Question : RIVER POLLUTION

(a) the salient features of the policy to control pollution in rivers including the works undertaken during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UTwise;

(b) whether the Government conducts periodic assessment of the quality of water/ pollution level in the rivers;

(c) if so, the details of polluted rivers including the funds allocated/spent to make them pollution free during each of the last three years and the current year along with the outcome thereof, river-wise;

(d) whether various diseases have been reported on account of consumption of contaminated river water and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken thereon; and

(e) the concrete action plan of the Government to check the pollution of rivers in the country?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION (PROF.SANWAR LAL JAT)

(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.52 TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, THE 26TH FEBRUARY, 2015 ON ‘RIVER POLLUTION’ RAISED BY COL. SONARAM CHOUDHARY AND SHRI DALPAT SINGH PARASTE.

(a) Pollution abatement of rivers is an ongoing and collective effort of the Central & State Governments. It is the responsibility of the State Governments/ concerned local bodies to set up proper facilities for collection and treatment of sewage generated and ensuring that it is not discharged into the rivers. Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and this Ministry are supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of pollution in rivers under different programmes. Financial and technological support is being provided for various pollution abatement schemes under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) & National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) programmes, which presently cover polluted stretches of 42 rivers spread over 21 States. Projects sanctioned for under- taking works during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise are listed at Annexure–I.

(b)&(c) Yes, Madam. As per periodic assessment of the quality of water/ pollution level in the rivers condu- cted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 150 polluted stretches have been identified covering 121 rivers in the country. River-wise allocation of funds for necessary expenditure by the States to make them pollution free during each of the last three years and the current year along with the outcome thereof in terms of sewage treatment capacity created are listed at Annexure – II.

(d) Yes, Madam. About 80% of diseases are water borne and occur on account of consumption of contaminated water from all kind of water sources including river. However, specific report(s) about occurrences of di- seases due to consumption of contaminated river water in the country are dealt with appropriately by the Government, as detailed herein.

(e) Apart from supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers under the ongoing NRCP and NGRBA programmes, “Namami Gange”, an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission has been set up under NGRBA for rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries. Incorporating the existing projects under the NGRBA, the Ganga rejuvenation plan provides for ‘Short-term’ (3 years), ‘Medium-term’ (5 years) and ‘Long-term’ (10 years and more) action plan with the collabo- ration of different ministries and states. The Ministry of Urban Development and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation have also drawn action plans under ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ (Urban and Rural) to address the sanitation issues, which will minimise the domestic/ municipal pollution load in the rivers of the country. The Central Pollution Control Board has issued directions to the polluting industries for mitigation of industrial pollution in rivers.