(a) whether the Union Government is working on any scheme to make the small rivers and also tributaries clean and perennial;
(b) if so, whether the Union Government is doing this job with the help of State Governments; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and the parameters fixed to identify the rivers to make them clean and perennial?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)
(a) to (c) Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution of rivers by providing financial and technical assistance. Financial assistance is provided under ‘Namami Gange’ Programme for the rivers in Ganga basin and under the National River Conservation Programme (NRCP) for the rivers in other basins.
For rivers outside Ganga basin’, project proposals are received from the State Government from time to time for taking up pollution abatement works in towns along various rivers, and are considered for financial assistance on a cost sharing basis under the NRCP subject to their conformity with the scheme guidelines, pollution status, prioritizations, appraisal by independent institutions and availability of Plan funds. The NRCP has so far covered polluted stretches of 34 rivers in 77 towns spread over 16 States in the country with a sanctioned cost of Rs. 5870.54 crore. A Central share of Rs. 2452.35 crore has been released to the State Governments for implementation of various pollution abatement schemes till date. A sewage treatment capacity (STP) of 2522.03 mld (million litres per day) has been created under the NRCP resulting in reduction in pollution load being discharged into the various rivers.
Under Namami Gange Programme, diverse set of interventions for cleaning and rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries have been taken up. These include treatment of municipal sewage, treatment of industrial effluents, drain bio-remediation, river surface cleaning, rural sanitation, river front development, ghats and crematoria development, afforestation & biodiversity conservation, public outreach programme etc.
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) and Smart Cities Mission of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs of the Union Government.
Further, to control discharge of industrial effluents, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) monitor industries with respect to effluent discharge standards and take action for non-compliance under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
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