Lok Sabha Question No. 1366 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-03
Subject: Irregularities in Namami Gange Mission
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, DEVAJIBHAI GOVINDBHAI FATEPARA, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, SAUGATA ROY

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1366

ANSWERED ON 03.03.2016

## IRREGULARITIES IN NAMAMI GANGE MISSION

1366.   SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE

SHRI DEVAJIBHAI G. FATEPARA PROF. SAUGATA ROY

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

- (a) the aims and objectives of implementing the Namami Gange Mission in the country along with the quantum of funds released/utilised thereunder since inception, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has received complaints of irregularities/ corruption in implementation of the said Mission in the country since inception, if so, the details thereof and the action taken/ being taken by the Government thereon so far;
- (c) the mechanism put in place by the Government to monitor the implementation of the Mission towards achieving its aims and objectives within the stipulated time and to check irregularities/corruption therein; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure a complete ban on discharge of industrial effluents and untreated sewerage wastes into the river Ganga along with achievements made so far in its cleaning?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION   (SUSHRI UMA BHARTI)

- (a) The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is the implementing arm of the priorities and national objectives envisaged under National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). It emphasizes on:
- i. Pollution abatement and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management;
- ii. To  maintain  required  ecological  flows  in  the  river  Ganga  to  ensure  water  quality  and environmentally sustainable development.

National  Mission  for  Clean  Ganga  was  formed  in  August,  2011.  The  funds  released/utilized  since inception are as below:

| Funds released to the states till 31.01.2016 since inception of National Mission for Clean Ganga (Amount in Rs. Crore)   | Funds released to the states till 31.01.2016 since inception of National Mission for Clean Ganga (Amount in Rs. Crore)   | Funds released to the states till 31.01.2016 since inception of National Mission for Clean Ganga (Amount in Rs. Crore)   | Funds released to the states till 31.01.2016 since inception of National Mission for Clean Ganga (Amount in Rs. Crore)   | Funds released to the states till 31.01.2016 since inception of National Mission for Clean Ganga (Amount in Rs. Crore)   | Funds released to the states till 31.01.2016 since inception of National Mission for Clean Ganga (Amount in Rs. Crore)   | Funds released to the states till 31.01.2016 since inception of National Mission for Clean Ganga (Amount in Rs. Crore)   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| States                                                                                                                   | 2011-12                                                                                                                  | 2012-13                                                                                                                  | 2013-14                                                                                                                  | 2014-15                                                                                                                  | 2015-16 *                                                                                                                | Grand Total                                                                                                              |
| Bihar                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                          | 0.60                                                                                                                     | 91.14                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                          | 79.02                                                                                                                    | 170.76                                                                                                                   |
| Jharkhand                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                          | 0.50                                                                                                                     | 6.26                                                                                                                     | 0.97                                                                                                                     | 27.83                                                                                                                    | 35.56                                                                                                                    |
| UP                                                                                                                       | 53.44                                                                                                                    | 109.11                                                                                                                   | 92.30                                                                                                                    | 74.58                                                                                                                    | 128.96                                                                                                                   | 458.39                                                                                                                   |
| Uttarakhand                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                          | 12.85                                                                                                                    | 17.05                                                                                                                    | 4.26                                                                                                                     | 24.67                                                                                                                    | 58.82                                                                                                                    |
| West Bengal                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                          | 0.60                                                                                                                     | 48.91                                                                                                                    | 73.85                                                                                                                    | 126.83                                                                                                                   | 250.19                                                                                                                   |
| Haryana                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                          | 30.00                                                                                                                    | 30.00                                                                                                                    |
| Delhi                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                          |                                                                                                                          | 4.96                                                                                                                     | 4.96                                                                                                                     |
| Grand Total                                                                                                              | 53.44                                                                                                                    | 123.65                                                                                                                   | 255.66                                                                                                                   | 153.66                                                                                                                   | 422.27                                                                                                                   | 1,008.68                                                                                                                 |

* Rs.263 crore releases to Ministry of Drinking Water for Swach Bharat (Rural)For the year 2015-16

(b)        To View such matters a committee has been constituted by the ministry with expert members of the National Ganga River Basin Authority participating in the same..

(c)     The monitoring mechanism for the Mission comprises of a three tier mechanism, comprising of a) High level task force chaired by Cabinet Secretary assisted by NMCG at national level, b) State level committee chaired by Chief Secretary assisted by SPMG at state level and c) District level committee chaired by the District Magistrate. It is facilitated by:

- i. An IT enabled web based monitoring mechanism for uploading information / data by various participating institutions and other agencies and will be accessible directly through a clear cut dash board provision for senior officials.
- ii. The  activities  undertaken  by  the  NMCG  are  audited  by  an  appointed  internal  auditor,  the internal audit team and the CAG of India under powers vested under Section 21 of the CAG Act under which a mandatory audit by CAG is undertaken every year.
- iii. NMCG monitors the projects on concurrent basis through its core team, project management consultants, IITs / Engineering Colleges / Universities etc. and third party inspections.
- iv. In  addition,  HLTF  chaired  by  Cabinet  Secretary  also  monitor  the  overall  programme.  The programme status is also considered in the meetings of NGRBA.

(d)                    The  Government  has  taken  several  steps  towards  ensuring  that  the  discharge  of  industrial effluents and untreated waste do not enter river Ganga. As part of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, till 31st December 2015, 96 projects has been sanctioned in 53 towns. These include 58 project related to creation  of  808.23  MLD  new  STP  and  rehabilitation  of  1089.00  MLD  and  laying  /  rehabilitation  of 3627.15 Km sewer network. It is proposed to construct Sewage Treatment Plants in all the 118 towns/ cities located along the main stem and to connect all households to the sewage network.

In addition to the above, CPCB has issued directions for implementing the water conservation and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in 5 key industrial sectors in the Ganga Basin namely distillery, pulp & paper,  sugar,  textile  and  tannery.  This  has  resulted  in  reduction  of  effluent  discharge  by  125  MLD corresponding to 77 tons per day of organic load. Based on compliance verification of effluent discharge standards from industries, CPCB has issued directions under Sec 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to  the  defaulters.  Out  of  the  727  industries  inspected,  directions  were  issued  to  210  industries,  65  of whom  were  closed.  As  a  mechanism  for  verification  of  compliance  of  discharge  standards  from  the industry,  CPCB  has  also  issued  directions  to  the  Grossly  Polluting  Industries  (GPI)  to  install  Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring System (OCEMS). Out of 764 units, 511 units have installed the system. CPCB issued directions  under  section  18(1)(b)  of  the  Water  (Prevention  &  Control  of  Pollution)  Act, 1974 to SPCBs for mandatory Sewage treatment Plants of adequate capacity for treatment and disposal of sewage. CPCB has also issued directions to concerned municipalities / local authorities responsible for sewage management and asked to submit a time bound program for implementing the directions.

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