(a)whether the Department of Atomic Energy is participating as a technology provider/adviser in water analysis aspects of the National Mission for Clean Ganga;
(b)if so, the details thereof;
(c)the contribution made by the Department in Clean Ganga Mission; and
(d)the extent to which the success has been achieved to clean the holy river Ganga so far?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH) :
(a)&(b) Under National Mission for Clean Ganga, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is involved in water quality assessment along with other national laboratories.
The Department’s membrane based water/ effluent treatment systems have potential to play a vital role in National Mission on Clean Ganga. Apart from this, radiotracer techniques can be applied to evaluate dumping sites for dredged sediments during development of shipping corridors along various sectors of the Ganga river. In short, DAE can play an important role in National Mission for Clean Ganga as technology provider/ technical adviser as well as participate in awareness program.
Assessment of heavy metal profile in ground water samples of four districts of Uttar Pradesh (Kushinagar, Ballia, Deoria & Gorakhpur) was carried out. Also chromium (VI) content in Ganga water at Allahabad was carried out at parts per billion level.
(c)&(d) DAE has been actively involved in the development of technologies for municipal and industrial waste water treatment, since these effluents constitute about 95% of the Ganga pollution. Elimination of these pollutants right at the source is therefore a sustainable strategy in cleaning Ganga. Technologies developed by DAE in this context include (a) Grannular biomass technology, (b) Phototropic biomass technology, (c) Membrane technology, (d) sludge hygienisation technology using gamma rays and (e) Electron beam technology for treating textile industry waste. These technologies can be utilised in a centralised / decentralised manner. However, work directly connected to Ganga Cleaning has not been taken up by DAE so far.
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