Question : Namami Gange Mission

(a) whether the Government has fixed a target of cleaning upto 70 to 80 per cent of Ganga river by March 2019 and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the extent to which this river has been cleaned from place to place so far and the quantum of money that has been spent on it since 2014;
(c) whether the Government has monitored its water quality at different locations and if so, the extent to which the quality of water has improved in 2018 as compared to 2017;
(d) whether the Government has focussed largely on curbing flow of untreated sewage into the river but not on managing faecal sludge under Namami Gange Mission and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
(e) whether most of the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are defunct and some are underutilized; and
(f) if so, the facts thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION & HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

(DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a) & (b) The Government has launched Namami Gange Programme covering short term, medium term and long term activities. Under Short term activities certain entry level activities which cover development of ghats crematoria & river surface cleaning activities etc have been taken up. Under Medium term activities, existing Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) are being upgraded and new STP & ETPs are being established. Beside, rural sanitation has been taken up in the villages on the banks of river Ganga. The long term action plan involves restoration of wholesomeness of river Ganga and maintaining the ecological & geological integrity of river. The Central Government approved the Namami Gange Program in May, 2015 as a five year program till 2020. However, efforts are being made to achieve substantial progress by March 2019.

Under Namami Gange Programme, an amount of Rs.4,994.10 crore has been spent by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under Namami Gange Programme out of the total release of Rs. 6,131.22 crore from the financial years (i.e. 2014-15 till 30th November, 2018).
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(c) Under the Namami Gange programme, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is carrying out the water quality monitoring of river Ganga. Comparison of recent observed water quality indicates that Dissolved Oxygen which is an indicator of river health has been found to be within acceptable limits of notified primary bathing water quality criteria and satisfactory to support the ecosystem of river across all seasons and also for almost entire stretch of river Ganga.

Due to various pollution abatement initiatives taken by the Government, under the Namami Gange programme, the river Ganga water quality assessment in 2018 has shown improved water quality trend as compared to 2017. The Dissolved Oxygen levels have improved at 39 locations, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels and Faecal coliforms have decreased at 42 and 47 locations, respectively.

Some stretches, where the improvement has been observed.

(i) D/S Rishikesh
(ii) Har-Ki- Pauri Ghat
(iii) Kanpur U/S (Ranighat)
(iv) Tarighat (Ghazipur)
(v) Narora (Bulandsahar)
(vi) Kachhla Ghat, Aligarh
(vii) Buxar
(viii) Mokama (D/S)
(ix) U/S Munger
(x) Uluberia
(xi) Dakshineshwar
(xii) Diamond Harbour

(d) The projects of sewerage infrastructure are sanctioned to handle the sewage being generated from the towns along with septage handling facility, wherever required, by adopting co-treatment of septage (faecal sludge).

(e) & (f) There are 84 existing STPs located on main stem of Ganga and NMCG has analysed performance and capacity utilization of all existing STPs. Out of these 84 STPs, 39 STPs are working fine under long term Operation & Maintenance (O&M); 31 STPs were defunct while 14 STPs were operational but non-compliant. NMCG has sanctioned upgradation and O&M projects for 12 STPs; 8 STPs have been integrated under One City One Operator Scheme; tender for upgradation of 23 STPs are under process and 2 STPs have been discarded.

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