Lok Sabha Question No. 213 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-01-29
Subject: Gaps in Sewage Treatment, Industrial Pollution Management and Flood Protection
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Jagdambika Pal, Shri Rahul Singh Lodhi, Shri Manish Jaiswal, Shri Darshan Singh Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 213

ANSWERED ON 29.01.2026

## GAPS IN SEWAGE TREATMENT, INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION MANAGEMENT AND FLOOD PROTECTION

## †213. SHRI DARSHAN SINGH CHOUDHARY:

SHRI MANISH JAISWAL:

SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

SHRI RAHUL SINGH LODHI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  the  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  address  the  existing  gaps  in  sewage  treatment, industrial pollution management and floodplain protection;

(b) the names of the States that have shown significant progress in reducing polluted river stretches or in enhancing wastewater reuse;

(c) the mechanism adopted by the Government to ensure regular monitoring and inter-State coordination for achieving a pollution-free and resilient river ecosystem;

(d) the details of convergence with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to promote water conservation;

(e) the progress made in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Siddharthnagar district; and

(f) the details of proposed convergence under the new Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Framework?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Cleaning  and  rejuvenation  of  rivers  is  a  continuous  process.  It  is  the  primary  responsibility  of  the States/Union Territories (UTs), local bodies and industrial units to ensure proper treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to prescribed norms before discharge into rivers, other water bodies, coastal waters or land.

To meet the  gap  in  sewage  treatment,  the  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  provides  financial  and  technical assistance  to  States/UTs  through  the  Central  Sector  Scheme  of  Namami  Gange  for  river  Ganga  and  its tributaries and the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for Other River  Basins.  Apart  from  this,  sewerage  infrastructure  is  created  under  programs  like  Atal  Mission  for Rejuvenation  &  Urban  Transformation  (AMRUT)  and  Smart  Cities  Mission  of  Ministry  of  Housing  & Urban Affairs.

The discharge of industrial effluents is monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) under the  provisions  of  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  and  the  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1974 and punitive action is taken against violators. States/UTs/Local Bodies and industrial units  are  required  to  install  sewage  and  effluent  treatment  plants  and  to  comply  with  the  prescribed discharge  standards.  In  addition,  industries  are  encouraged  to  minimize  wastewater  generation  through technological  upgradation,  reuse  and  recycling  of  wastewater,  and  to  maintain  Zero  Liquid  Discharge, wherever feasible.

As  per  CPCB,  there  are  total  of  4498  Grossly  Polluting  Industries  (GPIs),  out  of  which,  3637 number of industries are operational and 861 industries have been closed down on their own. Amongst the operational  industries,  3036  industries  are  reported  to  be  complying  with  the  environmental  standards, while show-cause notices issued to 571 industries, closure directions issued to 29 non complying industries and direction issued to one unit.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has issued Technical Guidelines on Flood Plain Zoning to States/UTs for regulating developmental activities in flood-prone areas and mitigating associated risks. National Mission for  Clean Ganga (NMCG) has developed Urban River Management Plans in coordination with National Institute of Urban Affairs which integrate river sensitive planning into statutory master plans.

(b) CPCB,  based  on  pollution  assessment  of  rivers  in  the  country,  identifies  State  and  River  wise Polluted River Stretches from time to time. These stretches are categorized under Priority I to V depending upon  severity  of  pollution  (in  terms  of  values  of  Bio-chemical  Oxygen  Demand)  in  descending  order. CPCB has published  reports  on  Polluted  River  Stretches  for  Restoration  of  Water  Quality  in  the  years 2018,  2022  &  2025.  As  per  the  latest  report  of  CPCB  published  in  October,  2025  on  'Polluted  River Stretches for Restoration of Water Quality' reveals that total number of Polluted River Stretches (PRSs) has decreased from 351 in 2018 to 296 in 2025. The report further shows that 149 PRS in 22 States/UTs have been  delisted  and  71  PRSs  located  in  20  States/UTs  have  shown  improvement  in  river  water  quality between 2018 and 2025. States/UTs showing improvement in pollution levels of some of the river stretches as given in the reports of 2018 and 2025 include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Himachal, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram,  Nagaland,  Odisha,  Puducherry,  Punjab,  Rajasthan,  Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

NMCG  has  developed  a  National  Framework  for  Reuse  of  Treated  Waste  Water  that  provides guidance to States in developing the State policies on reuse of treated waste water. Some of the notable examples of reuse of water are from States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.

(c) CPCB, through its National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWQMP), regularly monitors the quality  of  water  in  the  rivers.  CPCB  has  issued  directions  to  all  the  GPIs  to  install  Online  Continuous Effluent  Monitoring  System  (OCEMS)  with  real  time  data  connectivity  to  CPCB/  SPCBs  for  self monitoring.  This  mechanism  is  applicable  for  all  over  the  country.  Government  through  its  legal  & regulatory framework, basin-wise approach, pollution control systems & their funding etc., ensures interstate coordination.

For achieving the pollution free and resilient river ecosystem, River Rejuvenation Committee have been  constituted  in  States.  Further Department  of  Water  Resources  River  Development  and  Ganga Rejuvenation(DoWR,RD&GR) under Ministry of JalShakti monitors and reviews with State Governments through Central  Monitoring  Committee  Meetings(CMC)  under  Chairmanship  of  Secretary ,DoWR,RD&GR  . Till now 20 CMC meetings have been conducted so far .

(d) to (f) Water conservation is one of the main component of various flagship schemes/ campaigns of the Government mainly including Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM  G)  {previously  names  as  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme (MNREGS)}, Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA:CTR) etc. which are implemented through intersectoral  convergence to promote water conservation. Under MNREGS, the Government has mandated a minimum 65% of the fund allocation  for  water  conservation,  water  harvesting  &  related  works  in  over exploited & critical rural blocks (Dark Zones).

As per the Ministry of Rural Development, a total of 7,153 works, including water conservation and rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks, reuse and recharge structures, watershed  development,  and  intensive  afforestation,  were  completed  in  Siddharthnagar,  Uttar  Pradesh, during the period from 02.03.2025 to 30.11.2025.

VB-G RAM G scheme ingrains  systematic convergence of rural development scheme and public works programe which aims to replace fragmented planning with an integrated model. This is meant to ensure efficient use of resources, avoid duplication and align job creation with broader infrastructure goals.

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