Lok Sabha Question No. 3209 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-07
Subject: Namami Gange Programme
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Shri Giridhari Yadav

†3209.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3209

ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025

## NAMAMI GANGE PROGRAMME

SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV

## SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the present status of the Namami Gange programme;
- (b) the date on which the said programme was launched and the targets set thereunder;
- (c) the reasons for lagging the said programme far behind in achieving its targets; and
- (d) the details of the funds spent under the said programme so far?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) to (c) The Government of India (GoI) launched the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) in 2014-15 for  the  rejuvenation  of  river  Ganga  and  its  tributaries  for  five  years,  up  to  March  2021  and  has  been further extended to March 2026. As of June 2025, a total of 502 projects have been sanctioned at a cost of ₹ 41,696 crore, out of which 323 projects have been completed. The majority of these projects pertain to the creation of sewage infrastructure, as untreated domestic and industrial wastewater is the primary cause of pollution in the river. A total of 212 sewerage infrastructure projects have been taken up at a cost of  ₹34,526  crore  for  the  creation  and  rehabilitation  of  6,540  MillionLitres  per  Day  (MLD)  of  Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity. 136 sewerage projects have been completed, resulting in the creation and rehabilitation of 3,781 MLD of STP capacity.

S ome  of  the  projects  face  delay  during  the  implementation  of  infrastructure  and  sewerage projects due to following reasons:

- i. Identification of suitable land for the establishment of new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)
- ii. The  issuance  of  statutory  clearances  such  as  right  of  way  for  sewage-related  networks, obtaining  permissions  for  road  cutting,  No  Objection  Certificates  (NoCs)  from  competent authorities like forest and revenue departments;

In  order  to  address  and  overcome  these  challenges,  the  National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga (NMCG) has been actively involved in closely monitoring the status of the projects. NMCG regularly conducts comprehensive Project Review Meetings, Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) meetings, and

Empowered Task Force (ETF) meetings to evaluate progress, identify potential roadblocks and ensure timely resolutions.

As a result of these measures, out of 502 sanctioned projects 323 projects have been completed, which is around 64 % of total project sanctioned under Namami Gange Programme.

As per the CPCB report, the remaining Priority River Stretches (PRSs) on the river Ganga, are as under:

a. Uttarakhand does not fall under polluted stretches (BOD < 3 mg/l);

b.   In Uttar Pradesh, stretches from Farrukhabad to Allahabad and Mirzapur to Ghazipur fall under Priority Class V (BOD 3-6 mg/l);

c.   In Bihar, stretches along Buxar, Patna, Fatwah, and Bhagalpur fall under Priority Class IV (BOD 6-10 mg/l);

d.   Jharkhand does not fall under polluted stretches (BOD < 3 mg/l);

e.   In West Bengal, the stretch from Behrampur to Haldia falls under Priority Class IV (BOD 6-10 mg/l).

Furthermore, the value of Dissolved Oxygen (DO), which is an indicator of river health, has been found  to  be  within  the  acceptable  limits  of  the  notified  primary  bathing  water  quality  criteria  and  is satisfactory to support the ecosystem of the river along almost the entire stretch of the river Ganga.

As  per  the  biomonitoring  conducted  during  2024-25  at  50  locations  along  River  Ganga  and  its tributaries, and 26 locations along River Yamuna and its tributaries, the Biological Water Quality (BWQ) predominantly ranged from 'Good' to 'Moderate'. The presence of diverse benthic macro-invertebrate species indicates the ecological potential of the rivers to sustain aquatic life.

Additionally, the population of Dolphins in the river Ganga has shown a marked increase over the past  decade.  From  an  estimated  baseline  of  2,500-3,000  individuals  in  2009,  the  population  rose  to approximately  3,500  in  2015  and  further  to  around  6,327  individuals  as  per  the  nationwide  survey conducted during 2021-2023. This represents more than  a twofold increase since 2009.  In  the  Ganga basin,  the  2021-2023  assessment  across  17  tributaries  confirmed  dolphin  presence  in  multiple  rivers where  they  were  previously  unrecorded,  such  as  the  Rupnarayan,  Girwa,  Kauriyala,  Babai,  Rapti, Bagmati, Mahananda, Ken, Betwa, and Sind.

(d) During the period FY 2014-15 to 30 June 2025, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has disbursed ₹19,679.84  crores to various agencies for implementation  of  projects/interventions to rejuvenate river Ganga and its tributaries under the Namami Gange Programme.

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