Cleaning and rejuvenation of rivers is a continuous process. It is the primary responsibility of the States/Union Territories (UTs), local bodies and industrial units to ensure proper treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to prescribed norms before discharge into rivers, other water bodies, coastal waters or land.

To meet the gap in sewage treatment and industrial pollution management, the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation provides financial and technical assistance to States/UTs through the Central Sector Scheme Namami Gange for rivers in the Ganga basin and the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for other rivers. Financial assistance is provided subject to availability of funds, adherence to NRCP guidelines and commitment of State/UT share of funds.

Further, the Schemes of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart Cities Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUHA) are also implemented which are aimed at creating and/or augmenting sewerage infrastructure in identified towns to bridge gaps of sewage treatment and thus improving water quality of rivers and other water bodies, sanitation systems and water management in those towns.

Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, States/UTs/Local Bodies and industrial units are required to install sewage and effluent treatment plants and comply with prescribed discharge standards. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) monitor compliance and take punitive action against violators. In addition, the industries are encouraged to reduce their waste water generation by technological advancement, reuse/recycle of waste water and maintain Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) wherever possible.

Further, in compliance with orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in O.A. No. 673/2018, States/UTs are implementing approved action plans for restoration of polluted river stretches identified by CPCB.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has issued Technical Guidelines on Flood Plain Zoning to States/UTs for regulating development activities in flood-prone areas and mitigating associated risks.

States/UTs showing decrease in pollution levels of some of the river stretches during the period 2018 to 2023 are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Himachal, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.

National Mission for Clean Ganga has developed a National Framework for Reuse of Treated Waste Water that provides guidance to States in developing the State policies on reuse of treated waste water. Some notable examples of reuse of water are from the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana and Tamil Naidu

The CPCB, in association with SPCBs/PCCs, monitors water quality under the National Water Quality Monitoring Program (NWMP). At present, 4,736 locations of water bodies are monitored across the country, including 2,155 river locations. Implementation of Restoration Plan of polluted river stretches is reviewed by River Rejuvenation Committees at the State level and Central Monitoring Committee at the Central level.

The information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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ND

(Rajya Sabha US Q94) 

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