4-May-2023: National Mission For Clean Ganga Organizes River-Cities Alliance Global Seminar

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized the ‘River-Cities Alliance (RCA) Global Seminar: Partnership for Building International River-Sensitive Cities’ today in New Delhi. The purpose of the RCA Global Seminar was to provide a platform for officials of member cities and international stakeholders to discuss and learn good practices for managing urban rivers.

The RCA Global Seminar witnessed participation from Embassies/High Commissions of select countries and their respective river cities in order to highlight objectives, achievements, and potential collaborative outcomes of RCA. State Missions for Clean Ganga (SMCGs) and funding agencies like World Bank, ADB, JICA & KfW also were part of the discussions.

The RCA Global Seminar was presided over by Mr. G. Asok Kumar, Director General (NMCG). 

Addressing the gathering, Mr. G. Asok Kumar expressed happiness on the increase in number of cities joining the RCA and the immense interest NMCG has been able to generate on this issue. He noted that the trickle started with the Urban River Management Plan and has been flowing ever since. He emphasized the importance of issues related to climate change and urban water management, and how urban planners have a serious challenge at hand. “Climate change is a reality. We can see it now in Delhi where in the month of May we are needing blankets,” he said.

He informed that RCA started with 30 cities on the banks of the river and eventually it was decided to expand it to all cities not restricting to the Ganga Basin. “During the DHARA 2023 event in Pune, we were enthused to see the response from the city planners, who viewed water as something not important,” he said, adding, “People and administrators are now waking up to the reality as they have realized that issues related to water such as floods, droughts, inadequate waste management etc. can shut down cities.” DG, NMCG hoped that urban planners incorporate water management at the planning stage and start giving the priority it deserves.

Mr. Kumar said that under the leadership of the PM, Swacch Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission are progressing well and creating positive impact on ground setting world class examples in the water and sanitation sectors. The stopping of Open Defecation ensured that the drinking water sources don’t get contaminated whereas household water supply under JJM is easing the pain of women in rural areas who had to walk several kilometres to fetch water. “With urbanization, if we don’t take care about the disposal of sewage then it is a major threat. The urban planners solely focussed on the infrastructure must take this into account to keep the rivers and other drinking water sources clean,” he said.

He noted that the theme of RCA resonated in the UN Water Conference 2023 held in New York in March 2023. “The timely success in water sector in India is primarily because of people’s participation (Jan Bhagidari) and whole-of-government approach,” he said, adding, “The time has now come, as envisaged by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, is to move towards whole-of-world approach to break the silos in which water has been divided.”

He called for the world players to co-operate, work together, pick from each other’s best practices, share knowledge (Gyan Bhagidari), come up with transformational solutions and share in the success.

On RCA Global, he said that cleaning of rivers like Rhine and Thames in foreign lands is a lesson and inspiration for us and we should partner with international cities to create beautiful cities in India which can take pride in their rivers and people enjoy and have pleasant experience at the river fronts. “The experience of international cities in making their rivers clean, improving river properties, managing river flooding and increased aesthetic value can be seen as fruitful lessons for us. RCA Global platform should leverage the experience of foreign countries,” he added. He also said that it is not about aping anyone but taking the adaptable best practices as per requirements and using them to make our cities more beautiful.

DG, NMCG informed that Namami Ganga was recognized as the ‘Top 10 World Restoration Flagships to Revive the Natural World’ in Montreal, Canada and Clean Ganga, which seemed impossible, is now happening. He said that NMCG has committed to the SDG goals of equity in water distribution, access to safe drinking water, democratization of water etc.

Session 1 of the event saw a presentation from the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) on ‘Decentralized Urban Wastewater Management System in Japan', and an Embassy Round Table discussion.

Session 2 began with the context setting of RCA that incorporated an introduction to NMCG’s Urban Agenda, Urban River Management Plan (URMP) Framework with comments on RCA and future goals/actions pertaining to river management. Furthermore, there was a presentation from representatives of the India-Denmark Partnership, with a focus on the case study of Udaipur-Aarhus. Another presentation was made on RCA Cities – Ayodhya and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in this session.

NMCG c-Ganga facilitated presentations from International Cities – Greater Manchester by Mr. Mark Turner (National Course GM Team Leader, Greater Manchester Combined Authority), City of Hamburg by Mr. Christian Ebel (Desk Officer for Implementation of EU Water Framework Directive in Hamburg for the Elbe River Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg), City of Copenhagen by Mr. Jan Burgdorf Nesilsen, Municipality of Copenhagen and City of Aarhus, Mr. Gitte Nordmand Andersen (Aarhus Municipality). The session 2 also witnessed an open house discussion and ended with a vote of thanks from Mr. Dheeraj Joshi, Deputy Secretary, NMCG.

Mr. D.P Mathuria, Executive Director (Technical), NMCG delivered the special address and spoke about how India is hugely investing in the water sector, but staring at twin challenges of water security and climate change. Both of these factors are interlinked in making water equitable. He noted the facets of water security being water management and water quality. NMCG has developed a large number of STPs that are able to address the issues of faecal contamination. He noted that nature-based solutions and decentralised systems shall be very important assets in terms of solution to organic waste falling into rivers.

NMCG-NIUA Collaboration

The NMCG-NIUA collaboration has witnessed the historic establishment of the ‘River Cities Alliance (RCA)’ of 110 river cities across India with one international member city – the city of Aarhus from Denmark. RCA was a significant initiative at NMCG's Side Event during the ‘UN 2023 Water Conference - Water Action Agenda’ on March 23, 2023, which highlighted the importance of Germany as a key partner for the commitment related to ‘River Cities Alliance: Partnership for Building International River Sensitive Cities’.

NMCG has been tirelessly working on a joint initiative to propagate river-sensitive development in our cities with NIUA. This is in response to the Prime Minister’s call for new thinking in river cities at the 1st Meeting of the National Ganga Council (NGC) in December 2019. Hence, NMCG seeks to deepen the commitment through the inclusion of international cities as members of the RCA during the RCA Global Seminar. The intent is to facilitate knowledge exchange (online) for Indian cities to learn new practices and approaches for urban river management. Likewise, it will also be an opportunity for international cities to learn about experiences in Indian cities, which may be relevant to their contexts.

River Cities Alliance

The River Cities Alliance (RCA) is a joint initiative of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) & the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), with a vision to connect river cities and focus on sustainable river centric development. Beginning with 30 member cities in November 2021, the Alliance has expanded to 109 river cities across India and one international member city from Denmark.

DHARA 2023

The first annual meeting of the RCA - DHARA 2023 (Driving Holistic Action for Urban Rivers) was held on February 13–14, 2023, in Pune. DHARA 2023 featured key sessions on international best practices and examples for urban river management. DHARA 2023 was aimed to inspire members of the RCA to engage in progressive actions for urban river management in their cities. The event shone a light on the unaddressed issues and challenges for river management in cities, which helped NIUA and its partners formulate an effective work plan. The event also helped in developing a compendium of technological solutions that cities may adopt for enhancing the management of their local rivers.

 

19-Dec-2022: Collaborative Knowledge Exchange for Ganga Basin Management

Executive Committee (EC) of NMCG has approved the project on “How relevant are the European River Rejuvenation experience for NGP and Indian Rivers” to Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in its 43rd meeting held on 13th July 2022. The project was developed in pursuance of the objectives of the MoU signed between NMCG and CPR on 14th December 2021. The objectives of the proposal are as follows:

1. Scoping and identification of focus areas of knowledge exchange between Europe and India (NGP).
2. Implement CPR-NMCG Collaborative Programme for institutionalized Research and Knowledge Exchange between Europe and India.

The studies are presently underway in CPR.

Namami Gange programme being implemented by NMCG is based on Ganga River Basin Management Plan prepared by consortium of seven IITs. The technologies adopted for implementation of various sewerage projects under Namami Gange are based on Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization Guidelines of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. However, NMCG has entered into MoUs with many countries such as Germany, Netherland, Israel, Denmark, Japan etc. for knowledge exchange on models of river rejuvenation. National Mission for Clean Ganga by implementation of above research oriented study of CPR intends to analyze learnings from European experiences in rejuvenation of rivers from broader policy and institutional aspects leading to collaborative knowledge exchange programmes with European institutions.

9-Dec-2022: Union Minister for Jal Shakti Chairs the 10th Empowered Task Force Meeting of National Mission For Clean Ganga

The Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat chaired the 10th meeting of the Empowered Task Force (ETF) of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) including central ministries, departments and state governments on 8th December 2022. The Union Minister reviewed the progress of various components under Namami Gange Programme as central ministries and States provided an update on the recent developments that have taken place and mapped out their future plans. The Union Minister directed the States and central ministries/departments to expedite the work being done for the holistic rejuvenation of River Ganga. The Minister urged the States and the central ministries to achieve targets in a time-bound manner.

Shri G. Asok Kumar gave a presentation on the thrust areas under Arth Ganga and the activities that have been undertaken in the past few months in the six verticals of Arth Ganga including:

1. Zero Budget Natural Farming that includes chemical-free farming generating “more Net income, per drop”, ‘Gobar Dhan’ for farmers,
2. Monetization and Reuse of Sludge & Wastewater that envisages reuse of treated water for irrigation and industrial purposes and revenue generation for ULBs,
3. Livelihood Generation Opportunities such as ‘Ghat Mein Haat’, promotion of local products, Ayurveda, medicinal plants, capacity building of volunteers like Ganga Praharis, Ganga Doots,
4. Public Participation to ensure increased synergies between stakeholders,
5. Cultural Heritage & Tourism that looks to introduce boat tourism through community jettis, promotion of yoga, adventure tourism etc.
6. Institutional Building by enhancing the local capacities for better decentralized water governance.

Shri Asok Kumar informed that following the MoU with Sahakar Bharati, exposure workshops and visits have been organised for several farmers in Shirdi, Bulandshahr, Sonipat, Haridwar and Meerut. The farmers are being nudged and sensitized to shift to Natural Farming and 75 ‘Sahakar Ganga Grams’ will be developed. Ghat Mein Haat initiative has also been launched under Arth Ganga in the Ganga Basin among other activities. Jalaj Livelihood Model has been launched at 26 locations and 15 more will be launched by 31st December.

Among the central ministries, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare informed that various steps are being taken to build organic farming and natural farming corridors along River Ganga and eco-agriculture is being promoted besides efforts to improve water-use efficiency in Ganga villages.

The Ministry of Tourism informed that comprehensive plan is being worked out for development of tourism circuits along Ganga in line with Arth Ganga. Also, exhibitions and fairs across 75 towns along Ganga are being planned as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Ministry of Culture, on the other hand, are planning Sanskriti Yatras along with dedicated Ganga galleries in Museums.

The Ministry of Power are taking steps in the direction of reuse of treated wastewater of thermal power plants by adopting cluster approach whereas the Ministry of Rural Development is actively looking for convergence of activities under MGNREGA for rejuvenation of small rivers and protection of traditional water bodies.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests informed that they are mulling scaling up of afforestation activities in the Ganga belt and a detailed plan to take ‘Project Dolphin’ forward is also underway. A comprehensive list of wetlands is also being developed among other efforts. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs informed that focus is on mapping of urban drains and management of sloid and liquid waste in Ganga towns under SBM 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 besides operationalizing of planning framework for River Cities.

In the States, the focus in the transition from Namami Gange Mission I to Namami Gange Mission II will be on expeditious completion of projects, preparation of bankable DPRs for projects in Ganga tributary towns, cutting down delays. The States informed that a lot of focus is being given on revival of small rivers and wetlands. For future, each Ganga district is to develop scientific plan and health card for at least 10 wetlands and adopt policies for reuse of treated water and other by products.

The States/ministries were urged to implement activities on Arth Ganga as per the six verticals in coordination with each other. It was also informed that a total 139 District Ganga Committees have been constituted out of which 52 are on the main stem of the River and 87 are on tributaries. Regular, monitored, mandated, monthly and minuted meetings of DGCs are being held now.

Shri Bishweswar Tudu, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Pankaj Kumar, Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Smt. Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Amir Subhani, Chief Secretary, Bihar, Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga and other senior officials from NMCG, central ministries and States also attended the meeting.

9-Nov-2022: NMCG Organizes 12th Edition of Webinar Series 'Igniting Young Minds, Rejuvenating Rivers' on the Theme Public Participation'

The 12thedition of the Monthly Webinar Series with Universities ‘Igniting Young Minds: Rejuvenating River’ was organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti in collaboration with APAC News Network. The theme of the webinar was ‘Public Participation’.

• ‘Jan Bhagidari’ or People’s Participation is One of the most important pillars of Namami Gange Mission: DG, NMCG
• Aim of webinar series is to connect with younger generation on the important issues of water conservation and river rejuvenation
•  Various initiatives started by NMCG to link public participation with Ganga rejuvenation
• Arth Ganga project has been started, in which people-river is being established through the “bridge of economic”.
• Jan Bhagidari has ensure success of campaigns like Swachh Bharat Mission, Catch the Rain: Where it Falls, When it Falls etc.
• Natural Farming being promoted in the entire Ganga basin

Addressing the session, Shri G. Asok Kumar said that public participation is the one of the most important pillars of the Namami Gange Mission. “As reiterated by the Prime Minister, Jal Andolan needs to be transformed into a Jan Andolan,” he said, adding, “The success of the campaigns like Swachh Bharat Mission, Catch the Rain: Where it Falls, When it Falls etc. has been ensured only because of public participation.”

He informed that initiatives like Ganga Utsav and Ganga Quest are being organized to increase public participation in Namami Gange Programme. He noted that about 2 lakh people participate in the Ganga Quest every year. At the same time, because of volunteers like Ganga Mitras, Ganga Doots, Ganga Praharis, we are able to connect the common people with the cause of Ganga Rejuvenation.

In line with the vision of  Prime Minister, NMCG has started various initiatives to link public participation with Ganga rejuvenation. In this sequence, the Arth Ganga project has been started, in which people-river is being established through the “bridge of economic”. “To connect the farmers to this initiative, Natural Farming is being promoted in the Ganga basin. At the same time, through novel initiatives like Ghat Par Yoga, awareness is being created. Participation of  more than 10 lakh people in Ghat Par Yoga initiative on the occasion of International Day of Yoga was a matter of satisfaction for us.”

Through Ganga Utsav, which was celebrated just four days ago, a large number of people have been able to connect with the river rejuvenation program. He mentioned the monthly cleanliness drives conducted on the Yamuna ghats in Delhi on the 4thSaturday of every month and one other important day of the month has been receiving tremendous response from the people and the local urban bodies.

Shri Najeeb Ahsan, Senior Communication Manager, NMCG shared his experiences and insights on public participation in his tenure with NMCG. Speaking from his vast experience of 25 years in the sector, he noted how with the infrastructural support, we also need community participation for the sustenance of these initiatives. Citing examples of polio eradication programs, public participation has played a crucial role for a high success rate of these initiatives. He noted that Jan Ganga is an important component of the Namami Gange program. “Jan Ganga became an extremely important element as it catered to the people-river connect and for the first time, connected individuals from all walks of life towards one cause,” he said, adding, “NMCG is not just working with a particular volunteer group, but with different groups working on different levels to cater to the needs of different social groups and maximize the reach of this cause.”

He highlighted the activities initiated by people which points toward increased public participation and awareness towards river rejuvenation. Through activities like Ghat Par Yoga, Ganga and Yamuna Artis, a transformation has been brought about within the local communities, as seen in widespread public support for this program. He stressed upon the importance of continued participation as river rejuvenation is not a time-bound project and has to be continued for a longer duration. This requires continued community support and calls for individuals and communities to take responsibilities of their local water bodies. He said that only through this, we would be able to sustain this progress for a longer period of time. He ended his address by giving a clarion call to individual as well community stakeholders to actively participate in this program and work towards a positive change for the future.

Dr. Vikas Singh, Vice Chancellor, Geeta University, Panipat, spoke about the importance of water management. He mentioned new ways of irrigation to improve efficiency of water usage. The usage of recycled water should be increased, he noted, as it will reduce our dependence on portable water. He said that 5-7% of dependency on industrial water can be replaced by domestic water. With more emphasis on recycled water, the net requirement of portable water gets reduced. He also said that to successfully clean Ganga, we need to also focus on its tributaries. He mentioned how industrial and domestic waste are polluting the rivers and through the Global Positioning System, we can map the waste going into our water bodies.

The Webinar was presided over by Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG. The panelists of the webinar included Dr. Vikas Singh, Vice Chancellor, Geeta University, Panipat, Sh. Najeeb Ahsan, Senior Communication Manager, NMCG and students of IMS Unison University- Vedant Sharma and Yukta Arora. The aim of the webinar series is to connect with the younger generation on the important issues of water conservation and river rejuvenation.

9-Oct-2022: NMCG organises the 11th edition of the monthly webinar series 'Igniting Young Minds, Rejuvenating Rivers', on the theme 'Wetland Conservation'

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organised the 11th edition of Monthly Webinar Series with Universities ‘Igniting Young Minds, Rejuvenating River’ on 8th October 2022 in collaboration with APAC News Network. This month’s webinar was themed ‘Wetland Conservation’. The session was presided over by Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG. The panelists of the webinar included Dr. H. N. Nagaraja, Director General & Ex-Vice Chancellor, Graphic Era University, Dehradun, Prof. Chandra Shekhar Dubey, Vice Chancellor, K. R. Mangalam University, Gurugram, Shri Brijesh Sikka, Senior Consultant, NMCG and Najeeb Ahsan, Senior Communication Manager, NMCG along with students of IILM University - Gouri Kumar and Mehek Parikh.

Giving the keynote address, Shri G. Asok Kumar talked about the importance of wetland conservation and their disappearance over the years adversely impacting the ecosystem in the Ganga Basin. He emphasized the importance of wetlands in addressing the issues of control climate and its impact manifesting in various forms as they play a major role in maintaining natural cycles and offer support to a wide variety of aquatic species.

Shri Kumar informed that India had signed the Ramsar Convention in 1982. He said that there are 75 Ramsar sites across the country, out of which 23 are in the Ganga Basin. After the year 2014, till now 49 wetlands have been identified and protected, spanning 13 lakh 26 thousand hectares of land. He noted that through the Namami Gange Mission, the Government of India is working with full commitment towards the conservation of wetlands.

He discussed how in the last one year, natural solutions are being sought to solve the issues pertaining to river pollution. He stressed on the wetlands being the best natural solution for treating dirty water and ensuring good water flows in the river. “Protection of wetlands is necessary as they play an important role in keeping the rivers rejuvenated in a cost-effective manner,” he said, adding, “Wetlands trap the water and store it for a longer period, ensuring continuous flow of water in the rivers. Besides, Wetlands also serve as water bodies to conserve rainwater as extensively exemplified in the ‘Catch the Rain: Where it Falls, When it Falls’. 

Shri Kumar exhorted the youth to become part of the Namami Gange programme and suggested a visit to wetlands in the Ganga Basin. He urged the young students to collectively conserve at least 1 wetland in their area and motivate others to safeguard these essential water bodies of nature.

Mr. Brijesh Sikka spoke through a presentation on the initiatives, key issues and action points on wetlands conservation. With a detailed introduction to wetlands and how they are the lifelines of societies, he noted wetlands being the source of water and food security, and regulatory of water regimes. He reiterated that wetlands act as buffers for extreme events like floods and storms apart from treating wastewater.

Shri Sikka noted how the wetlands support livelihoods and biodiversity with assistance in recreation and cultural identity. He expressed concerns on continued degradation of wetlands and adverse impacts on it through sectoral development. With wetlands being integral to the Central Asian Flyway, there is fragmentation of hydrological regimes, catchment of degradation, conversion for alternate use, over-harvesting of resources, pollution and prevalence of invasive species being the major threats to wetland conservation. He noted 35% of wetlands have been lost since 1970 with the rate of loss greater than that of forests.

He referenced the Ramsar Convention, the 3 pillars of the convention and the regulatory framework of the Wetlands Rules 2010. He also highlighted salient features of the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems, with an overview of Ganga River basin and the integrated river rejuvenation activities being undertaken by the Namami Gange Project. He talked about the collaboration between NMCG and WWF-India to develop a roadmap for integrating wetlands in river basin management, and the 4 pronged approaches to rejuvenating the wetlands.

Dr H. N. Nagaraja initiated his address by emphasizing the importance of supplying clean water to all and stressed on the relevance of maintaining the integrity of the rivers. With global warming and rapid increase in urbanisation activities, rivers are polluted and their water levels are unstable. He discussed issues of sewage infrastructure, cleaning of water, and the importance of maintaining the biodiversity of aquatic species to preserve the ecosystem.

Carrying forward the discussion on the current impacts of global warming, Prof. Chandra Shekhar Dubey spoke about the rivers becoming perennial to seasonal with rising mountains on the frontal portion. He said that this has been slowly cutting the rivers through the system on the land level. He also talked about an active interest and awareness within the public regarding conservation of natural resources, especially water, and addressed the initiatives under Namami Gange programme as a positive step towards a healthy future.

1-Oct-2022: Executive Committee of NMCG Approves 14 Projects Worth Rs. 1145 Crores

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) held the 45th meeting of the Executive Committee under the chairmanship of Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG. In the meeting, 14 projects pertaining to sewerage management, industrial pollution abatement, Biodiversity Conservation, Afforestation, River Front Development and Decentralized Wastewater Treatment were approved at a total estimated cost of approximately Rs. 1145 crores. These include eight projects of sewerage management in five main stem Ganga basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

For sewerage management, four projects in Uttar Pradesh were approved including tapping of Assi drain in Varanasi by constructing a 55 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and other works costing Rs. 308.09 crore. The project was sanctioned with the objective of achieving zero untreated discharge from three drains – Assi, Sanme ghat and Nakhha. Other projects include construction of 13 MLD STP, renovation of existing structures etc. in Vrindavan City costing Rs. 77.70 crore, construction of 12 MLD STP, laying of interception and diversion (I&D) network etc. in Kosi Kalan town in Mathura district costing Rs. 66.59 crore and 6 MLD STP, laying of I&D network etc. in Chhata town in Mathura district. The above projects in Mathura-Vrindavan envisage to intercept and divert 2, 1 and 11 drains respectively that have their outfall into Kosi drain, which ultimately discharges into River Yamuna at Mathura. All the above projects are inclusive of Operation and Maintenance of the assets for 15 years.

One project each of sewerage management has also been approved for Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand including construction of 2 STPs (17 MLD and 23 MLD) including necessary ancillary infrastructures, SCADA and online monitoring system etc. in Ramgarh town, Jharkhand costing Rs. 284.80 crore, construction of 50 MLD STP, renovation of existing structures etc. in Keorapukur, West Bengal costing Rs. 67.06 crore. The project in Bihar at an estimated cost of 47.39 crore consists of 2 STPs (2.5 MLD on River Harbora and 4.5 MLD on Belwa Sathi canal), I&D networks, intake wells etc. A project for construction of 13 MLD STP and other works was also approved in Sapera Basti, Dehradun, Uttarakhand costing Rs. 74.38 crore. This project will stop the untreated sewage from flowing into River Sushwa. 

A big project for establishment of four Biodiversity Parks in four districts of Uttar Pradesh – Hapur, Bulandshahar, Badaun and Mirzapur – has also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 24.97 crore. All four locations are situated along the Gangetic floodplains. The proposed parks are part of Reserve Forests along Gangetic floodplains and will play key role in river restoration and conservation of biodiversity. The details of the Biodiversity Parks are Mohanpur Biodiversity Park in Mirzapur, Ramghat Biodiversity Park in Bulandshahar, Alamgirpur Biodiversity Park in Hapur and Ujhani Biodiversity Park in Budaun. These sites are rich in floral and faunal diversity and has heterogeneous habitat. On restoration, the biodiversity would further enrich with biomass, flow regime, climate resilience and enhancement in livelihood in Ganga river basin. The Biodiversity Parks will also provide unique landscape of wilderness with assemblage of native plant and animal species that form self-sustaining biological communities recreated in a region and serve both in-situ and ex-situ conservation of biodiversity, gene pool, and ecosystem services in natural and agricultural landscape. The overall outcome of the Ganga Biodiversity Parks would help to sustain ecosystem services, biodiversity and rejuvenation of river Ganga at basin scale.

Under the Afforestation component, a project at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.56 crore was approved for the State of Jharkhand. The interventions seek improved forest cover, enhanced forest diversity and productivity, biodiversity conservation and sustainable land and ecosystem management for better flow of ecosystem services, sustainable livelihood and overall conservation of Ganga River scape. This project is part of the Annual Plan of Operation (APO) prepared by Forest Department of Jharkhand based on the DPR prepared by Forest Research Institute, Dehradun for creation of an enabling environment for climate resilient and sustainable ecosystem management approach, adopting community participatory approach in forestry interventions and conservation activities in different landscapes and enhancing capacity of the forest and line department for up-scaling and mainstreaming of best practices developed for Riverscape management.

For River Front Development, a ghat development project in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh was also approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 5.07 crore. The location of the project is an important pilgrimage site attracting lots of people during festive seasons to taking a holy dip in River Gomti, a tributary of River Ganga. The project includes construction of 4m wide walking promenade connecting Hanuman Ghat with Sadbhavna Bridge, ghat steps, landscaping, toilet blocks etc. Another project for the construction of electric crematorium at Kaliganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal costing Rs. 4.14 crore was also approved.

A project for ‘Pollution Prevention and Effective Waste Management of Panipat Textile Cluster to Optimize the Trade Potential’ has also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 18.95 crore in the EC meeting. The principal objective of the project is to improve the water quality of river Ganga as well as river Yamuna by avoiding the discharge of untreated effluent into river Ganga/river Yamuna by preventing discharge of effluent from the textile cluster. The project aims to reduce water consumption (up-to 30%) by adoption of Best Management Practice, reduce wastewater discharge (pollution load) through demonstration of green technologies and development of in-house Chemical Management System (reduction in consumption of chemicals by 25 %), promote efficient working of Effluent Treatment Plants, improve the quality of treated effluent. The project also looks to provide in-depth training & generate internal teams to develop own systems for quality, environmental aspects, employees’ skill development, conservation of natural resources etc. for continual improvements.

The EC also approved indicative funds of Rs 45 crore for the installation of decentralized wastewater treatment systems in main stem Ganga basin States. The fund bifurcation is Rs 10 crore each for Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal and Rs. 5 crores to Jharkhand. For decentralized wastewater treatment, the projects can be taken up under any proven technology working in the country like nature-based solutions, Johkasou etc. Some of the advantages of decentralized wastewater treatment include better monitoring of industrial waste, easier expansion of systems, new treatment centers can be added without routing ever more flows to existing center, lesser investment for the sewer pipelines etc.

5-Sep-2022: NMCG & Sahakar Bharati Organises Workshop On Natural Farming For Over 400 Farmers In Bulandshahr, U.P.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Sahakar Bharati organised a ‘Vishaal Kisan Sammelan’ workshop today for more than 400 farmers at Mubarikpur Bangar village in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. The workshop was part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NMCG and Sahakar Bharti to set up at least 75 Ganga Sahakar Grams in the Ganga basin to promote natural farming and other interventions under Arth Ganga. The workshop/meeting was aimed at bringing together all Arth Ganga related initiatives to ensure convergence of Jalaj, natural farming, Ghat pe Haat, sludge-to-fertilizer, marketing of agricultural/horticulture produce, tourism etc.

Apart from more than 400 farmers from Uttar Pradesh, the event saw participation from district-level officials, State Mission for Clean Ganga, Uttar Pradesh, Wildlife Institute of India, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Ganga Vichar Manch and other volunteers. A field tour to the farms of farmer Upendra Nagar was also organised during which technicalities of natural farming was shown to the participating farmers and officials. Recently, from 18th to 22nd August 2022, NMCG facilitated an exposure visit of about 30 farmers from the Ganga Basin to the Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF) training-cum-workshop camp being organised in Shirdi, Maharashtra.

Addressing the gathering, Director General, Shri G. Asok Kumar said that the association between NMCG and Sahakar Bharati is enabling a positive environment in the field of sustainable agriculture and zero budget natural farming. The collaboration focuses on the novel initiative of setting up Ganga Sahakar Grams in Ganga basin and no stone will be left unturned to make it into a successful model and replicate in other villages. “This initiative focuses on employment generation through natural farming and will go a long way to serve the twin objectives of sustainable agricultural development and mitigating the effects of climate change,” Shri Asok said, adding, “Many more of such workshops/meetings will be organised by NMCG in near future.”

Shri G. Asok Kumar also gave an overview of the Arth Ganga concept and said that these initiatives are being taken under Arth Ganga campaign. He touched upon the significant components of Arth Ganga including Zero Budget Natural Farming, generating “more net income, per drop”, ‘Gobar Dhan’ for farmers, monetization and reuse of Sludge & Wastewater, livelihood generation opportunities such as Jalaj, ‘Ghat Mein Haat’, promotion of local products, Ayurveda, medicinal plants, capacity building of volunteers like Ganga Praharis, public participation to ensure increased synergies between stakeholders etc. He also talked about Cultural Heritage & Tourism that looks to introduce boat tourism through community jettis, promotion of yoga, adventure tourism etc.

Shri D.N. Thakur, National President, Sahakar Bharati in his inaugural address said that Sahakar Ganga Grams is an all-encompassing programme that trains farmers in not only readying their farms but also crop diversification, how to keep crops safe, proper marketing, technical capacity building, and improve the livelihood standards of farmers.

The MoU between NMCG and Sahakar Bharti was signed in the presence of the Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 16th August, 2022 on the occasion of ‘Yamuna Par Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The MoU envisages to achieve the vision of a sustainable and viable economic development by public participation and creation and strengthening of local cooperatives directing their cooperation towards realizing the mandate of Arth Ganga. Some of the major objectives the MoU include setting up pf 75 Sahakar Ganga Grams in five states on the main stem, promote natural farming among the farmers, FPOs and Cooperatives in States along Ganga and generate ‘More net-Income Per Drop’, facilitate marketing of natural farming/organic produce under brand Ganga through creation of market linkages, promote people-river connect through economic bridge etc.

18-Jul-2022: National Mission for clean Ganga

There are 97 towns along the main stem of river Ganga. The waste water generated from these 97 towns is approximately 3000 Million Litres per Day (MLD), the State-wise details are given as under: 

As informed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), as per estimate made during 2020-21, 1080 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) operating in river Ganga main stem States have potential to discharge about 280.18 MLD of waste water with pollution load in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 9.69 TPD into river Ganga & its tributaries. State-wise information is as under:

MLD: Million liters per day; TPD: Tones per day

Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution in river Ganga and its tributaries by providing financial and technical assistance under Namami Gange Programme. Under this Programme, a diverse set of interventions for cleaning and rejuvenation of river Ganga have been taken up including waste water treatment, solid waste management, river front management (ghats and crematoria), maintaining continuous flow, rural sanitation, afforestation, biodiversity conservation and Public Participation etc. A total of 374 projects are taken up at a sanctioned cost of Rs.31098 crore, out of which, 210 projects are completed. The projects are also taken up along the main stem towns of river Ganga as well as on 15 tributaries namely Yamuna, Kosi, Saryu, Ramganga, Kali (West), Kali (East), Gomti, Son, Barakar, Hindon, Burhi Gandak, Banka, Damodar, Rispana-Bindal and Chambal.

Till date 161 sewerage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned to abate the pollution from main stem towns (97 no.) of river Ganga and tributaries. These 161 sewerage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned to create / rehabilitate 5,015 MLD sewage treatment capacity along with laying of 5134 km of sewerage network. Out of these 161 projects, 92 projects are completed and rest of the projects is at various stages of implementation. With the completed projects, 1643 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity has been created/rehabilitated and 4156 km sewer network has been laid. In addition, other initiatives like in-situ treatment of drains through bioremediation, fecal sludge management have also been taken up.

The number of STPs installed in the entire stretch of Ganga under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) since 2016 till June 2022, year wise is given below:

Under the Namami Gange Programme, CPCB is carrying out monitoring for assessment of River Ganga water quality at 30 locations in Uttar Pradesh through the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). River water quality is assessed for primary water quality criteria notified for outdoor bathing in terms of Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (≤3mg/L). Sampling was carried out on fortnightly basis and the data of year 2021 (January to December) was analysed using statistical tool median which is a measure of central tendency.

Out of 30 locations monitored, river Ganga is meeting the primary water quality criteria for bathing at 16 locations with respect to BOD in Uttar Pradesh in the stretch from (i) Madhya Ganga Barrage (Bijnor) to Kannauj D/S (ii) Kadaghat (Prayagraj) to U/S, Vindhyachal (Mirzapur) and (iii) U/s Varanasi (Assighat). The BOD at rest of the 14 locations is in the range of 3.1 mg/l to 4.2 mg/l with marginal exceedance.

17-Jun-2022: NMCG organizes training workshop on ‘Occupational Health and Safety Audit’ at New Delhi

A training workshop was organised by National Mission for Clean Ganga on 17th June 2022 on ‘Occupational Health and Safety Audit (OHSA)’ at New Delhi. Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG presided over the workshop which was attended by stakeholders and contractors from the states and officials of the World Bank & NMCG. Among the contractors who participated in the event and gave presentations on ‘Specific Safety Measures taken at STP and Sewerage Network Construction Sites and Operating Facilities’ were LEA Associates South Asia, Toshiba Water, Voltas Limited, L&T Infrastructure, VA Tech Wabagh and Shapoorji Pallonji. Two technical sessions were also organised including ‘Key Risks and Mitigation Strategies in Sewerage Treatment Plants and Networks’ during the Construction and Operation Phase.

Giving the inaugural address, Shri G. Asok Kumar, DG, NMCG expressed his happiness that the workshop is being organised “on a very important aspect which is usually ignored in the rush of things.” He said that National Mission for Clean Ganga takes the safety of the workers, who toil hard to complete the projects, very seriously and is committed to take care of them. “All lives matter to us and every individual has the right to live a dignified and a healthy life,” he added.

Sharing experiences from his own life, he said that steps taken in the direction of ensuring safety of workers have a direct impact on the progress of the work. “During my tenure as DM, Kadapa in 2005, a school was made for the children of the workers who were constructing a very big medical college completed in the district. We provided free accommodation, food and coaching for all the children and then ensured their safety and comfort. It was a surprise to see that the work output increased dramatically as the workers, especially women, who always were worried about the safety of their children moving around on the workplace, could now work freely. They doubled their shift and the project was completed earlier than expected.” 

Shri Kumar reiterated that complete safety of the workers should be ensured and any mishap must be avoided. He hoped that OSHA would prove beneficial in terms of learning from each other’s experiences. Namami Gange is one of the most prestigious projects of the country, he added, and it should be ensured that workers are also treated well and face no safety or health hazards during the execution of the work. He also said that India has now reached a stage when such steps should be taken on our own behest, rather than nudged by someone else.

Mr. Asferechu Abate, Senior Environment Specialist, the World Bank, made a presentation on ‘Operational Health and Safety Second National Ganga River Basin Plan’ and threw light on major occupational health and safety issues. He shared some statistics related to leading causes of occupational fatalities and construction safety. He suggested that knowledge, commitment, allocation of resources, organised approach, leadership and participation of workers and regular training are some ways through which accidents can be reduced. He said that we all should join our hands to improve occupational health and safety.

The objective of OSHA is to assure safe and healthful conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing safe working standards and providing training, public outreach, education and compliance assistance. OHS management is a process of continual improvement. A proper OHS system requires good planning for OHS practices, risk assessment, training, user friendly interface, proper communication and timely reporting of incidents.

It was emphasized in the workshop that the employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. Employers must provide their workers with a workplace that does not have serious hazards and must follow all OSHA safety and health standards. During the workshop, details of OHS practices required as per World Bank’s safeguard policy were also discussed. After the training, a small quiz and discussion forum was also conducted. A short film on OSHA was screened during the event and a monthly newsletter – Safety, Environment and Health News – published by Voltas in Bihar was also released by DG, NMCG.

28-May-2022: NMCG Begins Clean Yamuna Campaign From 7 Ghats In Delhi

To mark the beginning of a Clean Yamuna campaign, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and a group of NGOs organized cleanliness drives at 7 ghats on Yamuna in the National Capital today. Students from schools and colleges also participated in the Shram Daan activities organized on the 7 ghats including Kalindi Kunj, Chhat Ghat, Nigambodh Ghat, Signature Bridge, Sonia Vihar Pushta 1, Thokar#17, Sungerpur, Thokar#18, Gandhi Nagar and Thokar#21, Gandhi Nagar. Officials from Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in large numbers joined the cleanliness drive, which began at 7 am.

The NGOs which were part of the cleanliness drives include Bharatiyam, Rotary Manthan, Lahar Foundation, Tree Craze Foundation, Earth Warriors, SYA, FOY, SDNH, HYSS, YPF and Chhat Puja Samiti. Students from IMS, Noida also participated in the cleanliness drive. This will be a regular activity to be organized on the 4th Saturday of every month.

Executive Director (Technical), NMCG, Shri D.P, Mathuria took part in the event and interacted with the stakeholders, especially young students, on the importance of keeping our river clean for a better and sustainable future. He motivated the participants to become part of this Clean Yamuna movement that is gaining momentum.

The cleaning of tributaries of River Ganga, especially, Yamuna, is one of the focus areas of Namami Gange Programme. While 318 MLD STP at Coronation Pillar has been commissioned recently, 3 other main STPs on Yamuna funded by NMCG are targeted to be completed by December 2022. These include Rithala, Kondli and Okhla, which is one of the biggest STPs in Asia. This will help in preventing sewage from drains falling into Yamuna. A total of 12 projects for the treatment of 1385 MLD sewage have been taken up at a cost of about Rs. 2354 crore under Namami Gange Program in Delhi, to abate the pollution in River Yamuna.

25-May-2022: NMCG Signs Quadripartite Agreements For Sewage Infrastructure Development & Management At Maheshtala In West Bengal

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) today signed two quadripartite agreements for development of sewage infrastructure, including a 35 MLD STP, for Maheshtala in West Bengal under Hybrid Annuity Mode at a total cost of Rs. 273.52 crore. One agreement is an Escrow Agreement between National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), M/s. Maheshtala Waste Water Management Private Limited (MWWMPL) and Union Bank of India. The other agreement is a Substitution Agreement between NMCG, KMDA, MWWMPL and Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank (Development Bank of Austria).

The Agreements were signed in the presence of Mr. G. Asok Kumar, DG, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ms. Katharina Wieser, Ambassador of Austria to India, Mr. S R Meena, DDG, Mr. D P Mathuria, ED (Technical), Mr. Bhaskar Dasgupta, ED (Finance), Mr. S P Vashishtha, ED (Admin) and Mr. Hans-Jörg Hörtnagl, Austrian Trade Commission, Mrs. Antara Acharya, Project Director, State Program Management Group, West Bengal.

Maheshtala is situated on the east bank of River Ganga. This project aims to stop the flow of sewerage into River Ganga from the town. The major components of the project include a 35 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant STP, 4 pumping stations, 6 diversion structures, Repair & Rehabilitation work, 15 years Operation and Maintenance etc.

This project is under Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) wherein 40% of construction cost will be paid during 24- months construction period and balance 60% will be paid as quarterly annuities along with interest and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) cost over a period of 15 years. Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG (Development Bank of Austria) is financing MWWMPL, which will be responsible for the entire development and operation of both sewerage network and STPs for 15 years of the concession period. The payment during operations period will be subject to achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in terms of treated waste water quality for the STPs.

9-May-2022: NMCG Organises Webinar On Waste Water Management

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with APAC News Network virtually organised the 6th Edition of the monthly ‘Webinar with Universities’ series on ‘Igniting Young Minds, Rejuvenating Rivers’ today. The theme for the webinar was ‘Waste Water Management.’ The session was presided over by Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG. Delivering his keynote address, Shri G. Asok Kumar began by shedding some light on various issues emerging across the country jeopardizing the water security and increasingly being manifested in the form of climate change which is now evident. He emphasized on the urgent need to find solutions to the issues pertaining to water sector so that the next generation would not have to face such problems.

The DG NMCG said “In 2014, Prime Minister launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which became a huge success. In 2019, various departments dealing with water issues were merged to form the Jal Shakti Ministry to holistically deal with the challenges. This was followed by the launch and execution of Jal Shakti Abhiyan-1 and Jal Shakti Abhiyan-2: Catch the Rain, Where it Falls, When it Falls, focusing on asset creation & awareness generation and rainwater harvesting respectively. Under the leadership of Prime Minister, water in India is being viewed as a key natural resource.”

Emphasizing on the importance of wastewater management, Shri Kumar quoted examples of countries like Israel and Singapore, who are doing some outstanding work in the field of recycling and reuse of water. “The technologies are available; all we need to do is work around them according to our specific needs,” he said, adding, “One of the most important areas is agriculture which consume more than 80% of our water resources. The reuse of treated water for non-potable purposes like agriculture is the need-of-the-hour to ensure that the next generation gets water.”

DG, NMCG further added that monetization of sludge and treated water is one of the focus areas of Namami Gange Programme under the banner of ‘Arth Ganga’, which means linking people with Ganga through a ‘Bridge of Economics’. He said that under Namami Gange Programme, around 164 Sewage Treatment Plants are being constructed worth Rs. 25000 crores that will help to treat around 5000 MLD of wastewater, resulting in major saving of freshwater resources.  Shri Kumar exhorted the younger generation to adhere to the 5R Concept of Circular Economy that includes Reducing Wastage, Recycling Water, Reusing Water, Rejuvenating Rivers and most importantly, Respecting Water. 

The leading educators who participated in the session included Shri Aditya Berlia, Co-Promoter, Apeejay Education, New Delhi, Prof. Shrihari Prakash Honwad, President, Sir Padampat Singhania University, Udaipur, Dr. Sujata Shahi, Vice Chancellor, IILM University, Gurugram and Prof. Naveen Singhal, Dean & Coordinator, Center of Excellence “LAW” Land, Air and Water, DIT University, Dehradun. Shri S.R. Meena, Deputy Director General, NMCG, also graced the occasion. Students from Chitkara School of Business and Apeejay also joined the webinar and interacted with NMCG on issues of wastewater management.   

Among the leading educators, Mr. Aditya Berlia and Dr. Sujata Shahi emphasized on the enormity of the task and the role younger generation will have to play in keeping the water resources of the country clean. Mr. Berlia said that awareness generation and community-led efforts are the key. “In addition to the cultural and spiritual significance of River Ganga, we must also focus on the economic benefits of the river as well,” he added.

Dr. Shahi pointed out that it is the social and behavioral change in the young generation that is a requisite for a programme like Namami Gange and that could be brought about by proper communication. She said that from story-telling to sensitization on the issues of River Rejuvenation to face-to-face communication, a targeted dissemination of information must be done to bring about the desired change. She said that one should have an “entrepreneur approach” when dealing with such issues. Prof. Naveen Singhal also laid emphasis on the responsibility young leaders have to take to make Namami Gange a people’s movement.

Prof. Shrihari Prakash Honwad cited examples of some international rivers and campaigns with respect to environmental issues including river rejuvenation and said that there is a need to create a “generation with cleanliness conscious’ and everything else will automatically fall into place. “We must go to schools and we must build this consciousness. We must tell the younger generation that we couldn’t do enough, help us correct it so that we can return the resources (natural) back to you,” Shri Honwad added.

10-Feb-2022: Progress of Clean Ganga Mission

Under Namami Gange Programme, a comprehensive set of interventions such as wastewater treatment, solid waste management, river front management (ghats and crematoria development), e-flow, afforestation, biodiversity conservation and Public Participation etc. have been taken up for rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries. So far, a total of 363 projects have been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 30,841.53 Crore, out of which 177 projects have been completed and made operational. Majority of the projects pertain to creation of sewage infrastructure as the untreated domestic/industrial wastewater is the main reason for pollution in the river. 160 sewerage infrastructure projects have been taken up with a cost of Rs. 24,567.82 Crore for creation & rehabilitation of 5,024 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity and laying of around 5,227 KM sewerage network. Among these, 75 sewerage projects have been completed resulting in creation & rehabilitation of 1,163 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 3,807 KM sewerage network. In order to sustain the continued operation of the sewage treatment infrastructure, Hybrid Annuity based PPP mode has also been adopted.

From the Financial Year 2014-15 onwards till 31st December 2021, Government of India has released Rs.11,167.02 crore, out of which, Rs.11,073.69 crore has been expended/released under various projects.

Out of the 56 projects due for completion in 2021, total of 17 Sewerage infrastructure projects have been completed in the Ganga basin since Jan 2021 in the States of Uttarakhand (4 nos.), Uttar Pradesh (7 nos.), Bihar (2 nos.), Jharkhand (1 no.) and Delhi (3 nos.).

In Jharkhand, 43 km Ganga river stretch is covered under Namami Gange programme. The following projects have been sanctioned in the State of Jharkhand in the fields of Sewerage Infrastructure, Ghats and Crematoria, Afforestation works etc. which are at different stages of implementation.

Sewerage Infrastructure: 3 sewerage infrastructure projects are sanctioned for the Sahibganj and Rajmahal towns along Ganga and Phusro town along river Damodar with a total sanctioned cost of Rs 217.17 crore. These schemes will install STP capacity of 30.5 MLD and 88 km sewer network.

1 project has been completed (Sahibganj sewerage network and STP)

1 project is nearing completion (Rajmahal sewerage network and STP is 96% completed) as on Dec 2021. It is expected to be completed by March, 2022.

1 project is under tendering (I&D works and STP in Phusro) with tentative date of completion as May, 2023.

Ghats and Crematoria: 4 projects are taken up at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 62.07 crore in cities like Sahibganj, Rajmahal, Kanhaiasthan for total 13 ghats and 3 crematoria (1 new+2 renovation) implemented by National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC) as well as State Government. All works completed.

Afforestation: Projects on afforestation activities are under implementation in Jharkhand at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 3.47 crore for FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22. An expenditure of Rs 3.11 crore has been incurred till date on afforestation projects.

Against the above projects a total of Rs 244 crore has been released to the State Government by NMCG from FY 2013 till date.