Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), New Delhi notified Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and amendments thereto to provide a regulatory frame-work for management of plastic waste in the country. These rules shall apply to every waste generator, local body, Gram Panchayats, manufacturers, Importers, producer and brand-owner.

Further, 5 Ganga main stem States viz. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal have taken actions for banning the use of plastic carry bags time to time.

The environment ministry notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibiting the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution & sale and the use of certain single-use plastics. The copy of these rules is available on the following link:

https://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/SUP-notification-12082021.pdf

Nation River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) has so far covered polluted stretches on 36 rivers in 80 towns spread over 16 States in the country with the project sanctioned cost of Rs. 6248.16 crore, and inter alia, a sewage treatment capacity of 2745.7 million liters per day (mld) has been created, resulting in reduction in pollution load being discharged in to the various rivers.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is already undertaking various measures to address these issues: -

1. 406 projects, including 176 projects for sewage treatment of 5270 MLD and a sewer network of 5214 km, have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs.32898 crore against which sewerage treatment capacity of 1858 MLD has been created so far. As on date, 98 sewerage projects have been completed resulting in creation of 1858.35 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 4204.16 Km sewage network. The STPs established under the scheme also arrests the plastic load which used to come along with sewage/drains and get discharged to river Ganga.
2. Around 4507 Ganga Grams have been declared as ODF.
3. State Governments are implementing Action Plans drawn by State River Rejuvenation Committees for restoration of water quality of the identified polluted river stretches. The implementation is being monitored regularly at State level by Chief Secretary of the respective State/UT and at Central level by the Central Monitoring Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
4. Industries are facilitated through Charter based participatory approach for reduction in water consumption, effluent generation and pollution load by adoption of cleaner technologies & waste minimization practices. Stringent monitoring and regulation of industries and pollution sources is being undertaken. Inventorisation of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) along river Ganga with annual inspection of all GPIs is carried out through team from expert institutions of repute.
5. River surface cleaning activities were also taken up under Namami Gange scheme by deploying of trash skimmer at 11 locations for a period of 3 years. Besides, drains out falling into Ganga have been provided with wire net mesh/ trash rack at their mouths (or 1 km from their outfall) to arrest the direct outfall of solid waste into river.
6. The guidelines for Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen Phase II, proposes and ensures execution of focused attention to Solid and Liquid waste management along with Ganga Grams. The States are required to ensure that the villages situated on the banks of river Ganga are prioritized for implementation of Solid Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) interventions.

Namami Gange Programme was launched in June 2014 for a period up to 31^st March, 2021 to rejuvenate River Ganga and its tributaries. The programme was subsequently extended up to 31^st March, 2026. A total sum of Rs.13,709.72 crore were released to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), from Financial Year 2014-15 till 31 October 2022, out of which Rs.13,046.81 crore have been released/expended by NMCG to various agencies for implementation of projects under the Programme during the said period.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu  in a  written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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AS