Lok Sabha Question No. 2924 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: National River Conservation Plan
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: MEHBOOBA MUFTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2924

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2016

## National River Conservation Plan

## 2924. MS. MEHBOOBA MUFTI:

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

- (a) whether the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) is being implemented in 20 States of the country for restoration and conservation of various important rivers and if so, the details thereof and the achievements made so far in this regard; and
- (b) whether the River Jhelum in Kashmir is facing a massive threat of degradation which became evident during September 2014 devastating floods and needs immediate measures and funding for restoration and conservation and if so, the action taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) It is the responsibility of the State Governments/ concerned local bodies to set up proper facilities  for  collection,  transportation  and  treatment  of  sewage  being  generated and ensure that untreated sewage does not fall into the rivers thereby polluting them. This Ministry has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of  pollution  in  identified  stretches  of  various  rivers  under  National  River  Conservation Plan (NRCP) and NGRBA (National Ganga River Basin Authority) programmes. 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. The programmes of NRCP & NGRBA  (till  01/08/2014)  have    covered  polluted  stretches  of  43  rivers  in  200  towns spread  over  21  States  at  a  sanctioned  cost  of ` 12202.59  crore  so  far.  Sewage treatment  capacity  of  5169  million  litres  per  day  (mld)  has  been  created  so  far  under these two programmes.
- (b) The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation has informed  that  Central  assistance  of ` 114.64  crore  has  been  released  to  the  State Government of Jammu & Kashmir for 4 projects for river Jhelum under their FMP (Flood Management Plan) scheme.  After the 2014 flood, another flood management project namely  'Priority  works-Comprehensive  plan  for  flood  management  works  on  Jhelum, Phase-I'  at  an  estimated  cost  of ` 399.29  crore  has  been  cleared  by  the  Advisory Committee of MoWR,RD&GR in May, 2015.  The components of this project include increasing  capacity  of  existing    Flood  Spill  Channel  (FSC),  increasing  drainage capability of Jhelum in the city reach by channelization of the river, removal of garbage dumps, providing retaining wall and toe protection at vulnerable spots, etc.

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