Lok Sabha Question No. 1613 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-01
Subject: Cleaning of Ganga River
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Bhola Singh

## 1613. DR. BHOLA SINGH

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  initiatives  to  clean  rivers  including  the  Ganges  and  its tributaries;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the status of river cleaning projects;

(d) the details of the efforts made to reduce pollution and improve water quality with specific focus on the river Ganga passing through Bulandshahr;

(e) the other steps taken to enhance river cleanliness; and

(f)  the  details  of  any  new  projects  or  schemes  aimed  at  ensuring  sustainable  and  long-term  cleanliness  of rivers?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) to (c) Yes, Sir. The Government of India (GoI) launched the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) in 201415 for the rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries with a budgetary outlay of ₹ 20,000 crore, for five years, up to March 2021 and has been further extended to March 2026 with a budgetary outlay of ₹ 22,500 crore.  Under  the  Namami  Gange  Programme,  a  diverse  and  holistic  set  of  interventions  for  cleaning  and rejuvenation of river Ganga have been taken up, that includes wastewater treatment, solid waste management, riverfront  management  (ghats  and  crematoria),  ensuring  e-  flow,  rural  sanitation,  afforestation,  biodiversity conservation,  public  participation,  etc.  Till  June  2024,  a  total  of  467  projects  have  been  taken  up  at  an estimated  cost  of   ₹  39,080.70  Crore,  out  of  which  292  projects  have  already  been  completed  and  made operational.

Out of the total sanctioned projects, 200 sewerage infrastructure projects have been taken up with a cost of ₹ 32,071 crore for creation & rehabilitation of 6,217 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity and laying of around 5,282 km sewerage network. Among these, 120 sewerage projects have been completed and made operational, resulting in the creation & rehabilitation of 3,242 MLD of STP capacity and the laying of 4,528 km sewerage network.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1613

## ANSWERED ON 01.08.2024

## CLEANING OF GANGA RIVER

(d) In the district of Bulandshahr, two sewerage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹ 124.24 crore for the creation of a 6.5 MLD STP and the laying of a 79.91 km sewerage network. Both projects have been completed and made operational.

(e) & (f) The other steps and projects taken by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under NGP to make the Ganga and its tributaries pollution-free with sustainable cleanliness are as follows:

- i. Under the Namami Gange Programme, sewage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned with a 5  year  to  15  year  terms  of  operation  and  maintenance  contract  condition  to  ensure  long-term sustainable operations and maintenance to meet the prescribed water quality norms.
- ii. For industrial pollution abatement, 5 nos. of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) have been  sanctioned,  i.e.,  Jajmau  CETP  (20  MLD),  Banther  CETP  (4.5  MLD),  Unnao  CETP  (2.65 MLD),  Mathura  CETP  (6.25  MLD)  and  Gorakhpur  CETP  (7.5  MLD).  Two  projects,  Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD) and Jajmau CETP (20 MLD), have been completed;
- iii. Annual inspection of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) operating in Ganga main-stem States and  its  tributaries  have  been  undertaken  since  2017.  These  efforts  have  resulted  in  reduction  in BOD  load  from  26  tonnes  per  day  (TPD)  in  2017  to  13.73  TPD  in  2022,  and  about  28.6  % reduction in effluent discharge from 349 MLD in 2017 to 249.31 MLD in 2022;
- iv. At NMCG, an on-line dashboard 'PRAYAG ' has been operationalized for continuous monitoring of river water quality; the performance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs); etc. on the Ganga and Yamuna River;
- v. A total nos. of 139 District  Ganga Committees (DGC) have  been constituted, which conducts 4M (Monthly, Mandated, Minuted, and Monitored) meetings regularly. As  of  June,  2024,  more than 3,032 meetings have been conducted;
- vi. In coordination with the selected DGCs, District Ganga Plans for 4 districts in Ramganga Basin, i.e.,  Udham  Singh  Nagar  in  Uttarakhand;  &  Shahjahanpur,  Moradabad  and  Bareilly  in  Uttar Pradesh, have been prepared to foster decentralized planning and better participation of people in river basin management;
- vii. For the conservation of wetlands , 4 projects have been sanctioned in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar & Jharkhand at a cost of ₹12.53 crore;
- viii. NMCG,  through  the  State  Forest  Department,  has  implemented  a  forestry  intervention  project along the main stem of river Ganga. 31,494 hectares area have been afforested with an expenditure of about ₹ 347 crore;
- ix. A total of 105 lakhs of Indian Major Carp (IMC) fingerlings have been ranched in the Ganga since 2017 to conserve fish biodiversity and prey base for river Dolphins, and ensure the livelihood of  fishers  in  the  Ganga  basin  under  the  special  project  implemented by  Central  Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI);
- x. Science-based species restoration programme , rescue, and rehabilitation programme for aquatic species like Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and Ghariyal in collaboration with Wild Life Institute of  India  (WII),  Dehradun  and  State  Forest  Department,  have  shown  marked  improvements  in biodiversity with increased sightings of Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and other riverine species;
- xi. Ganga Task Force (GTF) was raised in the state of Uttar Pradesh to assist NMCG in carrying out its mandated tasks, such as (a) Plantation of trees to check soil erosion; (b) Management of Public Awareness  /  Participation  campaigns;  (c)  Patrolling  of  Sensitive  Rivers  Areas  for  Biodiversity protection; (d) Patrolling of Ghats, etc.
- xii. A cadre of Ganga Doots (45,000 nos.), Ganga Praharis (2,900 nos.) and Ganga Mitra (700 nos.) are involved in public participatory activities ;
- xiii. Construction of independent household toilets in 4,507 identified villages in the five River Ganga states has been completed. All these Ganga bank villages have now been declared open defecationfree ( ODF ). Further till date, 3,679 no's of Ganga villages have been declared ODF sustainability ( ODF Plus ).
- xiv. Comprehensive public awareness campaigns have undertaken to instill a sense of responsibility and engagement among the public in efforts to clean and conserve the Ganga River. These include -  Ganga  Utsav,  Nadi  Utsav,  regular  cleanathons  and  plantation  drives,  Ghat  Par  Yoga,  Ganga Aartis, etc. The efforts are also supported by dedicated cadres of Ganga saviours, such as Ganga Praharis, Ganga Vichar Manch, Ganga Doots, etc.

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