Need

The need for revamping the river conservation programme was widely recognised in view of the shortcomings in the approach followed in GAP. It was felt necessary that a new holistic approach based on river basin as the unit of planning and institutional redesign should be adopted.

Accordingly, the Government of India has given Ganga the status of a National River and has constituted the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) on 20th February 2009 under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

About

• It is a planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating body of the centre and the states
• The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation(MoWR, RD & GR) is the nodal Ministry for the NGRBA
• It is chaired by the Prime Minister and has as its members the Union Ministers concerned, the Chief Ministers of the States through which Ganga flows, viz., Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, among others
• This initiative is expected to rejuvenate the collective efforts of the Centre and the States for cleaning the river

Objectives

• Ensuring effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management
• Maintaining environmental flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development

Functions

It has both regulatory and developmental functions. It will take measures for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga in keeping with sustainable development needs. These include:

• Development of a river basin management plan
• Regulation of activities aimed at prevention, control and abatement of pollution in Ganga to maintain its water quality, and to take measures relevant to river ecology and management in the Ganga basin states
• Maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga
• Measures necessary for planning, financing and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the river Ganga including augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, catchment area treatment, protection of flood plains, creating public awareness
• Collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to environmental pollution in the river Ganga
• Investigations and research regarding problems of environmental pollution and conservation of the river Ganga
• Promotion of water conservation practices including recycling and reuse, rain water harvesting, and decentralised sewage treatment systems
• Monitoring and review of the implementation of various programmes or activities taken up for prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the river Ganga
• Issue directions under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the purpose of exercising and performing these functions and for achievement of its objectives

Progress

• The NGRBA is fully operational and is also supported by the state level State Ganga River Conservation Authorities (SGRCAs) in five Ganga basin States which are chaired by the Chief Ministers of the respective States
• Under NGRBA programme, projects worth Rs. 4607.82 crore had been sanctioned up to 31st March 2014
• It has started the Mission Clean Ganga with a changed and comprehensive approach to champion the challenges posed to Ganga through four different sectors- wastewater management, solid waste management, industrial pollution and river front development

Task for you

• Critically examine the magnitude of Ganga river pollution, its causes and challenges faced by the government in cleaning the river
• Despite the enormous funds and time spent, efforts made to clean the River Ganga have not yielded desired results. Critically examine

Published with inputs from Swapnil