Lok Sabha Question No. 1569 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-03
Subject: Discharge of Effluents into Lakes
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: MEENAKASHI LEKHI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1569

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.05.2016

## Discharge of Effluents into Lakes

1569.  SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI:

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

- (a) the details and number of lakes which are situated in and around metropolitan cities across the country;
- (b) whether the Government is aware of the repeated effluent and sewer  discharge into these local water bodies; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) According to National Wetland Inventory Atlas published by the Space Application  Centre,  Ahmedabad  in  2011,  there  are  a  total  of  7,57,060  wetlands, including lakes and other water bodies, in the country. However, no specific inventory of lakes in and around the 46 metropolitan cities (as per 2011 Census) has not been prepared.

(b) &  (c)  A  few  lakes  in  and  around  metropolitan  cities  have  been  impacted  due  to disposal of partially/untreated sewage and industrial effluents.

It  is  responsibility  of  the  State  Governments/concerned  local  bodies  for  proper treatment  and  disposal  of  sewage  generated  so  that  the  untreated  sewage  is  not discharged in lakes and other water bodies, thereby polluting them.  This Ministry is supplementing the efforts of the States for conservation of identified lakes which are polluted and degraded under the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP).  To have better  synergy  and  avoid  overlap,  the  NLCP  has  been  merged  with  the  scheme  of National  Wetland  Conservation  Programme  (NWCP)  in  February,  2013  into  an integrated scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA), which is presently operational on cost sharing basis between the Central and the State

Governments.  So  far,  projects  for  conservation  63  lakes  in  14  States  have  been sanctioned at a total cost of Rs. 1096.09 crore  under  NLCP/NPCA  and  Rs.635.902 crore  has  been  released  to  the  concerned  States.  The  projects  sanctioned  under NLCP / NPCA also include works for conservation of some lakes in the metropolitan cities of Bengaluru, Thane, Jaipur, Udaipur, Srinagar and Kolkata.

CPCB has issued directions under Section 18 1(b) of the Water (Prevention and Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974  in  April,  2015  to  all  State  Pollution  Control  Boards (SPCBs)  /  Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs)  regarding  setting  up  off  sewage treatment plants and utilization of sewage generated in their respective States. CPCB has also issued directions in October, 2015 to 46 municipal authorities of metropolitan cities under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for proper treatment and disposal of sewage for restoration of water quality of water bodies, including lakes.

To  regulate  discharge  of  industrial  effluents,  CPCB  and  respective  SPCBs  / PCCs monitor industries with respect to effluents discharge standards and take action for  non-compliance under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. To improve the compliance by industries, directions  have  been  issued  to  specific  industries  to  install  online  24x7  effluent monitoring devices. Steps have also been taken by CPCB to promote low waste and no-waste  concepts  leading  to  'Zero  Liquid  Discharge'  by  grossly  water  polluting industries.

****