(a) the quantum of funds spent on cleaning of the Ganga River so far;
(b) the progress made in its cleaning and the time by which it is likely to be cleaned fully;
(c) whether the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has argued for the construction of six hydel projects on the upper Ganga, if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the likely impact of the same on the Ganga rejuvenation drive of the Government along with the follow-up action to be taken in the matter?
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION
(SHRI VIJAY GOEL)
(a) Government of India has released Rs. 4321.05 crore till date i.e. 28.02.2017 to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) out of which NMCG has spent Rs. 1984.49 crore.
(b) 143 projects have been sanctioned under Namami Gange Programme (including the existing projects sanctioned under National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) Programme) till 31st January 2017, for cleaning of river Ganga.
NGRBA has resolved that by year 2020 no untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluent will be discharged into River Ganga.
(c)& (d) A report on the six Hydel Projects on Upper Ganga has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change by the Expert Body (EB) which has been constituted vide MoEF&CC’s OM dated 03.06.2015 in pursuance of orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No.6736 of 2013 for carrying out Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) and Carrying Capacity Study (CCS) in upper reaches of river Ganga in the state of Uttarakhand, on 19.10.2015.
The MoEF&CC vide its affidavit dated 05.11.2015 filed the report of EB on the six hydro electric power projects namely Alaknanda HEP, Bhyunder Ganga HEP, Khirao Ganga SHP, Lata Tapovan HEP, Kotlibhel 1A HEP and Jhelam Tamak HEP alongwith a copy of the Expert Body (EB) report in the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
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