THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)
(a) & (b) : The report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the data collected therein, is the guiding document to assess the pollution in various stretches of rivers in the country. CPCB in association with the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) monitors water quality of rivers and other water bodies in the country through a network of monitoring stations under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP). Based on water quality monitoring results, pollution assessment of rivers has been carried out by CPCB from time to time. Rivers in the country are polluted due to discharge of untreated and partially treated domestic sewage from cities/towns and industrial effluents in their respective catchments, problems in operation and maintenance of sewage and industrial effluent treatment plants, lack of dilution and other non-point sources of pollution. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have compounded the problem. So far, CPCB has adopted the criteria of Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as an indicator to assess the quality of water in rivers and pollution levels.
Presently, CPCB under NWMP monitors water quality of rivers at 2018 locations in the country. Based on the assessment of water quality data for the year 2016 & 2017, CPCB in its report of September 2018, identified 351 polluted river stretches on 323 rivers in 29 States and 2 Union Territories (UTs). State/UT wise details of polluted river stretches is given at Annexure. As per CPCB, the data collected by Central Water Commission (CWC) with regard to the assessment of water quality in rivers have also been referred by the Board in their report.
It was informed by CPCB that the data published by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is not available with them, as the Board was not involved in publication of the same by CSE.
(c) to (f) : It is the primary responsibility of the States/UTs/ Local Bodies and Industrial Units to ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed standards before discharging into water bodies, seas or land to prevent and control of pollution therein. Cleaning and rejuvenation of rivers are ongoing activities. This Ministry has been supplementing efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers (except Ganga) in the country through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). Rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries is undertaken through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange programme.
NRCP has so far covered polluted stretches on 35 rivers in 78 towns spread over 16 States in the country with the project sanctioned cost of Rs. 6142.12 crore, and inter-alia, a sewage treatment capacity of 2745.70 MLD has been created. Under the Namami Gange programme, a total of 374 projects including 161 projects for sewage treatment capacity of 5015.26 MLD and sewer network of 5134 km have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 31098.00 crore.
Details of expenditure incurred for cleaning of rivers in the country by this Ministry during last three years and current year are as under:
(in Rs.crore)
Financial Year National River Conservation Plan Namami Gange Programme
Expenditure Incurred
2019-20 136.66 2673.09
2020-21 99.87 1339.97
2021-22 202.32 1892.70
2022-23* 8.53 685.13
Total 447.38 6590.89
*Upto 30th June, 2022
In addition to these, sewerage infrastructure is also created under programs like Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
As per the Provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution), Act 1974, industrial units are required to install effluent treatment plants (ETPs) and treat their effluents to comply with stipulated environmental standards, before discharging into river and water bodies. Accordingly, CPCB, SPCBs and PCCs monitor industries with respect to effluent discharge standards and take punitive action for non-compliance under provisions of these Acts.
Additionally, in compliance of the orders of Hon’ble National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Original Application No.673/2018 regarding rejuvenation of polluted river stretches in the country, States/UTs are required to implement approved action plans for restoration of the polluted stretches in their jurisdiction as identified by CPCB and published in their report of 2018, within the stipulated timelines. As per the orders of NGT, regular review on implementation of these action plans is undertaken in the States/UTs and the same is also done at the Central level by Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India.
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ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 862 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2022 ON “INCREASING POLLUTION IN RIVERS”.
State/UT-wise & Priority wise number of Polluted River Stretches
S. No. STATE/UNION TERRITORY PRIORITY Grand Total
I II III IV V
1 ANDHRA PRADESH - - - 2 3 5
2 ASSAM 3 1 4 3 33 44
3 BIHAR - - 1 - 5 6
4 CHHATTISGARH - - - 4 1 5
5 DAMAN, DIU AND DADRA NAGARHAVELI 1 - - - - 1
6 DELHI 1 - - - - 1
7 GOA - - 1 2 8 11
8 GUJARAT 5 1 2 6 6 20
9 HARYANA 2 - - - - 2
10 HIMACHAL PRADESH 1 1 1 - 4 7
11 JAMMU & KASHMIR - 1 2 2 4 9
12 JHARKHAND - - - 3 4 7
13 KARNATAKA - - 4 7 6 17
14 KERALA 1 - - 5 15 21
15 MADHYA PRADESH 3 1 1 3 14 22
16 MAHARASHTRA 9 6 14 10 14 53
17 MANIPUR - 1 - - 8 9
18 MEGHALAYA 2 - - 3 2 7
19 MIZORAM - - 1 3 5 9
20 NAGALAND 1 - 1 2 2 6
21 ODISHA 1 - 3 2 13 19
22 PUDUCHERRY - - - 1 1 2
23 PUNJAB 2 - - 1 1 4
24 RAJASTHAN - - 1 - 1 2
25 SIKKIM - - - - 4 4
26 TAMIL NADU 4 - - 1 1 6
27 TELANGANA 1 2 2 2 1 8
28 TRIPURA - - - - 6 6
29 UTTAR PRADESH 4 - 1 2 5 12
30 UTTARAKHAND 3 1 1 4 - 9
31 WEST BENGAL 1 1 3 4 8 17
Grand Total 45 16 43 72 175 351
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