Increase in funding for Namami Gange Programme

PIB News Update:

Government of India has launched the Namami Gange Programme in June, 2014, 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.

In the budget for the financial year 2020-21, Government of India has proposed an allocation of Rs.1,600.02 crore for the Namami Gange Programme. 

The Budget Allocation for the FY 2019-20 was Rs.1,970.00 crore and the Revised  Allocation for  NMCG is Rs.1,553.44 crore. Therefore, final allocation in Revised Estimates (RE) with reference to Budget Estimates (BE) is only 21% less. 

The details of final allocation and funds released by Government of India to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and subsequently by NMCG to State Governments/State Government Agencies /State Programme Management Groups/ Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs)/Other Executive Agencies since inception of the Namami Gange Programme i.e. from 2014-15 to 29 February 2020 are given below:-

 

(Rs. in crore)

Financial Year	Final Allocation	Actual releases by Government of India	Actual Expenditure /Releases by NMCG
2014-15	2,053.00	326.00	170.99
2015-16	1,650.00	1,632.00	602.60
2016-17	1,675.00	1,675.00	1,062.81
2017-18	3,023.42	1,423.12	1,625.01
2018-19	2,370.00	2,307.50	2,626.54
2019-20*	1,553.44	1,553.40	2,254.19
Total	12,324.86	8,917.02	8,342.14

 

(*Up-to 29 February 2020)

 

The following are the achievements of Namami Gange Programme till today:-

 

1. A total of 310 projects have been sanctioned under Namami Gange Programme for various activities such as sewerage infrastructure, ghats & crematoria, river front development, river surface cleaning, institutional development, biodiversity conservation, afforestation and rural sanitation at a total cost of Rs.28,790 crore. Out of these 310 projects, 116 projects have been completed and balance projects are at various stages of execution.

 

1. A total of 152 sewerage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned in eight (8) States (Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh) till date to create/rehabilitate 4857 MLD sewage treatment capacities and Sewer network of 4972 Km at a cost of Rs. 23,305 Crore along Ganga and its tributaries. Out of 152 sewerage infrastructure projects, 46 projects are completed, 75 projects are under progress and 31 projects are under various stages of tendering. The completed projects have created, 632 MLD sewage treatment capacity and are presently in operation.

• All the requirements of sewage treatment infrastructure in 10 towns have been fully addressed. These towns contribute almost 64% of present sewage generation along Ganga Main Stem. The towns are: Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Farrukhabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Kolkata, Howrah and Bally.

1. Under unique collaboration, the re-use of 20 MLD treated waste water from Mathura Sewerage Project in Refinery is a milestone in propagating reuse of treated water approach as well as saving the Yamuna River from withdrawal of fresh water.
2. Among some of the new initiatives to improve sustainability and governance of sewerage infrastructure projects that have been taken by NMCG are “One City One Operator” as part of which STPs at Kanpur, Prayagraj & Mathura have already been awarded and are under execution.
3. Work has started for construction of 20 MLD CETP for Jajmau Tannery Cluster at Kanpur.

• NMCG is enforcing the provisions of E-flow notification in Ganga main stem.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has sanctioned construction of 154 bathing ghats along the river Ganga, out of which 124 ghats have already been constructed. In addition, construction of 23 ghats has been sanctioned under Clean Ganga Fund (CGF) Component of NMCG.

1. To monitor real time progress of ongoing projects and performance of completed ones, NMCG has developed and installed a Project Monitoring Tool (PMT). It captures all important information from aggregated physical and financial progress to activity level information of infrastructure projects.
2. Due to various pollution abatement initiatives taken by the Government under the Namami Gange Programme, the water quality assessment of river Ganga in 2019 has shown improved water quality trends as compared to 2014. The Dissolved Oxygen levels have improved at 27 locations, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels and Faecal coliforms have improved at 42 and 21 locations, respectively.

 

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified 351 polluted river stretches on 323 rivers in September, 2018, on the basis of water quality monitoring of rivers carried out in the year 2016 and 2017 based on exceedance of water quality criteria of BOD (3mg/l). Details of State-wise identified polluted river stretches are available in public domain at:  https://cpcb.nic.in/NGTMC/Polluted-River-Stretches-September-2018.pdf

Based on Hon’ble NGT’s directions in the matter OA No. 673 of 2018, River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) has been constituted in all the 28 States and 3 UTs under the Chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Department of Environment of the concerned State/Union Territory, for preparation of Action Plans for restoration of the polluted river stretches. The Action Plans are being submitted by the States to CPCB for approval.

Further, vide NGT order dated 06.12.2019, a Central level Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti for regularly monitoring the progress made by the States on the Action Plans. In this regard, as of February 2020, two meetings of the Committee have been held.