Government of India has launched the Namami Gange Programme in May 2015, with the total budgetary outlay of Rs.20,000 crore for the period from 2014-15 till 31 December 2020 to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga and its tributaries.
An amount of Rs.5,448.99 crore has been spent against the total released amount of Rs.6,819.27 crore from 2011-12 to 2018-19 (till 30th November 2018).
Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the state governments in addressing the pollution of river Ganga by providing financial assistance to the states. Namami Gange Programme is an umbrella programme which integrates previous and currently ongoing initiatives by enhancing efficiency, extracting synergies and supplementing them with more comprehensive & better coordinated interventions.
For pollution abatement in river Ganga, till, 30th Nov 2018, 131 sewerage projects (105 on Ganga & 26 in tributaries) at sanctioned cost of Rs.19742 crore have been sanctioned for creation of 3083 MLD new STP capacity, 886 MLD rehabilitated STP capacity and laying of approx. 4871 KM sewerage networks. Till date, 31 projects of pollution abatement have been completed which has resulted in laying of 2268 Km sewer networks and of 560 MLD of sewage treatment plant capacity in Ganga basin.
961 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) have been identified on main stem of river Ganga. In 2018, 12 Technical institutes of repute have completed inspection of 961 GPIs including 9 units by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) during April – July, 2018 along with concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCGs) / District Ganga Committee (DGC). As on 26thDecember, 2018, out of 961 GPIs inspected, 472 were found complying with respect to stipulated norms, 211 were found non-complying, 256 were found temporarily closed and 22 were found permanently closed.
Action has been taken against 211 Non-Complying units wherein 98 units have been issued Show Cause Notices / Compliance directions and 113 units have been issued closure directions.
Cleaning of the river is a continuous process and efforts are being made to complete the projects by the year 2020 for creating adequate Sewage Treatment Capacity.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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