Progress in National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Launched in: 2014
Outlay: ₹20,000 Crore
- 80% of the outlay is for the purpose of setting Sewage treatment Plants (STPs).
Core Objective: To ensure that no untreated sewage flows into the river.
Steps tekan to achieve the objective: Installation of treatment plants along the banks of Ganga river.
Progress: Till now treatment plants are capable of treating only 20% of the sewage estimated to be generated in the five major states that lie along the river.
Future prospect: It is expected to increase to about 33% by 2024, and about 60% by 2026.
- These calculations are premised on sewage to the tune of 11,765 million litres per day (MLD) being generated in the five States – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal – through which the river courses.
The NMCG plans on setting up sewage treatment plants (STPs) capable of treating about 7,000 MLD of sewage by 2026, remaining capacity will be set up by the states.

Picking up pace

As of July 2023, STPs capable of treating 2,665 MLD have actually been commissioned, and are now functional.
From 2014, when the mission was first announced, to 2021, only 811 MLD of capacity was completed. In the last financial year 2022-23, 1,455 MLD capacity was completed.
Challenges:
- Land acquisition process
- Detailed Project Report needs revision
- Lack of coordination between center and states
- Though NMCG is a ₹20,000 crore mission, the government has so far given in-principle approval for projects worth ₹37,396 crore, of which only ₹14,745 crore has been released to States for infrastructure work, as of June 2023.
So far the maximum number of plants have been set up, or upgraded in the case of older plants, in
- Uttarakhand (36),
- Uttar Pradesh (35), and
- West Bengal (11).

Dolphins thriving

The river’s water quality is now within prescribed limits of notified primary bathing water quality.
Dolphins and Indian carp (a fish species that only thrive in clear water) populations are increasing which is a sign of improved water quality.
The typical parameters used by the Central Pollution Control Board — such as the levels of dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and faecal coliform — vary widely along various stretches of the river.
The NMCG is now working to develop a water quality index, on the lines of the air quality index, to be able to better communicate about river-water quality, he added.

For details of initiatives related to cleaning of Ganga river: https://optimizeias.com/arth-ganga-rejuvenation/