MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) to (c) Yes, National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has
become fully functional. Government of India has constituted the
National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in February 2009
under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The mandate of the NGRBA are (a) ensuring effective abatement
of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting
a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination
for comprehensive planning and management; and (b) maintaining
environmental flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring
water quality and environmentally sustainable development. NGRBA
has been mandated as a planning, financing, monitoring and
coordinating authority for strengthening the collective
efforts of the Central and State governments for effective
abatement of pollution and conservation of river Ganga so
as to ensure that by the year 2020 no untreated municipal
sewage or industrial effluent will flow into the river
Ganga.
Since inception of the programme, 53 schemes in 43 towns of the 5
basin states for an estimated cost of Rs. 2598.47 crores have been
sanctioned under the NGRBA Programme, out of which Rs. 496.72
crores have been released, as of June, 2012, for implementation
of the projects. The present status is as below:
Status of NGRBA Projects in the Basin States (As of June, 2012)
Rs. in crores
S. No. State Total STP Total release Sanctioned capacity of fund costs (in mld) (GoI & State)
1 Uttarakhand 155.6 31.3 37.23 (15 projects in 11 towns)
2 Uttar Pradesh 1341.6 313 257.64 (7 projects in 5 towns)
3 Bihar 441.86 82 35.37 (4 projects in 4 towns)
4 West Bengal 659.41 44.23 166.48 (27 projects in 23 towns)
TOTAL 2598.47 470.53 496.72
(d) to (e) Government has not received any suggestions regarding scraping
of NGRBA.
(f) to (g) Government has no plan to set up a museum regarding the origin
and evolution of the river Ganga. However, one Ganga Knowledge Centre (GKC)
is being setup initially to undertake activities that would help enhance
the quality of implementation of the NGRBA program. Its key objectives will
be to (i) create and manage knowledge resources; (ii) design and foster
research and innovations; and (iii) facilitate stakeholder dialogues.
The GKC shall be located in Delhi, as an integral part of the National
Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) setup with an initial node at Varanasi.
This node will eventually be known for its “Ganga gallery†showcasing
the rich history and culture of the people in the basin and their
relation with the holy river through high quality exhibits.
