Lok Sabha Question No. 4280 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-11
Subject: Agreements for Cleaning of Ganga River
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: GANESH SINGH, B. SREERAMULU

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4280

ANSWERED ON 11.08.2016

## AGREEMENTS FOR CLEANING OF GANGA RIVER

†4280.

SHRI GANESH SINGH SHRI B. SRIRAMULU

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

- (a) whether the Government has signed any agreements with other countries for cleaning of the Ganga river;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the quantum of funds received for this purpose so far;
- (d) the names of various works started/ to be started under the said agreements; and
- (e) the timeline fixed for completion of Ganga river cleaning along with the steps taken in this direction so far?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a), (b) & (d)    Madam, several countries have offered technical assistance for Namami Gange Programme. At present, the Government has signed an implementation agreement with Germany for 3 Million Euro.  GIZ Germany will under take activities including knowledge sharing/exchange, data and information management and public outreach.

- (c)  Funds received for this purpose so far are nil.
- (e)   The Namami Gange programme is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

As on 30th June 2016,  97 projects  has  been  sanctioned  under  Namami  Gange  programme  (including  the existing  projects  sanctioned  under  NGRBA  programme)  in  53  towns  at  an  estimated  project  cost  of  Rs. 8588.21  crore.  Out  of  these,  12  projects  are  sanctioned  exclusively  under  new  components  of  Namami Gange  programme  at  a  sanctioned  cost  of  Rs.351.42  crore.The  Government  recently  launched  231  entry level  and  medium  term  projects  under  Namami  Gange  on  7th  July,  2016.  These  projects  include  Ghat Development, Crematoria, setting up of Sewage treatment plants, afforestation etc.

Apart from above, 'River Surface and Ghat Cleaning' programme using trash skimmer has been taken up initially in 6  cities namely Mathura-Vrindavan, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna and New Delhi under the Namami Gange programme. Also, 5 central public sector units namely WAPCOS, EIL, NBCC, NPCC, EPIL have been recently engaged to carry out the work of condition Assessment & Feasibility Study and Entry  level  activities  under  Namami  Gange  Programme  in  their  respective  river  stretches  in  Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. 59 towns have been surveyed so far and 27 pre-feasibility reports prepared  and  received.  The  other  activities  taken  up  under  entry  level  activities  include  repair  and modernization  of  Ghats,  provision  of  public  amenities,  village  level  drain  (VLD)  treatment,  repair  and modernization  of  crematoria,  etc.  1242  ghats,  369  crematoria  and  411  VLDs  identified  so  far  from  the surveys and out of these 191 Ghats and 64 Crematoria have been recommended by Empowered Steering Committee (ESC) till date.

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