Lok Sabha Question No. 189 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-01-29
Subject: Namami Gange Mission Phase-II
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Smt. Lovely Anand, Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 189

ANSWERED ON 29.01.2026

## NAMAMI GANGE MISSION PHASE-II

189.

SMT. LOVELY ANAND:

SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

Dr. SANJAY JAISWAL:

SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the key projects operationalised under the Namami Gange Mission Phase-II during 2025 including the major sewage treatment plants commissioned;
- (b) the total sewage treatment capacity created under the said Mission and its impact on improvement in the water quality of river Ganga;
- (c) the biodiversity conservation achievements under the said Mission including the status of the Gangetic dolphin population and afforestation activities along the river; and
- (d) the roadmap for achieving the Mission's objectives of Nirmal and Aviral Dhara by 2026?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

- (a) Under the Namami Gange Mission (NGM) Phase II, during 2025 (January to December), a total of 25 key  sewage  treatment  plants  with  a  total  treatment  capacity  of  530  MLD have  been  commissioned  and operationalised.
- (b) Under NGM, total sewage treatment capacity of 3,977 MLD has been created as of December 2025.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), carries out manual water quality monitoring of the river Ganga at 112 locations across five Ganga main-stem States- Uttarakhand-19; Uttar Pradesh-41; Bihar-33; Jharkhand-04; and West Bengal-15. As per CPCB report on Polluted River Stretch (PRS) 2025 following information about Ganga main stem pollution is available:

Ganga Main Stem - State-wise Comparison (2018 vs 2025)

| State         | 2018 Polluted Stretch   | Priority (2018)   | 2025 Polluted Stretch       | Priority (2025)   | Trend/Observation                |
|---------------|-------------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------|----------------------------------|
| Uttarakhand   | Haridwar→ Sultanpur     | IV                | No PRS                      | -                 | Improved and PRS stretch removed |
| Uttar Pradesh | Kannauj→ Varanasi       | IV                | Bijnor →Tarighat            | IV / V            | Partially improved               |
| Bihar         | Buxar to Bhagalpur      | V                 | Bhagalpur D/S→ Khalgaon D/S | V                 | Marginal pollution remains       |

| Jharkhand   | No PRS                    | -   | No PRS                       | -   | -        |
|-------------|---------------------------|-----|------------------------------|-----|----------|
| West Bengal | Triveni → Diamond Harbour | III | Baharampore→ Diamond Harbour | V   | improved |

Based on the water quality data (median values) of the river Ganga for the year 2025 (January to August), the following observations are made:

(i) pH & Dissolved Oxygen (DO) are the most critical parameters of river health. The pH & DO of River Ganga meet the required norms for bathing criteria at all the locations of River Ganga.

(ii) Water  quality  of  river  Ganga  is  conforming  with  the  bathing  criteria  w.r.t.  Bio-  chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the entire stretch  of  river  Ganga  in  Uttarakhand,  Jharkhand,  Bihar  & West Bengal, except the following locations/stretches:

-  Farrukhabad to Purana Rajapur, Kanpur.
-  Dalmau, Raebareli.
-  D/s  Mirzapur  to  Tarighat,  Ghazipur  (except  two  locations  namely  U/s  Varanasi,  After confluence Gomti & U/s Ghazipur) in Uttar Pradesh.

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.

(c) The Namami Gange Mission Phase-II, has integrated biodiversity conservation as a core component of river  rejuvenation,  alongside  pollution  abatement  and  flow  management.  The  Mission  is  implementing science-based interventions for the conservation of aquatic and riparian biodiversity, including flagship and threatened species such as the Gangetic Dolphin, freshwater turtles, native fish species, gharial, otters and migratory fishes, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, the Turtle Survival Alliance of India and the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute.

The first-ever country-wide assessment of river dolphins conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, in partnership with State Forest Departments, has estimated the population of Gangetic Dolphins in Indian rivers at approximately 6,324, with the Ganga basin supporting the largest proportion.

Conservation  of  native  fish  diversity  is  being  undertaken  through  fish  ranching  of  indigenous species,  restoration  of  spawning  and  nursery  habitats  and  promotion  of  sustainable  fisheries.  Targeted interventions  for  freshwater  turtle  conservation  include  habitat  restoration,  protection  of  nesting  and basking sites, head-starting programmes and rescue and rehabilitation.

Afforestation  and  river-edge  forestry  works  are  also  being  implemented  along  the  river  Ganga through State Forest Departments, with about 33,024 hectares already covered to improve habitat quality and riverbank stability.

(d) The steps taken by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to improve water quality in the river Ganga and its tributaries, in pursuit of the objectives of Nirmal and Aviral Dhara, are as follows:

1. A total of 218 number of sewerage infrastructure projects (STPs) costing ₹ 35,698 crores have been taken up for remediation of polluted river areas with treatment capacity  of 6,610 Million Liters per Day (MLD). 138 STPs with a capacity of 3,977 MLD have been completed and made operational;
2. For industrial pollution abatement , 3 nos. of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) have been sanctioned,  i.e.,  Jajmau  CETP  (20  MLD),  Banther  CETP  (4.5  MLD)  and  Mathura  CETP (6.25 MLD). Two projects, Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD) and Jajmau CETP (20 MLD), have been completed;
3. NMCG successfully implemented the minimum e-flow norms notified in October 2018, ensuring continuous  environmental  flow  in  the  river  Ganga.  Regular  compliance  is  being  effectively monitored by the Central Water Commission (CWC);
4. Biodiversity Conservation: Seven Biodiversity Parks in seven districts (Mirzapur, Bulandshahar, Hapur, Budaun, Ayodhya, Bijnore and Pratapgarh) of Uttar Pradesh and 5 priority wetlands in Uttar Pradesh (3), Bihar (1) and Jharkhand (1) have been sanctioned;
5. NMCG, through  the  State  Forest  Department,  has  implemented  a  forestry  intervention  project along  the  main  stem  of  river  Ganga.  33,024  hectares  area  have  been  afforested  with  an expenditure of about ₹ 414 crores;
6. A total  of  160  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);
7. 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.

Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution in river Ganga and its tributaries by providing financial and technical assistance under the Namami Gange Programme.

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