Question : POLLUTION IN GANGA RIVER

(a) the extent of pollution in the Ganga river at Hardwar, Allahabad, Patna and Calcutta at the time of launching of Ganga Action Plan and at present; and

(b) the time by which the Ganga river is likely to be pollution free?

MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI T.R.BAALU)

(a)&(b) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement referred to Parts(a) & (b) of reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 403 to be answered on 18.12.2000 on Pollution in Ganga River

(a) The extent of pollution in river Ganga at Hardwar, Allahabad, Patna and Calcutta with respect to pollution indicators namely, Dissolved Oxygen(DO) and Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand(BOD) in the years 1986 just after the start of Ganga Action Plan and 1999 during critical periods of summer, was measured as follows:-

S.NO. LOCATION DO(mg/l) BOD(mg/l) DO(mg/l) BOD(mg/l) 1989 1999

1. Hardwar 8.1 1.8 8.6 1.2
2. Allahabad 6.6 15.5 7.9 3.2
3. Patna 8.1 2.2 7.8 2.4
4. Calcutta 6.9 2.1 6.6 2.2 at Uluberia

The desired standards fixed by the Central Pollution Control Board for Ganga for these two parameters are BOD as 3 mg/l(maximum) and DO as 5 mg/l(minimum).

(b) The Ganga Action Plan has been taken up in two phases. Under the Phase-I started in 1985, a total 835 million litres per day of sewage has been tackled. Under Ganga Action Plan phase-II, which is already under implementation 1861 million litres per day of sewage is to be tackled. The Ganga river can be expected to be pollution free only after the Ganga Action Plan phase-II is completed in 2005 and a minimum flow in the river is maintained to allow the necessary dilution of treated waste water discharged into the river.