Lok Sabha Question No. 33 (STARRED), answered on 2016-02-25
Subject: Clean Ganga Campaign
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †* 33

ANSWERED ON 25.02.2016

## CLEAN GANGA CAMPAIGN

## †*33. DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT

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

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  decided  to  involve  villagers  and  panchayats  in  Clean  Ganga Campaign  and  organised  a  conference  of  Gram  Pradhans  of  the  villages  located  on  bank  of  river Ganga in the recent past;

(b) if so, the objectives and the outcome thereof;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  survey  to  find  out  the  percentage  of  pollution contributed by the villages located along river Ganga and if so, the details in this regard;

(d) whether towns and cities located along river Ganga contribute more pollution than villages and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the details of corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard along with the manner in which  the  participation  of  villagers  is  likely  to  be  ensured  including  the  facilities/assistance  to  be provided to them?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

(SUSHRI UMA BHARTI)

(a) to (e)       A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.33 to be answered on Thursday, the 25 th February, 2016 on 'Clean Ganga Campaign 'raised by DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT

(a) & (b) Yes, Madam. The National Mission for Clean Ganga, MOWR,RD&GR organized 'Swachh Ganga-GraminSehbhagita', a national level stakeholder consultation and sensitization programme on 30 th Jan 2016 at Talkatora, New Delhi. Gram Pradhans of more than 1000 Gram Panchayats located along the river Ganga, eminent policy makers, implementers and NGOs already participated in the programme.

- (c)  (d)  No,  Madam.  The  Government  has  not  conducted  any  specific  survey  to  find  out  the percentage of pollution contributed by the villages located along river Ganga. However, population data collected by census and infrastructure available in villages, towns and cities have been used to estimate  the  pollution  generated  from  the  villages/towns/cities  located  along  river  Ganga.  These estimates suggest that pollution load from city/towns are more than the villages.

In  addition  to  the  schemes  for  creating  infrastructure  such  as  Sewage  Treatment  Plants,  laying  of Sewage Network etc, the Government is also addressing the other sources of pollution in the river Ganga.  One  such  approach  is  through  model  Ganga  Grams.  The  following  objectives  have  been framed to develop the Ganga Grams.

- i. Open Defecation Free Villages
- ii. Interception of the liquid waste flowing into River Ganga
- iii. Groundwater recharge & development of inland water bodies
- iv. Cremation Ghats construction & development
- v. Garbage Management of the villages
- vi. Synergisation of the existing governmental (state & central schemes)

Till date, out of the targeted construction of 15 lakh Individual Household Latrines (IHHL), 24.58% (i.e.  3,73,420)  IHHL  have  been  completed.    In  addition,  approximately  125  Gram  Pradhans  from Utttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal have been facilitated to visit Seechewal model village, Jalandhar district, Punjab where practices such as awareness, wastewater management and treatment, solid waste management in rural environment etc. were success fully demonstrated in river cleaning.

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