crore against which sewerage treatment capacity of 3241.55 MLD has been created so far.

In  addition,  sewerage  infrastructure  projects  are  also  funded  by  Government  of  India  under  the programs  of  Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban  Transformationand  Smart  Cities  Mission  of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Other  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  stop  discharge  of  industrial  effluents  into  water  bodies, inter-alia  include  issuance  of  notification  of  specific  discharge  standards,  revision  of  the  criteria  for categorization  of  industries  and  issuing  directions  to  all  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/ Pollution  Control  committees  (PCCs)  to  adopt  the  same,  regular  and  surprise  inspections  of  Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) for compliance verification against stipulated environmental norms, installation  of  Online  Continuous  Effluent  Monitoring  System  (OCEMS)  for  assessment  of  effluent quality and compliance status.

Besides, in compliance with the orders of National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Original Application No. 673/2018 regarding identified polluted river stretches in the country, States/UTs implement approved river  rejuvenation action  plans  for  restoration  of   the  identified  polluted  stretches  of  rivers  in  their jurisdiction.

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