Lok Sabha Question No. 2696 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-02
Subject: Pollution in Ganga
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: REKHA ARUN VERMA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2696

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2016

## Pollution in Ganga

2696. SHRIMATI REKHAVERMA:

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

- (a) whether  the Government has conducted any survey of increasing pollution in the big rivers including Ganga and Yamuna through Pollution Control Research Institute;
- (b) if  so, the details thereof along with the recommendations made by the Pollution Control Research Institute;
- (c) the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  tackle  the  rising pollution in the rivers; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  funds  allocated  and  spent  under  the  Heads  of  Ganga  and Yamuna Action Plan and other related Heads?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) &  (b) The  Pollution  Control  Research  Institute  in  Hardwar  (Uttarakhand)  has informed that it has not carried out any comprehensive study on increasing pollution in major rivers of the country, including Ganga and Yamuna.
- (c) Proper treatment and disposal of sewage generated in towns is the responsibility of the concerned State Governments/local bodies so that the untreated sewage is not discharged into 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 the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) & NGRBA (National Ganga  River  Basin  Authority)  programme,  for  implementation  of  projects  on  a  cost sharing basis between  the Central  and  State  Governments. 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  major  steps  taken  to  control  water  pollution  include; Preparation of action plan for sewage management and restoration of water quality in aquatic  resources  by  State  Governments;  installation  of  Online  Effluent  Monitoring

System;  action  to  comply  with  effluent  standards  by  SPCBs  /  PCCs;  installation  of Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units; issuance of directions for implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge; issuance of directions under Section  5  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  to  industries  and  under  Section 18(1)(b) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to SPCBs/PCCs etc.

(d) The programmes of NRCP &  NGRBA have  covered polluted stretches of 43 rivers in 200 towns spread over 21 States, at a sanctioned cost of  Rs. 12202.59 crore so  far  and  an  amount  of  Rs.5276.56  crore  has  been  released  to  various  State Governments for abatement of pollution in the rivers, including Rs. 2971.12 crores for rivers  Ganga  and  Yamuna.  Since  01.08.2014,  Rs.1914.46  crore  has  further  been released by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation to the State Governments for pollution abatement of Ganga and Yamuna.

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