This presentation is about the Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission (National Mission for Clean Ganga) with updated information upto Jan. 2018

1. Namami Gange : A new hope to an underachieving past
Mandeep Poonia
Junior Research Fellow(JRF)-BRNS Project
Department of Environmental Sciences
J.C. Bose University of Science & Technology, YMCA
Faridabad-121006, Haryana
E-mail – mandeep.bishnoi1994@gmail.com

2. Presentation Outlines
 The River Ganga
 Major Causes responsible for pollution of the river Ganga.
 History of initiatives for Clean Ganga.
 Namami Gange- an integrated ganga conservation mission.
 Conclusion.

4. Ganga- the national river
 River Ganga was declared as India’s national river by the Indian
Government in 2008.
 The most sacred river in the world.

5. Salient Features of River Ganga
Total Length: 2525 kms
Uttarakhand: 450 kms
Uttar Pradesh: 1000 kms
Sharing length between UP & Bihar: 110 kms
Bihar:405kms
Jharkhand:40kms
West Bengal:520 kms
Catchment Area Ganga Basin: 8,61,404 sq km (26.4%) of India
Main Tributaries: Yamuna, Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak,
Damodar, Kosi & Kali-East
Main sub tributaries: Chambal, Sindh, Betwa, Ken, Tons (beyond Five
States), Sone & Kasia-Haldi
Major Cities located on the bank: Srinagar, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Roorkee
(in Uttarakhand), Bijnor, Narora, Kanauj, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi,
Mirzapur (In Uttar Pradesh), Patna, Bhagalpur (In Bihar) and Bahrampur,
Serampore, Hawarah and Kolkata (in West Bengal)

6. Location of Ganga Basin
• Ganga basin is the largest river basin in India in terms of catchment area,
constituting 26% of the country's land mass (8,61,404 Sq. km) and
supporting about 43% of its population.
• The Ganga Basin, spread over four nations (India, Nepal, China and
Bangladesh) of which the NRGB, comprising about 80% of the total Ganga
basin area, lies within India.
• The area of Ganga basin in India covers 11 states viz., Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi U.P., Rajasthan, M.P., Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal.
• Structurally, the Ganga basin comprises of three large divisions of the
Indian subcontinent, namely: the Himalayan fold mountains, the Central
Indian highlands and the Peninsular shield, and the Gangetic plain.
• The Gangetic plain, in which the main stem of Ganga lies, consists of
alluvial formation

8. Course of Ganga
River Ganga comprising of six main headstreams originating in the Himalayas,
namely the Alaknanda, Dhauli Ganga, Nandakini, Pinder, Mandakini and
Bhagirathi rivers starting from their feeding glaciers up to their respective
confluences (together comprising the Upper Ganga segment).
The subsequent main stem of the river downstream from Rishikesh to Varanasi
(the Middle Ganga segment).
The final stretch from Varanasi to Ganga Sagar (the Lower Ganga segment).
In the lower stretch the river divides into two branches. The eastern branch –
River Padma – flows southeast through Bangladesh to join the Brahmaputra and
Meghna rivers before flowing into the sea. The south-flowing branch – River
Hooghly – is joined by the Damodar and Mayurakshi before reaching the sea.
The combined outfall of the two branches forms the world’s largest delta(the “
Sunderban Delta” covering about 60,000 sq. km.) stretching across Bangladesh
and West Bengal.

9. Course of Ganga

12. Hydrology of Ganga Basin....
• Rainfall, subsurface flows and snow melt from glaciers are the main
sources of water in river Ganga.
• Out of its 17 main tributaries Yamuna, Sone, Ghagra and Kosi contribute
over half of the annual water yield of the Ganga. These tributaries meet the
Ganga at Allahabad and further downstream.
• The river has a problem of low flows between the Haridwar - Allahabad
stretch. December to May are the months of lean flow in the Ganga.
• The flood plain is usually 0.5 to 2 km wide. This active flood plain is
flooded every year. In addition to this the existing structures on the Ganga
Basin also affect its discharge.

13. Middle Ganga Canal System

14. Lower reach of Ganga Basin

16. Pollution Threat....
• Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential
growth of industrialisation and urbanisation have exposed water resources,
in general, and rivers, in particular, to various forms of degradation.
• The mighty Ganga is no exception. The deterioration in the water quality
impacts the people immediately.
• Ganga, in some stretches, particularly during lean seasons has become unfit
even for bathing.

17. • In the Ganga basin approximately 12,000 million litres per day (MLD) sewage
is generated, for which presently there is a treatment capacity of only around
4,000 MLD.
• Approximately 3000 MLD of sewage is discharged into the main stem of the
river Ganga from the Class I & II towns located along the banks, against which
treatment capacity of about 1000 MLD has been created till date.
• The contribution of industrial pollution, volume-wise, is about 20 per cent but
due to its toxic and non- biodegradable nature, this has much greater
significance.
• The industrial pockets in the catchments of Ramganga and Kali rivers and in
Kanpur city are significant sources of industrial pollution. The major
contributors are tanneries in Kanpur, distilleries, paper mills and sugar mills in
the Kosi, Ramganga and Kali river catchments.

19. Table indicates that there are fifty cities (Class I & Class II)
discharging 2723.3 MLD wastewater out of which 1208.8 MLD has
the treatment capacities i.e 44 %. The contribution of class I cities is 96
% of total wastewater generation

20. (2 % T)
(34 % T)
(14 % T)
(66 % BH)
(47 % WB)
(53 %)
(44 %)

21. (50 % T)
(10 % WB)
(42 %)

22. SEWAGE GENERATION OF CLASS-II TOWNS IN GANGA RIVER
(13.44 %)
(29.03 %)
(12.75 %)
(25 %)
(17 %)
(6.5 %)

23. Sewage generation from class – I cities is highest in West Bengal followed by Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand.
In class-II towns, sewage generation in Uttar Pradesh is highest followed by Bihar,
Uttarakhand and West Bengal whereas sewage treatment capacity is highest in
Uttar Pradesh followed by Uttarakhand and Bihar.
Major urban centres generating substantial volume of sewage are Kanpur,
Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur and Kolkata
The assessment of sewage generation and development of treatment capacity
indicates that there is gap of 1515 MLD which should be reduced to improve water
quality of river Ganga.

24. DRAINS DISCHARGING WASTEWATER
TO RIVER GANGA
(76 % load)
(max.)

25. In Uttar Pradesh, Chhoyia, Permiya, Sisamau nala are the major polluters which
contributes maximum pollution load.
This indicates that if the pollution load in the major drains of Uttar Pradsh, Bihar
and West Bengal is addressed, water quality would show substantial
improvement.

26. STATUS OF GROSSLY POLLUTING INDUSTRIES (GPI)
GPI are those which
(I) discharge their effluents into a water course including rivers and lakes, and
(II) are either involved in manufacture & use of hazardous substances or
discharge effluents with a BOD load of 100kg/day or more, or both
There are 764 industries in the main stem of Ganga and referred tributaries Kali
(E) and Ramganga.
Out of which 687 industrial units are in Uttar Pradesh followed by 42 in
Uttarakhand.
It is observed that number wise tanneries are dominant industries followed by
sugar, pulp & paper and Textile, dyeing and bleach.

28. Status of water Consumption and Wastewater Generation in GPI
(19 %)
(75.5 %)
(56.7 %)
(39 %) (45 % of total)(62 % T)
In the riverine system Ramganga carries maximum industrial
wastewater followed by main stream of river Ganga and
Kali-East respectively.
(45 %)

29. Sugar, pulp and paper and chemical are the three major sectors which
consume approx 73% water and generate 79% of total wastewater.

30. Primary Water Quality Criteria For Bathing Reaches in Rivers Notified
By Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (Moef & CC)

32. 4. History of Initiatives
for
Clean Ganga

33. (i) Ganga Action Plan (GAP-I and GAP-II)

37. HISTORY OF UNDERACHIEVING
Ganga Action Plan Ph I & II:
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi launched Phase I in 1985, covering 25 Ganga
towns in three states; Rs 862.59 crore were spent.
• Phase II covered 59 towns in five states; Rs 505.31 cr were spent. Rivers such as
Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar, Mahananda had separate action plans. No results were
visible.
• UPA government’s NGRBA effort:
The lack of tangible results from earlier efforts prompted the setting up of
National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) by Manmohan Singh’s
government, focused on a basin-specific approach. 43 towns were covered in five
states; Rs 1,027 crore were spent until March 31, 2015.

38. Major Weakness of GAP
1. Limited Scope of Issues Addressed
2. Inadequacy of Standards of Water Quality
3. Influence of Aid on Choice of Technology
4. Inappropriate Technological Choices for Treatment
5. Inappropriate Policy of Discharging
6. Lack of a Clear Policy-Legal and Institutional Framework

39. Weakness of Implementation
1. Political Motivations behind the GAP
2. Inordinate Delays in Creating Assets
3.Partial Coverage for Collection, Conveyance and
Treatment of Sewage across Cities in the River-Basin
4. Over-Designed STPs
Weakness of Operation and Maintenance
1. Irregular Maintenance
2. Sub-Optimal Functioning of the Assets
3. Unclear, Unviable Financial Models

40. Weakness of Monitoring, Evaluation and Regulation
1. Neglect of Monitoring of Important Aspects Other Than the
River Quality
2. Failure to Utilize Available Monitoring Data
3. Failure in Controlling Industrial Pollution
4. Weak Monitoring by Central Institutions
5. Failure in Establishing Citizen’s Monitoring Committees
6. Flaws in the Design of Citizen’s Monitoring Committees

42. Namami Gange - Saving the Ganga
• The Clean Ganga project is officially known as the Integrated Ganga
Conservation Mission project or 'Namami Gange'.
• This is basically a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Before he became the PM of India, Modi had been a staunch advocate of
cleaning up the river Ganga. He promised that if he were voted to power he
would start the project right away.
True to his word, he got the said project started within a few months of
becoming the new PM.

43. • Accordingly, an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission called “Namami
Gange” is started and a sum of Rs. 2,037 crores has been set aside for this
purpose in budget of 2014-15.
• Accordingly, Namami Gange approaches Ganga Restoration by
consolidating the existing ongoing efforts and planning for a concrete
action plan for future

44.  In addition a sum of Rs. 100 crores has been allocated for developments of
Ghats and beautification of River Fronts at
1. Kedarnath,
2. Haridwar,
3. Kanpur,
4. Varanasi,
5. Allahabad,
6. Patna and
7. Delhi
in the financial year 2014-15.

45. • Recognizing the multi-sectoral, multi-dimensional and multi-stakeholder nature
of the Ganga Rejuvenation challenge, the key Ministries comprising of :
(a) WR, RD & GR,
(b) MoEF & CC
(c) Shipping,
(d) Tourism,
(e) Urban Development,
(f) Drinking Water and Sanitation and Rural Development
have been working together since June, 2014 to arrive at an action plan.

46. Tasks taken up under Namami Gange:

47. (i) ensuring sustainable municipal sewage management
• Project priority is coordination with Ministry of Urban Development.
Incentive for states to take up projects on Ganga Main-stem by providing an
additional share of central grants for sewerage infrastructure.
• Uniform standards for both MoUD scheme and Namami Gange programme
• Expanding coverage of sewerage infrastructure in 118 urban habitations on
banks of Ganga

48. (ii managing sewage from Rural Areas
• Mo DWS scheme for all Ganga bank Gram Panchayts (1632) free from open
defecation by 2022, at a cost of Rs 1700 Crores as central share
(iii) managing Industrial discharge
• Making ZLD mandatory
• Rationalized water tariff to encourage reuse
• Real time water quality monitoring

49. (iv)
• Enforcing River Regulatory Zones on Ganga Banks
• Rational agricultural practices, efficient irrigation methods
• Restoration and conservation of wetlands

50. (v) Ensuring ecological rejuvenation by conservation of aquatic life and
biodiversity
(vi) Promotion of Tourism and Shipping in a rational and sustainable
manner
(vii) Knowledge Management on Ganga through Ganga Knowledge
Centre

51. However, to control the spread of pollution and to contain it in manageable limits
certain interventions would be necessary in short term. Group of Secretaries under
guidance of Hon’ble Ministers has identified following activities:
i) Scheme for rehabilitation and up-gradation of existing STPs along
Ganga
ii) Ensuring 100% sewerage infrastructure in identified town alongside
Ganga
iii) In situ sewage treatment in open drains
iv) Support for preparation of DPRs(Detailed Project Reports)
v) River Front Management for Ghat’s developments in selected cities and
towns
vi) Industrial pollution control at Kanpur on priority

52. vii) Action Plan for Char Dham Yatra –Public amenities, waste disposal and
sanitation
viii) Capacity building of urban local bodies
ix) Afforestation – Conservation of Flora
x) Conservation of Aquatic life – special attention on Dolphin, Turtles and
Ghariyals etc.
xi) Disposal of flowers and other puja material

53. xii) Ganga Vahini(ex-serviceman & NGOs to monitor and protect at special
places)
xiii) GIS data and Spatial Analysis for Ganga basin
xiv) Study of communities depending on Ganga for their traditional livelihood
xv) National Ganga Monitoring Centre
xvi) Special guidelines for sand mining in Ganga
xvii) Assessment of Special Properties of Ganga Water
xviii) Communication and Public Outreach Activities

54. Ganga Manthan

55. • Ganga Manthan was organized on 7th of July, 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan, New
Delhi.
• It was a national level consultation to facilitate interaction with various
stakeholders including policy makers and implementers, academicians,
environmentalists, saints and spiritual leaders from all faiths and NGOs for the
cause of Ganga Rejuvenation.

56. The aims and objectives of NMCG is to accomplish the mandate of National Ganga
River Basin Authority (NGRBA) of
1. To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river
Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-
ordination for comprehensive planning and management .
2. To maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of
ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development.

57. The Vision for Ganga Rejuvenation constitutes restoring the wholesomeness of
the river defined in terms of ensuring
“Aviral Dhara” (Continuous Flow”),
“Nirmal Dhara”(“Unpolluted Flow”),
Geologic and ecological integrity.

58. Functions of NMCG
To achieve the objectives, NMCG shall carry out the following key functions
namely:
(i) Implement the work programme of National Ganga River Basin
Authority(NGRBA).
(ii) Implement the World Bank supported National Ganga River Basin Project.
(iii) Coordinate and oversee the implementation of projects sanctioned by
Government of India under NGRBA.

59. (iv) Undertake any additional work or functions as may be assigned by MoWR,RD
&GR in the area of conservation of river Ganga.
(v) Make rules and regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the NMCG and add
or amend, vary or rescind them from time to time.
(vi) Accept or to provide any grant of money, loan securities or property of any kind
and to undertake and accept the management of any endowment trust, fund or
donation not inconsistent with the objectives of NMCG.
(vii) Take all such action and to enter all such actions as may appear necessary or
incidental for the achievements of the objectives of the NGRBA.

60. • A river basin with the complexity of the Ganga cannot be managed from an
environmental view point without the benefit of an adequate knowledge base,
analytical tools, targeted research, and awareness building.
• Ganga Knowledge Centre (GKC) is set up at National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG) primarily to address these issues and to enhance the quality of
implementation of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
program.
• GKC is conceptualized as a premiere and autonomous knowledge based
institution which will blend system characterization, innovation and stakeholder
participation so as to optimize the investments of NGRBA.

61. Major Policy Initiatives Under NGRBA
1. Tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).
2. Independent Appraisal of Details Project Reports(DPRs).
3. Third Part Inspections.
4. City Level Monitoring Committees.
5. Revised Guidelines for Preparation of Details Project Reports(DPRs).
6. Dolphin Conservation.

62. 7. Streamlining of Review and Monitoring mechanism in States.
8. Involvement of NGRBA experts.
9. Public Outreach and Awareness, Involvement of youth.
10. Ganga Knowledge Centre.
11. Water Quality Monitoring with focus on Real time, Online assessment.
12. Ganga River Basin Management Plan(GRBMP)

63. Sanctioned Projects
• National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) has so far sanctioned a total 83
projects in 49 towns in Ganga States
• The costing is Rs.5918.56 crore under NGRBA Program including Externally
Aided Projects(EAP) with the assistance of Japan International Agency(JICA)
and the World Bank of Rs.4387.31 crore.
These include projects of
• Rs 2256.01 crore in Uttar Pradesh,
• of Rs 1702.06 crore in Bihar,
• of Rs 99.36 crore in Jharkhand,
• of Rs 1352.51 crore in West Bengal and
• of Rs 251.21 crore in Uttarakhand
for laying of sewage networks, treatment plants, development of river fronts, etc.
• These sanctioned projects also include three CPCB projects worth Rs 198.48
crore on Pollution Inventorization, Assessment and Surveillance (PIAS) on river
Ganga, Strengthening of Environmental Regulator (SER)-CPCB and a project of
setting up the Ganga Knowledge Centre (GKC) in NMCG (Rs.48.54 crore)

64. • Educating Schools and Communities for conserving habitant of Ganga River
Dolphin of (Rs.1.28 crore) and Preparation of DPR of "Forestry intervention for
Ganga" Non-EAP(Rs. 0.96 crore)
• A Expenditure of an amount of Rs.1148.56 crore (as on 31st March 2015) has
been done by both Centre and the States for implementation of the sanctioned
projects.

65. • Phase-1: Annual Dolphin Census & Threat Assessment (EAP)(Rs. 0.73 crore)
• Phase-2: Rolling out Dolphin Conservation in UP (EAP) (Rs. 2.42 crore)
• Assessment of Water Quality and Sediment Analysis to understand the special
property of river Ganga (Non-EAP)(Rs. 5.00 crore).

66. Ganga River Basin Management Plan
• A comprehensive River Basin Management Plan for Ganga is being prepared by
the group of seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
• Kanpur,
• Delhi,
• Madras,
• Bombay,
• Kharagpur,
• Guwahati
• and Roorkee. .

67. • The Plan is being prepared with the objectives of taking comprehensive measures
for restoration of the wholesomeness of the Ganga ecosystem and improvement
of its ecological health, with due regard to the issue of competing water uses in
the river basin.
• The wholesomeness of the river can be grasped in terms of four defining
concepts:
“Aviral Dhara” (Continuous Flow”),
“Nirmal Dhara”(“Unpolluted Flow”),
Geologic Entity, and Ecological Entity.

69. Function and Power of NGRBA
• National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has started the Mission Clean
Ganga with a changed and comprehensive approach to champion the challenges
posed to Ganga through four different sectors, namely,
• wastewater management,
• solid waste management,
• industrial pollution and
• river front development.

70. • The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation(MoWR, RD & GR) is the nodal Ministry for the NGRBA.
• The authority is chaired by the Prime Minister and has as its members the Union
Ministers concerned, the Chief Ministers of the States through which Ganga
flows, viz., Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal,
among others.
• This initiative is expected to rejuvenate the collective efforts of the Centre and the
States for cleaning the river.

71. NGRBA functions include
• Development of a Ganga River Basin Management Plan.
• Regulation of activities aimed at prevention, control and abatement of pollution,
to maintain water quality and to take measures relevant to the river ecology in the
Ganga basin states.
• It is mandated to ensure the maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the
river Ganga and abate pollution through planning, financing and execution of
programmes including that of –
1) Augmentation of Sewerage Infrastructure
2) Catchment Area Treatment
3) Protection of Flood Plains
4) Creating Public Awareness

72. FISH
Snow trout (Schizothorax richardsonii), Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora), Indian
Major Carps (IMC): Four species (Labeo rohita, L. calbasu, Catla catla, Cirrhinus
mrigala).
REPTILES
Gharial and Gangetic Turtle species
MAMMAL
River Dolphins and Otters
BIRDS
Indian Skimmer and Saras

73. Turtle Species Fish Species
Gharial Smooth Coated Otter

75. • The Union Cabinet, chaired by Mr. Modi, approved the flagship programme
which integrates the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga river in a
comprehensive manner.
• “The programme has a budget outlay of Rs. 20,000 crore for the next five
years,” -a significant increase over the expenditure in the past 30 years”.
• The Centre has incurred an overall expenditure of approximately Rs. 4,000
crore for Ganga rejuvenation since 1985.
• In order to push the efforts for the Ganga’s clean-up, the statement said that
the Centre will now take over 100 per cent funding of various
activities/projects under this programme.

76. • Marking a major shift in implementation, the government is focusing on
involving people living on the banks of the river to attain sustainable results.
• Drawing from past lessons, the programme also focuses on involving the states
and grassroots-level institutions such as Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj
institutions for its implementation.
• The programme would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organisations, that is, the State
Programme Management Groups (SPMGs).

77. NMCG will also establish field offices wherever necessary order to improve
implementation, a three-tier mechanism has been proposed for monitoring
projects,
1. comprising a high-level task force chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and assisted
by NMCG at the national level,
2. State-level committees chaired by Chief Secretary and assisted by SPMG and
3. District-level committees chaired by the District Magistrate.
• In view of the unsatisfactory results of the earlier Ganga Action Plans, the Centre
now plans to provide for operation and maintenance of the assets for at least a 10-
year period
• In an attempt to implement policies, the Centre also plans to establish a four
battalion-strong Ganga Eco-Task Force, a Territorial Army unit.
• It is also contemplating legislation for checking pollution and protecting the river

78. • Namami Gange Programme stresses on improved coordination mechanisms
between the various Ministries/Agencies of the central and state governments.
• Major infrastructure investments, which fall under the original mandate of other
ministries, like
I. Urban Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation,
II. Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), will also
additionally be undertaken.
• Namami Gange will focus on pollution abatement interventions, namely
 interception and diversion and treatment of waste water flowing through open
drains via
 bio-remediation/
 appropriate in-situ treatment/
 use of innovative technologies/
 sewage treatment plants (STPs)/
 effluent treatment plant (ETPs).

79. • It also aims at rehabilitation and augmentation of existing STPs and immediate
short-term measures for arresting pollution at exit points on river front to prevent
inflow of sewage.
• Significantly, the approach is underpinned by socio-economic benefits that the
programme is expected to deliver in terms of job creation, improved livelihoods
and health benefits to the vast population that is dependent on the river.

80. 47 TOWNS, 12 RIVERS
Covered under the project in 8 states
• Deptt. of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation proposes to make 1,632 gram
panchayats by the Ganga open defecation-free by 2022, at a cost of Rs 1,700 cr
(central share).
• Several ministries such as Environment, Shipping, Urban Development, Tourism,
Rural Development have been working with the nodal Water Resources Ministry
to undertake projects.
PEOPLE-CENTRED
According to the government, a major change in implementation from earlier
efforts will lie in the focus on involving people living on the river’s banks. States
and grassroots institutions such as Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj
institutions will be involved by implementing agency National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG) and its state counterparts, State Programme Management Groups
(SPMGs)

81. • Intensive river surface cleaning is set to begin at ten identified cities along the
banks of Ganga backed with a Bhuvan Ganga mobile application.
• This ISRO-backed India specific GIS tool will ensure real-time and public
monitoring of river surface pollution on ground situations.
• The government invite global tenders for river surface cleaning at ten chosen
cities — Haridwar, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Mathura & Vrindavan,
Garhmukteshwar, Patna, Kolkata, Sahibgunj and Nabadwip.

82. Some Initiatives planned under Namami Gange
Sewerage Infrastructure- RS. 8000 Cr.
River Front Development- RS. 250 Cr.
Industrial Pollution- RS. 1000 Cr.
Solid Waste Management- RS. 50 Cr.
Aviral Ganga- RS. 100 Cr.
R&D- RS. 500 Cr.
Ganga Task Force- RS. 400 Cr.
Awareness Creation- RS. 128 Cr.
Bio Diversity Conservation- RS. 150 Cr.

83. • Aerators will be taken into action at river ghats to keep the gathering moss away,
steps identified as those that will also convince the masses that the Ganga
cleaning project is taking off in a real and visible manner.
• The ministry has also written to the Central Pollution Control Board to install
real-time monitors at 118 locations on Ganga where a nallah meets the river
(drain-river confluence) to ensure that the cleaning is actually taking place and
water quality is maintained. 10 of these have already been started on pilot basis.

84. • That apart, the government is set to launch a Bhuvan Ganga app whereby real-
time images of the Ganga can be captured by the public through smartphones and
uploaded right away to check for any river surface pollution.
• Once the image is uploaded and received by the central database, the contractors
in charge of the surface cleaning at that particular location will be held
accountable in case of laxity.

85. • Part of the public participation element will be the Ganga Volunteer Corps
• Another soon-to-be launched initiative to channelise public volunteer services for
cleaning of ghats and generating awareness.
• The Nirmal Ganga Bhagidaari project will see NGOs being involved in Ganga
cleaning.
• The primary thrust of the Namami Gange project is pollution abatement and
building sewerage infrastructure with special focus on the critical Kanpur to
Varanasi stretch.

86. • Restoring the “nirmal aur aviral dhara” (clear and flowing stream) of “Ma
Ganga” was a top priority for Narendra Modi when he was sworn in as the
Prime Minister on May 26, 2014.
• It was also one of the major election promises made by Modi to the ancient
riverside city of Varanasi, which elected him to Parliament.
A flagship programme—Namami Gange—was launched the same month the
Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government was sworn in

87. • A separate ministry under the Union water resources ministry was created for
the river rejuvenation programme and the Union Cabinet has approved a budget
outlay of Rs 20,000 crore for it over the next five years.
• This is 10 times what was allocated in previous cleaning programmes—Ganga
Action Plan phase I and II.
• The 2015-16 budget also declared a 100 per cent tax exemption for those
contributing to the clean Ganga project.
• But despite the new programme and huge funds, the NDA government faces
criticism for doing nothing constructive on ground.

89. Pre- Namami Gange Namami Gange
•Ganga Action Plan (GAP)-I launched in 1986.
Plan involved pollution abatement measures in 25 class I
towns in three states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West
Bengal.
•GAP I was completed in 2000.
•GAP II was approved in phases, from 1993 to 1996.
•For reducing pollution load on the river, treatment of four
major tributaries of the Ganga—Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar
and Mahananda—was also taken up.
•Under GAP-II, to treat the main stem of the Ganga, pollution
abatement measures were taken up in 59 towns in five
states—Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and
West Bengal.
•The National Ganga Basin River Authority (NGBRA) was
launched in 2009 due to failure of GAP I and II. NGBRA has
basin-specific approach.
An integrated programme.
Involves different ministries--water resources, river
development and Ganga rejuvenation, environment and forest,
shipping, tourism, urban development, drinking water and
sanitation and rural development Talks for the first time about
involving people living on the banks of the river, urban local
bodies and panchayati raj institutions
Plan includes establishing a Ganga Eco-Task Force, a
Territorial Army unit and roll out of legislation to check
pollution and protect the river Cleaning programme to be
implemented jointly by National Mission for Clean Ganga
(NMCG), which is the implementation wing of NGRBA, and
State Program Management Groups (SPMGs) Talks about
strengthening monitoring system through committees at
national, state and district levels
Can Namami Gange succeed where other programmes failed?
1. Programme features

90. Funding pattern
•In the early 1990, the fund sharing for the projects was 50:50
between Central and respective state governments.
• In 1997, it was decided that the Central government will pay
100 per cent of the funds.
•The arrangement did not last long. In 2001, the cost sharing
formula became 70: 30, wherein 30 per cent funds were to be
arranged by states; local bodies were expected to contribute
one-third of the 30 per cent share of the state
Central government will fund 100 per
cent expenses for various activities and
projects
Operation and
maintenance
(O&M)
•The Centre planned to build projects through public-private
participation (PPP) route, which required the concessionaire
to design-build-operate sewage treatment plants (STPs) for
five years.
• The Centre was to take over O&M for five years and then
hand it over to the respective state.
•Failed due to the poor financial capacity of the local bodies
in cities along the Ganga
Centre to take care of the assets for a
minimum 10 year period. After this
assets, will be handed over to state

91. Money
sanctioned
GAP I: Sanctioned amount Rs. 462 crore.
GAP II: The total approved cost of the
action plan is Rs 1,498.86 crore.
NGBRA: The amount sanctioned under
NGBRA till March 2014 is Rs 4,974.79
crores.
Total outlay budget of Rs. 20,000 crore for five years
Part allocations of this had already been made in
2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets.
Previous allocations: Interim budget of 2014-15 : Rs
2,037 crores for cleaning Ganga and Rs 100 crore for
ghat development and beautification of the river front
at Kedarnath, Haridwar, Kanpur, Varanasi,
Allahabad, Patna and Delhi.
Over and above this, Rs 4,200 crore sanctioned for
for Jal Marg Vikas project for Ganga in Uttar Pradesh
(this is not under National Mission for Clean Ganga’s
purview).
Budget of 2015-16: Rs. 4,173 crore jointly for water
resources and Namami Gange programme.
(2016-17) 6,201 Cr. To MoWR, RD & GR, 2150 to
Namami Gange
(2017-18): 6,887 Cr. To MoWR, RD & GR, 2250 to
Namami Gange

92. Projects
Total wastewater treatment capacity of
1,208.50 MLD was created (STP –
1,188.50 MLD, CETP – 20 MLD) has
been created under GAP and NGRBA till
June, 2014
No such construction Only 2 projects cleared 140 MLD
Dinapur STP at Varanasi (sanctioned cost is Rs 496 crore).
Work is going at site
Rs 700 crore project at Patna for constructing STPs and
sewerage network. A present, tendering process is on.
Series of projects recommended by Empowered Steering
Committee – needs approval Riverfront development,
Chandighat, Hardwar
40 MLD Jagjitpur STP
50 MLD Rammanah STP at Varanasi
Rehabilitation and upgradation of 182 MLD Rithala Phase
I, Delhi
Rehabilitation and upgradation of three phases of Kondli
STP (204 MLD), Delhi
Expenditure
GAP I and II: Rs 986.34 crore
NGBRA programme: Rs 910.57 crore
Total: Rs 1,897 crore
Projects in pipeline Very little spent on implementation

93. Namami Gange Mission: Old wine in a new bottle?
• So far, crores of rupees have been pumped in to clean the Ganga, but in vain. Will
the NDA’s plan be any different
• Ganga Maa keeps getting dirtier each year.

94. • India’s most worshipped river, the Ganga, continues to be the fifth most
polluted river in the world, despite a 30-year-old clean-up plan
• “The Ganga today is more polluted than when the Ganga Action Plan (GAP)
was launched,”

95. Clean Ganga Project:
Supreme Court
Dissatisfied
"You are unable to tell us your vision stage-wise on cleaning the holy
river Ganga and your ultimate aim," the Supreme Court said
It suggested that the project needs "an expert with a vision" like E
Sreedharan, the man who built India's metros“

96. SC says it'll take 200 years to clean Ganga at this rate
Supreme Court which said it seems that steps taken so far will not
lead to cleaning of the country's holiest river even after 200 years.
The court directed the Centre to come out with a "stage-wise plan" to
clean the river for "restoring it to its pristine glory". "The dream
project is there. Please try that the next generation is able to see the
river in its original form.

97. River Ganga will be free from most of its pollution
within three years
• August 21, 2014: The Union water resources Uma Bharti said the river would be
free from most of its pollution within three years
• Announcing the year 2015-16 as "water conservation year", she appealed to
every section of the society to join this movement.
• A public movement will launched throughout the country for this purpose and at
least one official of the Union Water Resources Ministry will be present in every
district of the country during this period", said the minister.

98. Ganga to be one of the cleanest river by oct. 2018 :
Sushree Uma Bharti(nov.17,2015)
‘if u think we have stopped taking steps towards clean ganga, it is not so.
Before any big race , a sprinter stops a bit , assesses the destination and then
sprints towards it. So our destination is oct 2018 when we will show it to
world that ganga is one of the cleanest river of world” Bharti said.

99. Major issues for the project
• To start with, the major problem for the Namami Gange project is going to be
the sheer size of
• 2525 km
and passes through
• 29 big cities
• 48 towns
• 23 similar cities
• In addition to that, the immense levels of pollution in the river
• dumping of industrial sewage and waste
• garbage by common people have left the river in a bad condition.

100. • The pollution of Ganga is happening despite government spending thousands of
crores of rupees since 1985.
• A clean Ganga will not happen unless the government brings in a change in the
mind-set of people living along the river.
• In addition, it would have to ban use of chemicals in agriculture; make throwing
garbage into the river an offence, satellite based monitoring for polluting
industries and not allowing any more dams on the river.
• Many environmentalists believe it is an impossible task as it would require huge
public investment.

101. Information collected from :
NMCG website,
Gangapedia.in, MoEF&CC
Website, CPCB Website
Different newspaper
coverage
images from Google
images etc.