GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5524
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2025
POLLUTANTS IN GANGA WATER ISSUE
5524. SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH:
Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:-

(a) the immediate action likely to be taken by the Government to address the alarming levels of bacteriological contamination, particularly faecal coliform, in the Ganga river as reported in the Bihar Economic Survey and ensure the said water is fit for public use;
(b) the specific steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to prevent untreated sewage and domestic wastewater from contaminating the Ganga river in light of the findings in the above Survey;
(c) the details of the presence of higher levels of faecal coliform bacteria in the Ganga river which is detrimental to public health;
(d) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to improve the functioning of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in the State to mitigate the contamination of the river; and
(e) whether the Government has set fixed timeline and detailed plan for the implementation of effective water treatment and waste management practices to ensure the Ganga river is cleaned and made safe for bathing and other purposes and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (e) As per the report dated 28.02.2025 submitted by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) before National Green Tribunal, median value of pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD) and Faecal Coliform (FC) for all the monitored locations was within the respective criteria/permissible limits for bathing water.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti implements the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) for the rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries. Cleaning/rejuvenation of rivers is an ongoing activity. It is the primary responsibility of States/Union Territories (UTs) and Urban Local Bodies to ensure the required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed norms before discharging into the rivers and other water bodies. The Government of India has been supplementing the efforts of the
States/UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in rivers/tributaries in Ganga basin through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange programme.
Further, the steps taken by the Government of India for improving the water quality along the river Ganga and its tributaries is annexed.

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5524 REGARDING “POLLUTANTS IN GANGA WATER ISSUE“
i. 206 sewerage infrastructure have been taken up for remediation of polluted river areas with treatment capacity of 6,335 Million Liters per Day (MLD). 127 Sewage Treatment plant (STP) projects with a capacity of 3,446 MLD have been completed and made operational.
ii. For industrial pollution abatement, 3 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) have been sanctioned, i.e., Jajmau CETP (20 MLD), Banther CETP (4.5 MLD), and Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD). Two projects, Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD) and Jajmau CETP (20 MLD) have been completed;
iii. At NMCG, an on-line dashboard “PRAYAG” has been operationalized for continuous monitoring of river water quality; the performance of STPs; etc. on the Ganga and Yamuna River;
iv. 139 District Ganga Committees (DGC) have been constituted which conducts 4M (Monthly, Mandated, Minuted, and monitored) meetings regularly. As of December 2024, more than 3,781 meetings have been conducted;
v. Biodiversity Conservation: Seven Biodiversity Parks in seven districts (Mirzapur, Bulandshahar, Hapur, Budaun, Ayodhya, Bijnore and Pratapgarh) of Uttar Pradesh and 4 priority wetlands in Uttar Pradesh (3), and Jharkhand (1) have been sanctioned;
vi. NMCG, through the State Forest Department, has implemented a forestry intervention project along the main stem of river Ganga.
vii. 143.8 lakhs of Indian Major Carp (IMC) fingerlings have been ranched in the Ganga since 2017 to conserve fish biodiversity and prey base for river Dolphins, and ensure the livelihood of fishers in the Ganga basin under the special project implemented by Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI);
viii. Science-based species restoration programme,rescue, and rehabilitation programme for aquatic species like Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and Ghariyal in collaboration with Wild Life Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and State Forest Department, have shown marked improvements in biodiversity with increased sightings of Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and other riverine species;
ix. “Ganga Knowledge Portal” is a pioneering initiative developed in-house by the National Mission for Clean Ganga, serving as a centralized repository for comprehensive resources on water resource management. This platform is engineered to facilitate access for students, research scholars, stakeholders, and the general public to a vast array of materials (716 documents), including journals, publications, books, technical articles, research reports; data sets (District River Maps, STP performance and river atlas) and coffee table books. By concentrating on the intricacies of water resource challenges, Ganga Knowledge portal aims to enhance awareness and foster informed decision-making in this critical sector;
x. Ganga Task Force (GTF) was raised in the State of Uttar Pradesh to assist NMCG in carrying out its mandated tasks, such as (a) Plantation of trees to check soil erosion; (b) Management of Public Awareness / Participation campaigns; (c) Patrolling of Sensitive Rivers Areas for Biodiversity protection; (d) Patrolling of Ghats, etc.;
xi. A cadre of Ganga Doots (45,000), Ganga Praharis (2,900) and Ganga Mitra (700) are involved in public participatory activities;
xii. Comprehensive public awareness campaigns have been undertaken to instill a sense of responsibility and engagement among the public in efforts to clean and conserve the Ganga River. These include – Ganga Utsav, Nadi Utsav, regular cleanathons and plantation drives, Ghat Par Yoga, Ganga Aartis, etc. The efforts are also supported by dedicated cadres of Ganga saviours, such as Ganga Praharis, Ganga Vichar Manch, Ganga Doots, etc.