Cleaning of river is a continuous process. The Government has launched Namami Gange Programme covering short term, medium term and long term activities. Under Short term activities certain entry level activities which covers development of Ghat crematoria and river surface cleaning activities etc have been taken up.
Under Medium term activities existing sewage treatment plant and Effluent treatment Plant are being upgraded and new Sewage Treatment Plants, (STPs) and Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) are being established. Beside, rural sanitation has been taken up in the villages on the banks of river Ganga. The long term action plan involves restoration of wholesomeness of river Ganga, and maintaining the ecological and geological integrity of river.
Short term and Medium term projects are likely to be completed by 2020. Under Namami Gange Programme total 163 projects for various activities such as sewage infrastructure, river front development, ghat and crematoria, ghat cleaning, rural sanitation etc. have been sanctioned. Out of 163 projects 41 numbers of projects have been completed so far.
Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) has sanctioned two loans for Japanese Yen 11.184 billion for Varanasi Project under Ganga Action Plan-II and Japanese Yen 32.571 billion for Sewage Projects in Delhi under Yamuna Action Plan-III.
World Bank has sanctioned a loan of US $ 1 billion for funding Institutional Development and for construction of priority infrastructure projects for municipal waste water treatment and solid waste treatment on the main stem of Ganga in the five Ganga basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. Government of India has withdrawn a cumulative amount of US $ 91.26 million (Rs. 550.48 crore) under this loan till date.
Upper surface of river is being cleaned by deploying Trash skimmer. At present 11 trash skimmers have been deployed in city of Kolkata, Nabadwip, Patna, Sahibganj, Delhi, Allahabad, Haridwar, Varanasi, Garhmukteshawar, Kanpur, and Mathura -Vrindawan under Namami Gange Programme. To prevent the discharge from municipal towns falling into the river, sewage infrastructure projects are being taken up. Discharge of effluents from industrial units are being monitored by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs). Actions are being taken by CPCB and SPCBs against non-compliant industries under the provision of Environment Protection Act, 1986 and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
