Time for a Namami Yamuna Programme
The water in the Yamuna river passing through Delhi is usually in bad news because of the ever growing pollution. One expects suitable measures by the Union Government taken in this regard, the way it is doing to clean the Ganga water under Namami Ganga programme.
It is to be noted that the Government of India (GoI) launched the Namami Gange Programme in 2014-15, to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga and its tributaries. GoI is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution of river Ganga and its tributaries by providing financial and technical assistance under the Namami Gange Programme.
The main objective of the river rejuvenation programme is to meet the primary water quality criteria for outdoor bathing notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF& CC).
Cleaning of rivers is a continuous process and the Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution in river Ganga and its tributaries by providing financial and technical assistance under the Namami Gange Programme. Under this programme, a diverse set of interventions for cleaning and rejuvenation of river Ganga has been taken up including waste water treatment, solid waste management, riverfront management (ghats and crematoria development), maintaining continuous flow, rural sanitation, afforestation, biodiversity conservation and Public Participation etc.
Under Namami Gange Programme, a comprehensive set of interventions such as wastewater treatment, solid waste management, riverfront 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. So far, till February, 2023, a total of 424 projects have been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 35,414 Crore, out of which 243 projects have been completed and made operational. Majority of the projects pertain to creation of sewage infrastructure as the untreated domestic/industrial wastewater is the main reason for pollution in the river. 182 sewerage infrastructure projects have been taken up with a cost of Rs. 28,744 Crore for creation & rehabilitation of 5658 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity and laying of around 5206 KM sewerage network. Among these, 105 sewerage projects have been completed resulting in creation & rehabilitation of 2,173 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 4,362 KM sewerage network.
Based on the water quality assessment by CPCB in 5 Ganga main stem States in 2022, the observed water quality indicates that median value of dissolved oxygen, which is an indicator of river health has been found to be within acceptable limits of notified primary bathing water quality criteria and satisfactory to support the ecosystem of river for almost entire stretch of river Ganga.Further, as a result of multi sectoral interventions as per comparison of median data of water quality parameter viz. Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Faecal Coliforms (FC) of year 2014 and 2022, DO median has improved at 32 locations, BOD median has improved at 41 locations and FC median has improved at 27 locations respectively.
The outputs of these projects have started yielding results and the water quality will further improve once all the projects which are at various stages of implementation are operationalized.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has received 121 public grievances related to pollution abatement and rejuvenation issues during the financial year 2022-23 and all of these 121 grievances have been redressed.
Namami Gange Programme was launched in June 2014 for a period up to 31st March, 2021 to rejuvenate River Ganga and its tributaries. The programme was subsequently extended up to 31stMarch, 2026. A total sum of Rs.14,084.82 crore were released to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), from Financial Year (FY) 2014-15 till 31 January 2023, out of which Rs.13,700.83 crore have been released/disbursed by NMCG to State Governments, State Missions for Clean Ganga and other agencies for implementation of projects related to Ganga rejuvenation.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is undertaking various measures in addition to those mentioned above under the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) for pollution abatement of river Ganga are as under:
(i) Around 4507 Ganga Grams have been declared as ODF.
(ii) Pollution Control Boards are implementing the provisions of both – The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to prevent and control pollution of aquatic resources.
(iii) General standards for discharge of Environmental Pollutants – Effluents (Part A) and waste water generation discharge standards (Part B) notified under schedule-VI of Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.
(iv) 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 (PCC).
(v) Industry specific effluent/emission standards are notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change under Schedule-I: ‘Standards for Emission or Discharge of Environmental Pollutants from Various Industries’ of Environment Protection Act, 1986. State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees in States and Union Territories respectively are to ensure compliance of these standards. So far, 47 industry specific effluent standards and 63 industry specific emission standards have been notified.
(vi) Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) are installed by 17- categories of industries and Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) being established on industrial units in the country through the directives issued by CPCB for getting real time information on the effluent quality and non-complying units were identified and actions were taken against these units.
(vii) For rejuvenation of 351 polluted river stretches identified by CPCB during the year 2018, action plans were prepared by four-member Committee called “River Rejuvenation Committee’’ (RRC) constituted by the respective State Government/ UT Administration, under the overall supervision and coordination of Principal Secretary, Environment of the concerned State /Union Territory for bringing all the polluted river stretches identified by CPCB fit for bathing purposes.
(viii) Progress of implementation of action plans is reviewed periodically by the RRC at State Level and Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) constituted under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti at Central Level.
(ix) Industries are facilitated through Charter based participatory approach for reduction in water consumption, effluent generation and pollution load by adoption of cleaner technologies & waste minimization practices. Sector specific Charters have been implemented in Pulp & Paper, Sugar, Textile and Distillery sectors.
(x) CPCB is also periodically issuing directions to all the concerned departments in the States for management of sewage and industrial wastewater in accordance with the provisions notified under the E (P) Rules, 1986 and for ensuring proper operation of existing STPs, CETPs and industrial pollution control, under Section 18 (1)(b) of The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as well as under Section 5 of The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
(xi) National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is also engaged in monitoring of STPs/CETPs located on the bank of river Ganga and its tributaries and appropriate directions are issued regarding the compliance and functioning of Wastewater Treatment Plants.
It is time such measures are replicated in the river Yamuna too.
