Lok Sabha Question No. 376 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-19
Subject: Pollution in Rivers/Lakes
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 376

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2016

## Pollution in Rivers/Lakes

## 376. SHRI RAJU SHETTY:

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

(a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme for prevention of pollution in rivers, ponds and lakes;

(b) if so, the funds allocated to various agencies for implementation of programmes relating to prevention of pollution in rivers, lakes and ground water all over the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;

(c) whether the funds allocated/ sanctioned in this regard have been utilised for the purpose for which it was provided; and

(d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the  steps taken by the Government to ensure proper utilisation of funds meant for prevention of pollution?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a)  to (d) Pollution abatement of rivers, lakes & ponds  is a continuous and ongoing process. 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, lakes & ponds 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.  The  NGRBA  programme  along  with  work  of  Ganga  &  its tributaries is with Ministry of Water Resources, River Development &  Ganga Rejuvenation  from  01/08/2014  onwards.  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 at a sanctioned cost of ` 12202.59 crore and sewage treatment capacity of  5169  million  litres  per  day  (mld)  has  been  created  so  far  under  these  two programmes.  The  details of funds released to various State Governments  for implementation of pollution abatement schemes during the last three years under the NRCP/NGRBA,  State-wise  are  at  Annexure-I.    During  the  current  financial  year,  no funds  have  been  released  to  the  State  Governments  so  far  under  the  NRCP programme.

The Government has in 2014 also initiated an  Integrated  Ganga Conservation Mission - 'Namami Gange' under the NGRBA programme for consolidating the ongoing efforts  &  planning  for  an  integrated  and  comprehensive  action  plan  for  pollution abatement and rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries.

For  conservation  and  management  of  identified  lakes  and  wetlands  in  the country, this Ministry had been earlier implementing two separate programmes, namely National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and National Wetland Conservation Programme  (NWCP).    To  have  better  synergy  and  to  avoid  overlap,  both  the programmes  have  been  merged  in  February,  2013  into  a  new  integrated  scheme  of National  Plan  for  Conservation  of  Aquatic  Eco-systems  (NPCA).  So  far  projects  for conservation of 63 lakes in 14 States have been sanctioned at a total cost of ` 1096.09 crores under the NLCP/NPCA, and work of 33 lakes has been completed.  Under the NWCP/NPCA, so far an amount of ` 146.94 crore has been released for undertaking various wetland conservation activities.  State-wise details of funds released to various State Governments under NPCA during the last three years are at Annexure-II.  During the current financial year, no funds have been released to the State Governments so far under the programme.

The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is also implementing the scheme of Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of water bodies, including ponds and tanks, which aims at improving catchment areas of tanks commands,  increase  in  storage  capacity,  ground  water  recharge,  improvement  in agriculture and increased availability of drinking water.

Funds for implementation of pollution abatement schemes under NRCP & NPCA are  released  by  this  Ministry  in  a  phased  manner  to  the  concerned  States  based  on progress  of  work  and  on  receipt  of  Utilization  Certificates  as  well  as  Physical  and Financial Progress Reports from the States.  The reports on physical progress of works as  well  as  Utilization  Certificates  are  examined  and  unspent  balances  are  taken  into account  before  releasing  the  next  installment  of  funds.    In  addition,  regular  review  of progress  of  implementation  of  schemes  by  Central  Government/State  Government officers, including undertaking site visits, is carried out.

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## Annexure-I referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 376 to be answered on Tuesday, the 19 th  July, 2016 on 'Pollution in Rivers/Lakes'

Details of funds released under National River Conservation Plan & National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) programmes during the last three years

| S. No.   | State         | Funds released (   | Funds released (   | ₹ in crore   |
|----------|---------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------|
|          |               | 2013-14            | 2014-15 *          | 2015-16      |
| 1        | Bihar         | 91.14              | --                 | --           |
| 2        | Jharkhand     | 6.26               | --                 | --           |
| 3        | Kerala        | --                 | --                 | 5.00         |
| 4        | Gujarat       | --                 | 44.00              | 24.12        |
| 5        | Maharashtra   | 22.42              | --                 | 04.99        |
| 6        | Punjab        | 98.04              | 28.80              | 17.61        |
| 7        | Haryana       | 10.00              | 10.46              | --           |
| 8        | Uttar Pradesh | 133.80             | 30.08              | --           |
| 9        | Uttarakhand   | 17.05              | 3.00               | --           |
| 10       | West Bengal   | 48.90              | --                 | --           |
| 11       | Sikkim        | 15.00              | --                 | 1.00         |
| 12       | Nagaland      | --                 | --                 | 10.00        |
| Total    | Total         | 442.61             | 116.34             | 62.72        |

## Annexure-II referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 376 to be answered on Tuesday, the 19 th  July, 2016 on 'Pollution in Rivers/Lakes'

Details of funds released under National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) during the last three years

| S.No.   | State           | Funds released (   | Funds released (   | ₹ in rore)c   |
|---------|-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------|
|         |                 | 2013-14            | 2014-15            | 2015-16       |
| 1       | Maharashtra     | 0.40               | -                  | -             |
| 2       | Gujarat         | -                  | -                  | 1.59          |
| 3       | Haryana         | 0.22               | 0.63               | 0.29          |
| 4       | Jammu & Kashmir | 30.32              | -                  | 15.00         |
| 5       | Madhya Pradesh  | -                  | 2.50               | 4.90          |
| 6       | Manipur         | 1.32               | 0.60               | 0.47          |
| 7       | Mizoram         | 0.52               | 0.79               | 1.08          |
| 8       | Odisha          | 0.79               | -                  | -             |
| 9       | Puducherry      | 0.24               | -                  | 0.42          |
| 10      | Punjab          | 0.38               | -                  | 1.52          |
| 11      | Rajasthan       | 0.17               | 25.66              | 10.95         |
| 12      | Sikkim          | -                  | -                  | 0.78          |
| 13      | Tamil Nadu      | 0.59               | 0.31               | -             |
| 14      | Uttar Pradesh   | 16.39              | 5.07               | 1.24          |
| 15      | West Bengal     | 0.93               | -                  | 0.92          |
| 16      | Nagaland        | 3.00               | 1.11               | -             |
|         | Total           | 55.27              | 36.67              | 39.16         |