National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti celebrated the sixth edition of ‘Ganga Utsav’ on 4^th November 2022. This year, the event was dedicated to ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, which celebrates 75 years of independent India. As part of this initiative the National-level event was organized at New Delhi and over 75 special events was observed across 5 Ganga Basin States. Ganga Utsav shall be celebrated in Ganga Basin States till August 2023 as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’

The celebration of River Ganga witnessed variety of cultural programs; folklores; displaying art forms; discussions; exchanges of many innovative ideas; engaging activities and soulful performances by renowned artists. The events at States have reached out to thousands of people, especially local communities and youth groups through a series of public outreach and engaging activities including- Maha Ganga Aarti, cultural performances, dance & drama, poetry recitals, Deepdaan etc. on the Ghats and other places around the river. It is one of its kind unprecedented public engagements leading to mass movement on creating awareness for Ganga Rejuvenation and to strengthen Public-River Connect.

Under Namami Gange Programme (NGP), a comprehensive set of interventions such as wastewater treatment, solid waste management, river front management (ghats and crematoria development), e-flow, afforestation, biodiversity conservation and Public Participation etc. have been taken up for rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries. Under NGP, a total of 406 projects have been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.32,897.83 crore. Out of these 224 projects have been completed while remaining are at different stages of implementation.

The projects taken up under Namami Gange Programme includes 176 sewerage infrastructure projects with a sanctioned cost of Rs. 26,263 Crore for creation & rehabilitation of 5,270 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity and laying of 5,214 KM sewerage network. Out of these, 98 sewerage projects have been completed resulting in creation & rehabilitation of 1,858 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 4,204 KM sewerage network.

Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Government in addressing the challenges of pollution in river Ganga and its tributaries by providing financial and technical assistance under Namami Gange Programme.

As per CPCB report of 2018, there were four Polluted Stretches on main stem of river Ganga (one stretch in Priority Category III, two stretch in Priority Category IV and one stretch under Priority Category V, where Priority Category I being most polluted). Now, as per river water quality data of 2021, none of the Ganga Stretches are in Priority Category I to IV and only two stretches are in Priority Category V with Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) ranging between 3-6 mg/l, as per CPCB categorization of polluted stretch. With the various interventions taken up under the Namami Gange Programme, the water quality of river Ganga has remarkably improved across various erstwhile polluted stretches of river Ganga.

The details of budgetary provisions and release by Government of India to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) during each of the last three years and in the current year (till 31 October 2022) and funds released/expended under the Programme during the said period are as under:-

(* Includes expenditure incurred from the grants-in-aid carried for ward from previous years)

(** Inclusive of release to Escrow Accounts as per Concession Agreements for HAM projects)

Under the Namami Gange Programme, inspection of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) located in Ganga basin is carried out on annual basis by joint team of technical institutes, concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCG).

In the fifth round of GPIs inspections, total 2706 GPIs located in the seven Ganga and Yamuna river main stem states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal were inspected through 24 technical institutes. Actions have been taken against 2706 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs). Out of 2706 GPIs, 298 GPIs were found temporary closed, 158 GPIs were found permanent closed and 2250 GPIs were found operational. Out of 2250 GPIs, 2032 GPIs were complying and 218 GPIs were non-complying. Concerned SPCBs/PCC issued show-cause notices to 160 non-complying GPIs and closure direction to 58 non-complying GPIs.

Stringent monitoring, regulation and enforcement towards compliance of Grossly Polluting Industries against regulatory framework mandated under Consent mechanism issued in respect of provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 is undertaken through CPCB, State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).

Further, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is also engaged in joint surveillance for the industries located on the bank of river Ganga and its tributaries and taking appropriate action against the polluting industries such as show cause notices, closure directions under Section 5 of Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.

Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) was engaged as Third Party Agency (TPA) for appraisal of Namami Gange Mission (NGM). ASCI observed in its report that the NGM has led to considerable addition to wastewater treatment infrastructure in Ganga river basin balanced with investments in river front and ghat development, river surface cleaning processes, afforestation, biodiversity, organic agriculture etc. Capacity building of implementing agencies and other stakeholders along with community engagement to support the initiatives are the other key contributions. The decentralization and mainstreaming of program tasks within the basin states and local body establishments have been the hallmark of the program. ASCI in its appraisal stated that, NGM has shown good progress in achievement of its mandate of “Aviral Dhara” and “Nirmal Dhara”. It has demonstrated successful and replicable models for implementing a large-scale river rejuvenation program on a mission mode and gained global recognition In addition to other development initiatives such as setting up of Sewage treatment plants, effluent treatment plants, ghats, crematoria, river front development, biodiversity conservation, a number of activities for promoting livelihood opportunities for the people of Ganga basin have also been started. These activities covered under Arth Ganga include promotion of natural farming, setting up of Ganga Sahakar Grams, creating market linkage for the agricultural and handicrafts items under Jalaj, promoting tourism among others.

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

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AS