(a) whether the Government has reviewed the progress made in regard to cleaning
of Ganga river in the country under Ganga Action Plan Phase - II;
(b) if so, the details thereof including the expenditure incurred so far; and
(c) the achievement made so far during the phase-II?
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (DR. M. VEERAPPA MOILY)
(a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 272
to be answered on Monday, the 10th February, 2014 on “Ganga Action Plan†by Shri Nimmala
Kristappa and Shri Nama Nageswara Rao.
(a) The efforts towards conservation of rivers started with the launching of the Ganga
Action Plan (GAP) Phase-I in the year 1985. Subsequently, GAP Phase-II was initiated which
included the tributaries of the river Ganga, namely, Yamuna, Gomti and Damodar. The Plan
was expanded to cover other rivers under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in the
year 1995. GAP Phase-II was reviewed in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on 04.11.2008
and it was decided to declare Ganga as the National River and to set up a Ganga River Basin
Authority (NGRBA). Accordingly, in February, 2009, the NGRBA has been constituted as an
empowered, planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority with the objective
to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of river Ganga by adopting a
holistic river basin approach.
(b) & (c) Under GAP-II for main stem of river Ganga, 59 towns in 5 states namely Uttarakhand,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal have been covered for undertaking pollution
abatement works. These works include interception and diversion of raw sewage flowing into
the rivers, setting up of sewage treatment plants for treating the diverted sewage, creating
low cost sanitation facilities, setting up electric/improved wood crematoria and River Front
Development, etc. A total of 314 schemes costing Rs. 591.05 crore were sanctioned, of which
264 schemes have been completed. A total sewage treatment capacity of 229 million liters per
day has been created under GAP-II for river Ganga. Central funds amounting to Rs. 522.11
crore have been released and a total expenditure of Rs. 505.31 crore has been incurred till
December, 2013.