Sewage overload: Why the Ganga remains polluted despite cleanliness drives

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context: At least 71% of the river’s monitoring stations reported alarming levels of faecal coliform in January 2023.

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Union minister of state for Jal Shakti told the Parliament that the NamamiGange Programme has been able to reduce pollution load in the Ganga river. Since 2014, the Centre had taken up 409 projects with a budget outlay of Rs 32,912.40 crore to clean up the river.
Still, at least 71 per cent of the river’s monitoring stations reported alarming levels of faecal coliform. Faecal coliforms are a group of bacteria found in the gut and faeces of warm-blooded animal Their presence indicates that the water has been contaminated with the faecal material of humans or other animals, which enters rivers through discharge of untreated sewage.
While Uttarakhand had permissible levels of faecal coliform at all 12 tested stations, numbers in three other states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal — are alarming.
CPCB currently carries out manual monitoring for five parameters, including faecal coliform. In 2022, the river had permissible levels for two of the parameters: Dissolved oxygen and acidic or pH levels.
The current monitoring mechanism needs to be more ambitious. The five parameters monitored at present are part of the notified Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules, 2000. The Centre released of two guidelines in 2007 and 2017 which recommeded 25 parameters for perineal rivers.

NamamiGange Programme:

It is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as a ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with a budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation, and rejuvenation of the National River Ganga.
It is dynamic and evolving in nature to address the emerging needs and priorities for the rejuvenation of river Ganga & its tributaries.
It is being operated under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The program is being implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).
NMCG is the implementation wing of National Ganga Council (set in 2016; which replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority – NGRBA)
The main pillars of the NamamiGange Programme are
- Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure
- River-Front Development
- River-Surface Cleaning
- Bio-Diversity
- Afforestation
- Public Awareness
- Industrial Effluent Monitoring
- Ganga Gram

National Ganga Council:

What is National Ganga Council:

The National Ganga Council is an authority created in October 2016 under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, dissolving the National Ganga River Basin Authority.
Compositions:
- The National Ganga Council is chaired by the Prime Minister.
- Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation will be the ex-officio Vice-Chairperson.
- The other ex-officio members of the council are from various ministries and CMs of the corresponding states among other stakeholders.
The National Ganga Council was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
It has been given overall responsibility for the superintendence of pollution prevention and rejuvenation of River Ganga Basin, including Ganga and its tributaries.
National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) acts as an implementation arm of the National Ganga Council.
It was established in the year 2011 as a registered society.
It has a two-tier management structure and comprises Governing Council and Executive Committee.