Mission Clean Ganga

By:Ajinkya Gupta

The Holy Ganga

• Longest flowing river of India• 2525 km length• Source : Gangotri, Uttarkashi district,

Uttarakhand• Basin area : 10,80,000 km²• Important

Cities: Varanasi, Haridwar, Kolkata, Allahabad, Patna, Kanpur,Ghazipur

Current State of Ganga

Impact of the deconsecration and pollution

• One of top 5 most polluted river• More polluted than past• Plight of Ganges River Dolphin• Disapperance of River Otters and Mahasir• Exceeding limit of fecal coliform• Rise in cases of gall bladder cancer(2nd in

world) and prostate cancer(highest in India)

Related impact

• Alaknanda Power Project (Uttarakhand) submerging “Dhari Devi” temple.

• Gangasagar island (West Bengal), mangroves, submerged n destroyed

Causes of the destruction

• Anthropogenic pressure Industries over Ganga preservation

• Non functioning of Sewage Treatment Plant(STP) 2.9 billion litres untreated sewage released daily

• 68 highly polluting industries on the banks 75% waste from industries Only 1 Billion Litres per Day(BLD) installation instead of 2.9 BLD • 402 listed tanneries only in Kanpur 22 drains release tanneries toxic waste Chromium level 100 times higher than permissible limit

Causes contd…

• Hydro Power Project(HPP) dams acts as speed breakers.

300 dams being built on Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Mandakini rivers

Disturb self cleansing propertyLow efficiency of HPPSubmergence of 1200 hectares of forests

• Illegal sand miningReduction in water level at haridwar

Causes contd…

• Half cremated bodies being dumped in the riverHindu belief of “Moksha” to “Jiva”

• Banks used as defecation groundLack of sanitary facilities

• Dhobi ghats being established at the banks of Ganga

Role of GOI

• Over Rs.9000 crores spent in last 20 yearsGanga Action Plan (GAP) – I433 crores spent in 25 towns

GAP – II615 crores sanctioned for 59 towns270 crores spent since 2007

Schematic of GAP

NGRBA

• National Ganga River Basin Authority Under MoEF Constituted in 2009 by centre under section 3

(3) of Environment Protection Act,1986 Declared Ganga as “National River” Chaired by PM Since 2010 budget, the allocation doubled to Rs.500 crores

• Financing, planning, implementing, monitoring and coordinating authority for Ganga

• World Bank assistance(technical and monetary) of $1bn for abetment of pollution of Ganga

• “Mission Clean Ganga 2020” under NGRBA

Mission Clean Ganga 2020

• Objective: “by year 2020, no untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluents flow into Ganga”

• Investment to be shared between Centre and State in ratio of 70:30

• Intercept sewerage and treatment

Recent Development by GOI

• 4 new STPs underway at AllahabadPresently only 2 STPs (in Naini & Salori) which

has capacity of only 109 against 232 MLD

• Low budget and efficient solution by IESD (Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development), BHU

Isolated an enzyme from rice seedlings which removes toxic pollutants from rivers

Personal Suggestions

• 100 km stretch of Gaumukh – Uttarkashi declared as eco-sensitive zone

• Moratorium on dam building till study of cumulative impact on environment is done

• Zero tolerance policy

• Minimum flow fixed

• Follow examples of Thames (London) and Cheonggyecheon (South Korea)

• Not to use electrical dependent pumps in STP, instead use gravity based

• Electric /improved wood crematoria

Thank You !!!• References:

Gangapedia.comPib.nic.inWikipedia.comTimesofindia.comNdtv.comTheweek.comnationalgeographic.comgoogle.com/images