Lok Sabha Question No. 2743 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: National River Conservation Plan
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ADVOCATE NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2743

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.05.2016

## National River Conservation Plan

2743. ADV. NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE be pleased to state:

(a) whether a proposal to bring all the rivers under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) is under consideration of the Government;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any consultation is being held with other concerned Ministry in this regard and if so, the details thereof;

(d) the total number  of  rivers in the country and  the existing arrangement  for conservation and management of the rivers; and

- (e) whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  evolve  an  integrated  approach  for conservation of water resources and more effective utilisation of budgetary allocation and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) to (e) The  Water  Resources  Information  System  (WRIS)  database  developed  by Central Water Commission alongwith Indian Space Research Organisation includes 15615 numbers of identified rivers/streams in the country.  As per the report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in February 2015, 302 polluted river stretches have been identified  on  275  rivers  based  on  Bio-chemical  Oxygen  Demand  (BOD)  levels,  a  key indicator of organic pollution.

The efforts towards conservation of rivers started with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan  in the year 1985. Subsequently, the Plan was expanded to cover other rivers objective  to  ensure  effective  abatement  of  pollution  and  conservation  of  river  Ganga  by adopting  a  holistic  river  basin  approach,  National  Ganga  River  Basin  Authority  (NGRBA) has been constituted in February, 2009 as an empowered, planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority.

Conservation  of  rivers  is  an  ongoing  and  collective  effort  of  the  Central  and  State Governments. This Ministry has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in  abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) and NGRBA  (National Ganga River Basin Authority) programmes, for implementation of projects on a cost sharing basis between the Central and  State  Governments. Various pollution  abatement  schemes  taken-up  under  the programmes,  inter-alia  include  interception  &  diversion  of  raw  sewage,  construction  of sewerage  systems,  setting  up  of  sewage  treatment  plants,  low  cost  sanitation  facilities, electric/improved wood crematoria and river front development. The NGRBA programme along  with  work  of  Ganga  &  its  tributaries  is  with  Ministry  of  Water  Resources,  River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR) from 01/08/2014 onwards. Proposals are received from the State Governments from time to time for taking up various pollution abatement works in towns along identified stretches of polluted rivers under the NRCP and sanctioned by this Ministry after due appraisal on the basis of the prescribed Guidelines as well  as  availability  of  budget  allocations  under  these  programmes.    The  programmes  of NRCP & NGRBA (till 31/07/2014) have  so far covered polluted stretches of 43 rivers  in 200 towns spread over 21 States. Sewage treatment capacity of 5169 million litres per day (mld) has been created so far under these two programmes.

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