Lok Sabha Question No. 2302 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-03
Subject: Rising Pollution in Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Hanuman Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2302

ANSWERED ON 03.08.2023

## RISING POLLUTION IN RIVERS

†2302. SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment regarding rising pollution in major rivers of the country;

(b) if so, the details of the level of the pollution found in each river as per the reports available with the Government;

(c) the details of the funds spent and the measures taken to contain the pollution in major rivers of the country including the Ganges and Yamuna during the last five years; and

(d) whether the level of pollution has receded in rivers after the measures taken by the Government and if so, the comparative details of the level of pollution in major rivers of the country?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(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 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 of pollution level can be accessed at:

https://cpcb.nic.in/openpdffile.php?id=UmVwb3J0RmlsZXMvMTQ5OF8xNjcyOTg4MDQ1X21lZGlh cGhvdG8xMjk5NS5wZGY=

(c) Cleaning  and  rejuvenation  is  a  continuous  process,  and  Government  of  India  has  been supplementing the efforts of States/Union Territories (UTs) in addressing the challenge of pollution of rivers by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers in the country through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange for rivers in Ganga basin, and Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for other rivers. During the  last  five  years,  under  NRCP,  an  amount  of  Rs.  1037.17  crore  has  been  released  to  State/UT

Governments for  various  pollution  abatement  works,  and  273  million  liters  per  day  (MLD)  sewage treatment  capacity  has  been  created.  Similarly,  in  the  last  five  years,  under  the  Namami  Gange Programme,  Rs.  10798.58  crore  has  been  released  to  the  concerned  Ganga  river  basin  States,  and 2258.92 MLD sewage treatment capacity has been created.

- (d) As per the reports published by CPCB, in 2018, water quality of 521 rivers was monitored, of which, 323 rivers with 351 PRS were identified. However, in 2022, PRS were reduced to 311 on 279 rivers  when  scope  of  water  quality  monitoring  was  expanded  to  603  rivers.  Comparative  details  of pollution levels during last two assessments done (in 2018 & 2022) are as below:

| Category     | Pollution load in terms (milligram per litre)   |   BOD Polluted river stretches (2018) |   Polluted river stretches (2022) |
|--------------|-------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Priority I   | More than 30.0                                  |                                    45 |                                46 |
| Priority II  | 20-30                                           |                                    16 |                                16 |
| Priority III | 10-20                                           |                                    43 |                                39 |
| Priority IV  | 6-10                                            |                                    72 |                                65 |
| Priority V   | 3-6                                             |                                   175 |                               145 |
| Total        | Total                                           |                                   351 |                               311 |

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