Cleaning up the Ganga: Many Attempts, Poor Results

Dr.G.D.Agrawal, 86, a former Professor of IIT Kanpur, and a pioneering environmental activist, died on October 12, 2018, after a nearly four-month hunger strike that he had undertaken in order to pressure the Indian government to take actions to rejuvenate the Ganga. Before starting his fast, Prof.Agrawal had sent a list of demands to PM Modi: Pass legislation to clean and revive the river, cancel all hydroelectric projects on the upper reaches of the Ganges, ban deforestation and sand mining along the river, and establish an independent body to oversee its management. Why did he sacrifice his life for the Ganga and why so many others have deep feelings for the Ganga?

The Ganga is important for many reasons:

·      It has a religious and mythological significance for millions of Indians.

·      The Ganga Plain is the most densely populated part of India. The River is the main source of water for 480 million people  - for irrigation, industries, and other needs.

·      Ganga is also the most harnessed river of India. There are more than 780 dams in the Ganga Basin, most of them being for irrigation.

·      The hydroelectric power potential of the Ganga Basin is 20,700 MW. The existing and planned hydroelectric schemes together account for only 31% of the assessed potential of the Basin.

·      Transport and tourism: The Ganga River and the Basin are already major tourist attractions, with boating, cruises, etc. The government now has plans to develop shipping as a major economic activity on the River.

The Ganga originates in the Himalayan Gangotri Glacier as the River Bhagirathi. At Dev Prayag, Bhagirathi and Alaknanda join together to become the Ganga. The river then flows for about 2500 km through 11 states and reaches the Bay of Bengal. In spite of its importance, however, the Ganga is in one of the most polluted rivers of India.

What are the causes of the heavy pollution of the Ganga?

·      12 billion litres of sewage flow into the river every day from the 118 cities and towns along the river.

·      More than 50% of the sewage is untreated.

·      More than 750 industries discharge 500 MLD (million litres per day) of effluents into the river, most of it from the pulp and paper sector and tanneries.

·      Human bodies and animal carcasses are dumped into the river.

Major pollution of the river comes from Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Patna.

What has been the history of public interest litigation on Ganga pollution?

·      The environmental lawyer M.C.Mehta filed the first suit in the Supreme Court in 1985 on the Ganga pollution issue.

·      The Court issued a number of directives to close polluting factories and build wastewater plants. But the directives were ignored and the river became dirtier all the time.

·      Meanwhile the cases have continued in the Court for three decades.

·      In 2014, the Supreme Court directed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to deal with litigations on industrial pollution, leaving the apex court to deal with the domestic sewage issue.

·      NGT has been hearing a series of cases on the pollution issue.

What were the actions taken be the previous governments to clean up the Ganga?

·      In 1986, PM Rajiv Gandhi launched the Ganga Action Plan.

·      More than Rs. 50 crores were spent over 14 years to build 83 sewage transport networks and treatment plants. But most of them did not operate well.

·      The government set up the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in 2009 and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in 2011.

What action did the government that came to power in 2014 take on this matter?

·      Renamed the Water Ministry as the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

·      Set up the National Ganga Council (replacing NGRBA) with PM as the head several Union Ministers and Chief ministers of the five Ganga Basin states as members.

·      Formed State Ganga Committees as nodal agencies.

·      Planned to establish a Ganga EcoTask Force to spread awareness about pollution and protecting the river.

·      Asked seven IITs to work on the best strategies to clean up the river, resulting in the Ganga Rejuvenation Basin Management Programme (GRBMP)

·      Launched the programme Namami Gange in May 2015, for treating municipal waste, managing industrial discharge, enforcing river regulatory zones, and restoring wetlands.

·      Allocated Rs.20,000 crore for Ganga rejuvenation until 2019.

·      Set up the Clean Ganga Fund and declared 100% tax relief for donations for the Clean Ganga projects.

·      Decided to set up a company for implementation of river cleaning projects under the Public-Private Partnership mode, which will eventually construct and operationalize sewage treatment plants in all 118 towns and cities.

What are the main features of the GRBMP?

Restoring the wholesomeness of the river:

• Aviral Dhara – continuous flow
• Nirmal Dhara – unpolluted flow
• Ecological and geological integrity

Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission:

• Bringing multiple agencies under one roof.
• Ganga and its tributaries brought under one umbrella for a comprehensive approach
• Action Plan developed by consortium of seven IITs

Key interventions of immediate action to include:

• Rehabilitation and upgradation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants
• Sewerage infrastructure
• Industrial pollution abatement

  

Why does the Ganga Remain Dirty?

A report published by the Centre for Science and Environment in October 2018, presents the reasons why the Ganga remains dirty:

Sewage treatment and industrial discharge

·      Faulty design and poor performance of existing Sewage treatment Plants (STPs)

·      Delays and cost overruns in setting up new STPs

·      Underestimation of discharge into the sewage system

·      Excessive discharge of effluents by industries, especially tanneries, into drains and sewage lines.

·      Industries not transferring waste to the Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs).

Restoring the river flow for self-purification

·      Not enough water in the Ganga during the non-monsoon months.

·      More than 40 (existing and under-construction) hydroelectric projects turning the upper stretch into an ecological desert.

Sludge control

·      Large number of twin-pit toilets built in the villages on the banks under Swachch Bharat Abhiyan, but no proper management of faecal sludge, leading to high coliform levels in the river.

·      Solid waste dumped on streets reach the river through drains.

Cost overruns and fund use

·      Costs of sewage treatment have escalated due to delays.

·      Poor utilization of available funds for projects, yet high spending on advertisements.

Poor governance

·      Lack of coordination among multiple agencies and ministries involved.

·      Not a single meeting of the National Ganga Council held since its formation.

·      Constant change in the headship of National Mission for Clean Ganga, no continuity in policies or actions.

·      Highly centralised approach without involving people living in the Ganga Basin.

Where is the clean and holy Ganga?