New Delhi: Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has announced setting up of a Committee of Secretaries to speed up the implementation of Namami Gange Programme. Chairing the first First Meeting of the Empowered Task Force on River Ganga in New Delhi today, the Minister announced that Secretaries of M/o Water Resources, Environment and Forest and Drinking Water and Sanitation will be its members. The Committee will meet at least once in a fortnight. Reviewing the progress of the Namami Gange Programme Sushri Bharti said that first, old liabilities have to be completed and new initiatives should be segregated from it. She said immediately after the ensuing exams, students from Schools and Colleges located along the river Ganga should be persued to join Namami Gange Programme in their own way. Expressing dissatisfaction over the slow progress in obtaining NoCs from various states specially Uttarakhand and UP, the Minister said we have to look into it and sort it out at the earliest. She urged various states to constitute States and District level Ganga committees at the earliest.
Giving an over view of the progress achieved, the Minister informed that presently 42 sewage infrastructure projects are under execution. These 42 projects envisage to create 327.93 MLD sewage treatment capacity. Till December 2016, 253.50 MLD sewage treatment capacity has been created. Sewer Network of 3896.55 km is to be laid under these projects. Sewer network of 1060.96 km has been laid and balance work is under progress. The Minister informed that currently, eight projects of sewage treatment plants are under execution at a total cost of Rs. 348.76 crore. These projects envisages creation of 109.40 MLD treatment capacity. Till December 2016, treatment capacity created was 33.40 MLD.
Sushri Bharti informed that online Effluent Monitoring Systems have been installed in 572 out of 760 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) and online data is being captured at dashboard from 266 such industries. Monitoring data connectivity to MoWR, RD & GR, CPCB, State and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) is being undertaken. Also, 135 GPIs have been closed for non-compliance to stipulated norms and 17 have been exempted (ZLD achieved). Balance 36 units have been given deadline till 31st March 2017 for installation of online Effluent Monitoring System (EMS).
The Minister said eight Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Station (RTWQMS) are operational under National Hydrology Project. A network of 113 RTWQMS has been planned. In Phase – I, 36 RTWQMS is under installation and to be completed by March 2017. CPCB has proposed to install nine RTWQMS on the tributaries of River Ganga.
The Minster informed that as of now 2789 villages have been declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages out of 4291 marked Villages on the main stem of the river. A total of 8,96,415 (54%) Individual House Hold Latrine (IHHL) have been completed out of targeted.
Sushri Bharti said Projects for 182 ghats and 118 crematoria have been sanctioned. 50 nos. of ghats and 15 nos. of crematoria are under progress at present. The work in respect of all remaining ghats/ crematoria will commence within the next three months. Against the target of 15.27 lakh individual household latrines, approx. 10 lakh individual household latrines are expected to be completed by March 2017. Liquid and solid waste management in 25 selected villages will be started within the next three months. Pre-plantation activities will be taken up in all five Ganga states, so that plantations against the work plan of 2016-17, as well as 2017-18 are taken up during the next monsoon season.
The Meeting was attended by Secretary M/o Water Resources, Secretary M/o Drinking Water and Sanitation and senior officials from various center Ministries and State Governments.
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