The Ganga river water quality shows improvement over its pre-Ganga Action Plan period water quality due to the schemes completed under GAP I. A total of 259 projects of pollution abatement covering 23 towns in three northern states have been completed in GAP-I.Under this plan sewage treatment capacity of 865 million liters per day has been created. The composition of lean season average (March to June) values for Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), the major indicators of water quality, for 1986 and 2005 shows a perceptible improvement during the period all along the stretch of river Ganga.
GAP I was formulated on the basis of a comprehensive survey of the Ganga basin carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 1984. According to the CPCB survey, the total sewage generated from 25 Class I towns in 1985 was estimated as 1340 million liters per day (mld). A total of 261 projects of pollution abatement covering these 25 towns in three States were sanctioned under this Plan. The remaining two projects of sewage treatment plants in Bihar (STPs at Patna & Munger) are in the final stage of completion. The GAP I was declared closed in 31st March, 2000.
The water quality monitoring of the river has been done by independent reputed Institutes like Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, Indian Toxicological Research Centre (ITRC), Lucknow, etc. It is observed that inspite of a phenomenal increase in population in the urban centers located upstream on the river Ganga, there is a perceptible improvement in terms of BOD and DO of the river during this period at all the major locations of the river.
After closing GAP- in March ,2000 ,Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided technical assistance for the Development Study relating to “Water Quality Management Plan for Ganga” with focus along stretches of four towns namely, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad and Varanasi. The study basically envisaged formulation of the Master Plans and Feasibility Studies for the sewerage (including sewage treatment) and non-sewerage components for the four towns . These Master Plans and Feasibility Studies have been prepared by the JICA Study Team in close collaboration and consultation with UP Government and its concerned agencies in the four towns as well as taking into account the work already done and presently being done in these towns under National River Conservation Plan ( NRCP ).
The JICA Study Team had submitted the Master Plan and Feasibility studies report for the sewerage and non-sewerage works in Varanasi town in the first phase during 2004-05 based upon which the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) have signed an agreement with the Government of India for providing loan for taking up the pollution abatement schemes of the river Ganga in this town at an estimated cost of Rs.540 crore (13.248 billion Yen). The final Feasibility Study Reports for the remaining three towns of Allahabad, Kanpur & Lucknow, after incorporating the comments of the concerned organizations, have also been submitted by JICA. The project proposals for these three towns have are with JBIC for funding and to be included in their Rolling Plan package for FY 2006-07.
It is expected that with taking up of pollution abatement works in these four towns with the assistance from JBIC in a phased manner, the water quality of river Ganga would show further improvement in its polluted stretch between Kannauj and Varanasi.Intensive work is being taken up between Kannauj and Kanpur as pollution by large number of industries located in these two towns is larger than any other area.
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KP/KC
(Release ID :21091)