(a) whether the Government has taken any steps to clean and rejuvenate the Tamirabarani river and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the steps taken by the Government to prevent the discharge of industrial sewage and effluents into the Tamirabarani river; and
(c) the details of quantum of funds allocated for the same?
THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*269 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2020 ON ‘REJUVENATION OF TAMIRABARANI RIVER’ BY SHRI GNANATHIRAVIAM S, M.P.
(a) to (c) It is the responsibility of the State Governments/ concerned local bodies to set-up proper facilities for collection, transportation and treatment of sewage, for abatement of pollution of rivers and other water bodies. The Ministry has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of pollution in identified polluted stretches of rivers under the NRCP, on cost sharing basis between the Central and State Governments. River Tamirabarani in Tamil Nadu has been included under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). This river gets contaminated due to discharge of untreated sewage. For this, Pollution abatement works at Tirunelveli town in Tamil Nadu was sanctioned at a cost of Rs.5492.90 lakhs including a sewage treatment plant (STP) of 24.20 mld capacity.
In compliance to Hon’ble NGT Orders dated 20.09.2018, 19.12.2018 and 08.04.2019 in OA No. 673/2018 to bring all polluted river stretches to at least bathing standard, River Rejuvenation Committee constituted by Tamil Nadu State has prepared action plan for river Tamirabarani.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) regularly monitor industries with respect to effluent discharge standards and take action for non-compliance under provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. As per Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) River Tamirabarani is 128 km long and traverses through two districts namely Tiruneveli and Thoothukudi. One industrial unit in Tiruneveli District namely M/s Madura Coats Private Limited is utilising its treated effluent for greenery development inside the premises and not discharging into river Tamirabarani w.e.f. 04.02.2019. In the District of Thoothukudi, there is no discharge of industrial effluent into the river Tamirabarani.
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