New Delhi, 02 April (H.S.):

Under the Namami Gange Programme, the Central Government has so far sanctioned 524 projects aggregating ₹43,030 crore for pollution abatement and rejuvenation of the Ganga and its tributaries, of which 355 projects have already been completed.

Water Resources Minister of State Raj Bhushan Chaudhary, replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, said the flagship Namami Gange initiative, launched in 2014–15, has been extended up to March 2026. The programme encompasses a range of interventions, including sewerage‑treatment infrastructure, riverfront development, rural sanitation, afforestation, biodiversity conservation, and public‑participation campaigns.

Under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), 218 sewage‑treatment infrastructure projects have been initiated at an estimated cost of ₹35,794 crore, which will create a combined treatment capacity of 6,610 million litres per day (MLD). Of these, 138 sewage‑treatment‑plant (STP) projects are already completed and operational. Real‑time monitoring of water quality along the Ganga and the Yamuna, as well as STP performance, is being carried out through an online dashboard named “Prayag”.

For biodiversity conservation, seven biodiversity parks and five wetlands have been developed in Uttar Pradesh, while 33,024 hectares have been afforested. Around 20.3 million fish seedlings have been released into the Ganga to support dolphin habitats and the livelihoods of local fishermen. India’s first “Dolphin Rescue Ambulance” has also been set up under the programme.

Special projects have been launched for turtle and gharial conservation as well. In the Chambal river basin, the nests of 387 turtle and gharial mothers containing 8,257 eggs were protected; 7,979 hatchlings were subsequently released safely into the river.

To control industrial pollution, Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) have been established at Kanpur, Bantara, and Mathura. These measures have brought down the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) load in the Ganga from 26 tonnes per day in 2017 to 10.75 tonnes per day in 2024.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has stated that Ganga’s water quality at most locations meets bathing‑quality criteria. Except for certain stretches in Uttar Pradesh, the river’s water complies with prescribed BOD norms, indicating tangible improvement in ambient water quality.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar