MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)
(a) As per the report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in March, 2015, the sewage generation from urban areas in the country is estimated at 61,948 million litres per day (mld), whereas the total sewage treatment capacity available is only 23,277 mld, or 37% of the sewage generation. The State-wise details of sewage generation from urban areas and corresponding treatment capacity available is at Annexure-I. The remaining untreated sewage of around 38,671 mld either flows into rivers and other water bodies or percolates into the ground.
(b) & (c) It is the responsibility of the State Governments/ concerned local bodies to set up facilities for collection, transportation and treatment of sewage for abatement of pollution of rivers. This Ministry has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), which has covered polluted stretches of 31 rivers in 75 towns spread over 14 States at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 4517.82 crore. So far, Central share of Rs. 2066.98 crore has been released to the State Governments for implementation of various pollution abatement schemes and sewage treatment capacity of 2446.24 mld (million litres per day) has been created under the NRCP. The details of rivers covered so far under NRCP, State-wise are at Annexure-II.
State Governments, apart from their own budgetary allocation, are also accessing financial assistance for creation of sewerage infrastructure, including sewage treatment plants (STPs), in various cities/towns under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) programme of Ministry of Urban Development and the Namami Gange programme of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions under Section 18 1(b) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 in April, 2015 to the State Pollution Control Board/Pollution Control Committees regarding setting up of sewage treatment plants and utilization of sewage generated in their respective States. CPCB has also issued directions in October, 2015 to 69 municipal authorities of metropolitan cities and state capitals under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for proper treatment and disposal of sewage generated in their jurisdiction.
(d) Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of STPs is the responsibility of the State Governments/concerned urban local bodies. The main reasons for under utilization of STPs are poor operation & maintenance by the concerned State agencies due to shortage of funds for preventive maintenance, unskilled manpower, frequent power failures, lack of proper power back-up arrangements to run the STPs, absence of adequate sewerage systems, etc. Under NRCP, financial assistance is now being provided for laying of sewerage systems, capacity building and training of the agencies engaged in O&M of STPs. The State Governments and its concerned agencies are also taking corrective measures to ensure adherence to standards of treatment and discharge, which include provision of independent feeders for power supply, back-up power arrangements, resource recovery from sale of sludge and utilization of biogas, levying of user charges, etc.
(e) Various pollution abatement works taken up under NRCP, inter-alia, include interception & diversion of raw sewage, construction of sewerage systems, including interceptor sewers wherever feasible and required.
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