Lok Sabha Question No. 46 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-23
Subject: Namami Gange Mission
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT, NEELAM SONKER

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES,

RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

**LOK SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION NO †*46**

ANSWERED ON 23.07.2015

**Namami Gange Mission**

†*46. 	SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT

SHRIMATI NEELAM SONKER

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

(a) whether the Government has approved the Namami Gange Mission and if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated, released and utilised for the purpose;

(b) the mechanism put in place to monitor the implementation of the Mission along with the projects taken up thereunder and the time frame fixed for completion of the same;

(c) whether a Ganga Eco Task Force as well as Clean Ganga Fund has been established and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to introduce any similar mission for cleaning Yamuna river also and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the measures taken to check the industrial effluents into rivers Ganga and Yamuna and to make them pollution free at the earliest?

## ANSWER

The MiniSTER of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation

(Sushri UMA BHARTI)

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

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**Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) TO (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.46 to be answered on Thursday, the 23** **rd** **July, 2015 on ‘Namami Gange Mission’ raised by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Shrimati Neelam Sonker**

1. Yes, Madam. Cabinet approved the Namami Gange program on 13th May, 2015 as a comprehensive approach to rejuvenate the river Ganga by inclusion of all tributaries under one umbrella at a total cost of Rs. 20,000 crore for 5 years. Primary focus of the program is on pollution abatement. The program envisages 100% central government funding for the entire life cycle cost of the treatment assets created which includes 10 year O & M cost as well.  An amount of Rs. 2750 crore has been allotted for FY 2015-2016 which includes Rs. 100 crore for Ghat Works. The expenditure incurred till date is Rs. 263 crore during FY 2015-16.

(b)	The State Project Management Group (SPMG) of the concerned state would monitor the work and report the progress to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) which releases the grants at different stages of implementation of the project. A three tier coordination and monitoring framework with a high level task force at central level, state level coordination committee and a district level project monitoring group oversees the implementation of these programmes.

(c)	Ministry of Defence has agreed to initially raise 1 battalion (out of the proposed 4 battalions) and is currently working out the initial logistics.

The Union Cabinet has approved establishment of the Clean Ganga Fund (CGF) on 24th September 2014. CGF is administered by a Trust chaired by the Finance Minister. The Mission Director for NMCG is the CEO of the Fund.

(d) 	Cleaning river Yamuna is also a part of the mandate of NMCG as Yamuna is a tributary of the Ganga river.

(e) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Pollution Inventorization Assessment and Surveillance Project (PIAS) has inventorised 764 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) along the main stem of River Ganga. The CPCB has issued directions under Section 5 of Environment Protection Act (EP Act) to 200 industries and directions under Section 18 (1) (b) of the Water (PCP) Act, 1974 to 178 industries. CPCB has issued closure directions to 68 units. The Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board has issued closure directions to 98 tanneries for operating without the consent of the Board on the directions of Hon’ble National Green Tribunal.

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