Question : Rejuvenation of Dying Rivers

(a) whether most of the rivers in the country are drying up/dying and decline in the flow of water in the rivers has been registered;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor, river and State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government has conducted any survey/study in this regard, if so, the details and outcome thereof;

(d) whether the Government has any plan to rejuvenate/develop and clean the rivers in the country including dying rivers;

(e) if so, the details thereof, State/UT and river-wise including Krishna, Godavari, Mandakini, Tavi and Chenab rivers; and

(f) the other steps/measures taken by the Government in this regard ?

MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a) to (c) There are two types of rivers in the country- perennial rivers, in which water remains available throughout the year and non-perennial rivers, which are rain-fed rivers and in which water flows only during the rainfall period. The flow in the river is dynamic parameter and depends on many sub-parameters such as rainfall, its distribution and intensity in the catchment, catchment characteristics and withdrawals/utilization of water. Central Water Commission (CWC) carries out hydrological observations on all important/major rivers in the country. As per information available in CWC, considering annual average flows of last 20 years, no increasing/decreasing trend in water availability was found in major rivers in the country.

(d) to (f) 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 plant (STP) 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.

For pollution abatement of river Krishna, works have been taken up in 2 towns of Maharashtra at a sanctioned cost of Rs.28.74 crore and STP capacity of 55 mld has been created under NRCP. For pollution abatement of river Godavari, works have been taken up in 7 towns in Andhra Pradesh, Telengana & Maharashtra at a sanctioned cost of Rs.118.74 crore and STP capacity of 185.46 mld has been created under NRCP. For pollution abatement of river Mandakini at Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, works at a sanctioned cost of Rs.6.20 crore have been taken up for creation of 4.7 mld STP capacity (as Mandakini is a tributary of Ganga, this work is being handled by Ministry of Water Resources & River Development from 01.08.2014 onwards). No proposals have been sanctioned under NRCP from the State Governments for abatement of pollution of Tawi & Chenab rivers.

State Governments, apart from their own budgetary allocation, are also accessing financial assistance for creation of sewerage infrastructure, including sewage treatment plants, in various cities/towns under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) & Smart Cities Mission programmes of Ministry of Urban Development and the ‘Namami Gange’ programme of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

To control discharge of industrial effluents, the CPCB and respective State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees monitor industries with respect to effluents 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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