The Ganga River runs over 2,500 km through India and is spiritually significant. In 1984, the Department of Environment created an action plan to reduce pollution in the Ganga called the Ganga Action Plan (GAP). The GAP was approved in 1985 as a fully government-funded scheme. An oversight body called the Central Ganga Authority was established to implement the GAP and set policies. It was later renamed the National River Conservation Authority. The GAP was implemented in two phases focusing on pollution reduction in specific towns and rivers. The status of installing wastewater treatment plants in various states is presented in a table.

2. Ganga runs its course of over 2500 kms from
Gangotri in the Himalayas to Ganga Sagar in the Bay
of Bengal through 29 cities with population over
1,00,000 (‘class-I cities’), 23 cities with population
between 50,000 and 1,00,000 (‘class-II cities’), and
about 48 towns. It is a river with which the people of
India are attached spiritually and emotionally.
Department of Environment, in December 1984,
prepared an action plan for immediate reduction of
pollution load on the river Ganga. The Cabinet
approved the GAP (Ganga Action Plan)in April 1985
as a 100 per cent centrally sponsored scheme.
.

3. To oversee the implementation of the GAP and to lay
down policies and programmes, Government of
India constituted the CGA (Central Ganga
Authority)in February 1985, renamed as the NRCA
(National River Conservation Authority)in September
1995, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
The Government also established the GPD (Ganga
Project Directorate)in June 1985 as a wing of
Department of Environment, to execute the projects
under the guidance and supervision of the CGA. The
Government renamed the GPD as the NRCD
(National River Conservation Directorate)in June
1994.

4. GANGA
ACTION PLAN
GAPI
TOWNS (4)
GAP II
RIVERS (1)
RIVERS (3)

5. 6
5
4
3
NO OF TOWNS
NO OF RIVERS
2
1
0
GAP I
GAP II

6. UP 6
BIHAR 4
W.B 15
HARYANA
DELHI

7. 25
20
UP
15
BIHAR
W.B
10
HARYANA
DELHI
5
0
GANGA
YAMUNA
GOMTI
DAMODAR

8. CONTROL OF
BACTERIAL LOAD
INDUSTRIAL
POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY
MONITORING UNDER
GAP
CHECKS THESE TWO
SECTORS

9. The following table gives the status of installation of ETPs in the States:
Source: Reports of the Pollution Control Boards of the participating States.
Number of Units
State
Grossly
polluting
units
ETPs
installed
Closed
ETPs not
ETPs under
functioning
construction
properly
Haryana
56
47
9
-
18
West Bengal 96
77
16
3
33
Uttar
Pradesh
117
96
21
-
8
Delhi
428
80
-
-
-
Bihar
35
35
-
-
3
Total
732
335
46
3
62

10. 450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
GROSSLY POLLUTING
UNITS
ETP INSTALED