Lok Sabha Question No. 171 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-21
Subject: Pollution of Ganga and Yamuna Rivers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU, NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN, INNOCENT

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.171

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2015

Pollution of Ganga and Yamuna Rivers

## 171.  SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

SHRI P.K. BIJU:

SHRI NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN:

SHRI INNOCENT:

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

- (a) whether the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers are being polluted by the large number of industries, institutions etc. located on its banks and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any action against these industries, institutions etc. found polluting the rivers during 2014 and 2015, so far;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, river and industry/institution-wise;
- (d) the  mechanism  put  in  place  by  the  Government  to  check  large  scale  discharge  of untreated sewage and industrial effluents into the rivers by the industries/institutions etc. and to monitor their activities along with the extent to which such mechanism has been functioning effectively; and
- (e) whether several programmes launched by the Government to clean the Ganga and the Yamuna have not been able to achieve the desired results, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the concrete measures being taken by the Government to address the issue?

## ANSWER

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

(a)to(c) Yes  Sir, The  Central Pollution Control Board  (CPCB)  under  the  Pollution Inventorization Assessment and Surveillance Project  has inventorised 764 Grossly Polluted  Industries  (GPI)  along  the  main  stem  of  River  Ganga.  The  CPCB  has issued  directions  under  Section  5  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  to  200 industries  and  under  Section  18(1)  (b)  of  the  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1974 to 178 industries for improvement. The CPCB has also issued closure directions to 68 units. In compliance to the directions of Hon'ble National Green  Tribunal,  the  Uttar  Pradesh  State  Pollution  Control  Board  has  also  issued closure directions to 98 tanneries for operating without the consent of the Board.

The Central Pollution Control Board has also conducted comprehensive study on  river  Yamuna.  As  per  the  study  conducted  by  CPCB,  wastewater  generation mainly  from  domestic  sources  is  about  3800  MLD  whereas  the  present  installed treatment  capacity  is  2603  MLD  leaving  much  of  the  waste  water  untreated.  The CPCB  regularly  monitors  the  drains  in  Delhi  discharging  wastewater  to  river Yamuna and submit report to Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.

- (d)&(e) The CPCB has issued directions to all the GPI units to install Real Time Monitoring Systems for the effluents. For prevention and control of industrial pollution in river Ganga  sector  specific  programmes  have  been  launched  for  distilleries,  pulp  and paper,  sugar,  textile  and  tanneries.  The  action  plans  are  implemented  for  water conservation  and  achieving  Zero  Liquid  Discharge  (ZLD).  As  a  part  of  selfregulating monitoring, the CPCB has directed all the Ganga Basin States to install continuous effluent online monitoring devices. Further, for prevention of pollution of Yamuna River, Common Effluent Treatment Plants located in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are being upgraded for achieving ZLD. The Government is taking several measures under Namami Gange programme for the cleaning of rivers Ganga and Yamuna, which include (i) sanction of `20,000 crore for Namami Gange program for  five  years  (ii)  complete  sewerage  infrastructure  for  118  towns  along  the  main stem of River Ganga, and (iii) 100% Capital cost and Operations and Maintenance cost for the initial 10 years in Namami Gange projects.

******