Lok Sabha Question No. 702 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-28
Subject: Cleaning of Hindon River
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: BAIJAYANT "JAY" PANDA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 702 ANSWERED ON 28.04.2016

## CLEANING OF HINDON RIVER

## 702. SHRI BAIJAYANT JAY PANDA:

Will  the  Minister  of  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  excess  industrial  and  municipal  discharge  in  the Hindon river, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether any measures have been taken to ensure the river's health during the past three years; and

(c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION

## (SUSHRI UMA BHARTI)

(a) Yes, Madam. The Government is aware of excess industrial and municipal discharge in the Hindon river. According to a study by the CPCB:-

The assessment of the water quality of river Hindon by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicates that the river is not meeting  the criteria with respect to  Dissolved  Oxygen, Conductivity, BOD, Total Coliform and Faecal Coliform. The Dissolved Oxygen as low as 0.4 mg/l  has  been  observed  downstream  Saharanpur.  The  high  level  of  BOD  can  be  attributed  to discharge of industrial effluents from number of electroplating and tannery units. River Hindon receives  the  municipal  as  well  as  industrial  effluents  from  the  township  of  Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Meerut, Baghpat and Gautam Buddhnagar.

(b)  &  (c)  Under  the  Centrally  sponsored  scheme  of  Yamuna  Action  Plan  (YAP)  Phase-I,  the towns of Saharanpur, Muzzafarnagar, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budhnagar located along Hindon, which is a tributary of river Yamuna, have been covered. Pollution abatement works pertaining to  interception,  diversion  and  treatment  of  sewage,  low  cost  sanitation,  improved  wood crematoria,  afforestation,  public  participation  &  awareness,  etc.  and  amounting  to  Rs  159.35 crore have been implemented in these four towns to reduce the domestic pollution load in river

Hindon. A sewage treatment capacity of 269.5 million liters per day (mld) has been created in these towns under YAP Phase-I.

As per the  information  received  from  U.P.  Pollution  Control  Board  (UPPCB),  out  of  the  108 major water polluting  industries  discharging  their  waste  water  directly  into  river  Hindon,  107 industries have installed effluent treatment plants and one unit has been closed down by UPPCB. Notices have been issued by UPPCB to 1 distillery unit, 5 sugar mills and 4 industrial units to comply with various pollution control norms.

Additional steps taken by CPCB to control water pollution include:

-  Industrial  pollution  control  measures  taken  under  the  provision  of  Water  (Prevention  and Control of Pollution), Act, 1974;
- A mutually agreed time targeted programme is implemented under Corporate Responsibility on Environment Protection (CREP) on various commitments;
- Special Drives: 17 categories of industries with zero liquid discharge, wherever feasible;
- Intensive monitoring of industries discharging effluent into rivers and lakes;
- Promotion of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units;
-  Urban centres discharging wastewater in aquatic resources and having no treatment facilities have been identified and recommended for appropriate action to respective authorities;
- Identified urban centres are being considered under various River Action Plans for interception, diversion and development of treatment facilities;
-  The  depletion  of  flow  in  the  rivers  is  one  of  the  major  factor  for  water  quality  degradation. Steps are being taken to augment flow in rivers for ecological consideration and the respective ministries  concerned  such  as  Water  Resources  and  Power  are  being  persuaded  to  provide adequate flow in the rivers so that rivers can attain its ecological balance including desired water quality for various beneficial uses;
- With respect to industrial effluents, consent management for compliance of standards is being enforced by SPCBs/PCCs to improve the water quality of the rivers;

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