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NAMAMI GANGE
2500 Km. long holy river Ganga passes through 5 states providing employment to nearly 10% of the population,
affecting nearly 40% and spiritually connecting most of the Indians and has very important ecological significance
in terms providing ground water recharge, is home to some endangered species like Ganges dolphin, gharial.
The human beings nature of cutting the same branch of tree which provides support to it has also resulted
into unsustainable exploitation of the river and unabated pollution of the river.

There are various reasons for the present state of Ganga which is reflected in the report by the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2013, which says:

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Over 2,700 MLD of sewage is directly discharged into the river,
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels are high downstream of Haridwar, Kannauj and Kanpur and
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peak at Varanasi. The Kanpur -Varanasi stretch has been declared most polluted because of heavy pollution
from leather tanneries.
Fecal coliform levels in the mainstream of the river - some 2,500 km from Gangotri to Diamond Harbour
- remain above the acceptable level in all stretches making water unfit for agriculture and human use.
Constructions of dams, barrages across the river in Narora, Kanpur and Farraka and diversion of water for
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human consumption, irrigation purpose which has been resulted into high concentration of pollutants and
increase in salinity levels in lower reaches of the river.

What are the main reasons for pollution?

The various reasons for such state of the river can be divided into ideological or policy level and their
manifestation at the ground level.
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A. Ideological Or Policy Level Reasons For Pollution In Ganga:

i) Absence of environmental ethics and concerns:
The topmost reason that could be associated with Ganga pollution is absence of environmental ethics among
all stakeholders. Industrialists, farmers, urban people, and others who make indiscriminate use of river water
for various purposes and release pollutants directly or indirectly have failed to link their life style with long term
environmental costs.
ii) Economics, life and livelihood v/s environmental battle in rural areas:
Ganga pollution reflects the character and concerns of institutions and policy making, in which economic
concerns outweighs all other concerns and Net National Product (NNP) fails to take into account economic
degradation at world and national level.
Ganga River passes through some of the poorest states of India, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. For people
washing clothes, wallowing animals and taking bath it is part of their normal life which they have seen their
elders live and have lived in rural areas. They find it hard to change in absence of any economic, infrastructural
changes in rural areas and therefore pollute river.
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Industries use of low cost technologies, absence of affluent treatment facilities increases profitability in short
term. Investment in environmentally sensitive technologies leads to high cost of production, loss of
competitiveness and less profits.

iii) Weaknesses in policy making and administrative system

The above two problems were accentuated by piecemeal approach of policy planners and administrative
amnesia to holistic and long term thinking. Failure of local bodies and state governments to plan for sewage
treatment plant, water recycling, rainwater harvesting and reuse in urban planning and failure to implement
Ganga Action Plan (GAP) phase 1 and 2 reflects that. In spite of starting of GAP phase 1 in 1985 the sewage
treatment facility is well below the required level.

B. Ground Level Manifestation Of Ideological Malaise

All these have resulted into degradation of water quality and quantity of Ganga through various ways:
i) Rural and agriculture discharge

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In the rural areas indiscriminate use of fertilizers in order to get high yields and high returns and the
resulting agriculture run off has deteriorated water quality.
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ii) Industrialization, Rapid urbanization and rising standard of living:

Rapid urbanization and rising standard of living have resulted into extra demand for water use both for
domestic purposes and industrial purposes which serves urban people demands like use of water in
generating electricity, paper and pulp industry, leather industry etc. This has resulted into reduced flow in
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the river and has threatened its ecology.

Rapid urbanization has also resulted into loss of natural water bodies, capture of river flood zones and
urban rainwater runoff. These have affected the ecology of Ganga through reduced water availability, water
quality degradation.

Daily use items like polyethylene, cans and other trash are thrown into the river by tourists and others
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is effects river negatively.

iii) Absence of infrastructural facilities to treat sewage waste and other wastes:
Ganga stretch suffers from significant gap in sewage treatment facilities, electric crematoria facilities and toilet
facilities in homes. According a report by experts 118 towns along Ganga collectively generate over 3,636
Million Litres per day (MLD) of sewage as against the treatment capacity of approximately 1,027 MLD of
the existing 55 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)
iv) Cultural and religious reasons:
The holiness of Ganga has become a bane for it. It is because of cultural reverence of the river large number
of people immerses idols, take holy bath, cremate bodies or immerse ash in it. All these result into pollution,
release of toxicants and heavy metal from idols into the river.
v) Climate Change:

Climate change resulting from anthropogenic factors has resulted into melting of glaciers, errant rainfall patterns
and adverse impacts on water flow and excess water demand.
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What are the adverse impacts of water pollution?

i) On Human Health:
All these have resulted into adverse impacts on human health in the form of water borne diseases like cholera,
hepatitis, typhoid etc. This has been the reason for high infant and child mortality rates.
ii) On Ganga:
The holiness of the river may itself is under threat. The next generation may be confused by the historical
depiction and reality of the Ganga. It may become a normal river losing all its characteristics.
iii) On Environment:
Marine life is severely affected by the pollution in the river. Ganges Dolphin, Mahaseer fish some of the
marine animals may face threat if pollution goes unabated and new dams are constructed. High levels of
mercury may result into accumulation of same in fishes and this may negatively affect both fish and human
beings.

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Steps taken to tackle it
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River Ganga not only carries cultural and spiritual significance but economic significance also. On it depends
the livelihood of nearly many fishermen, farmers, boatmen and many other. Therefore restoration of Ganga's
purity and sanctity is very essential. For this purpose present Government has launched Namami Gange or
Ganga River Conservation Plan.
A. Namami Gange Initiative:
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Namami Gange is a multi-dimensional, multi-stakeholder and sequential initiative which covers:

I. Nirmal Dhara- ensuring sustainable municipal sewage management
Capacity building of urban local bodies
II. Managing sewage from Rural Areas
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Mo DWS scheme for all Ganga bank Gram Panchayts (1632) free from open defecation by
2022,
III. Nirmal Dhara- managing Industrial discharge
Making Zero Lequid Discharge (ZLD) mandatory
Rationalized water tariff to encourage reuse
Real time water quality monitoring
Industrial pollution abatement at Kanpur on priority
IV. Aviral Dhara
Enforcing River Regulatory Zones on Ganga Banks
Rational agricultural practices, efficient irrigation methods, afforestation
Conservation of Aquatic life - Special attention on Ganges Dolphin, Turtles and Ghariyals etc.
Restoration and conservation of wetlands
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V. Ensuring ecological rejuvenation by conservation of aquatic life and biodiversity

VI. Promotion of Tourism and Shipping in a rational and sustainable manner
River Front Management for Ghat's developments in selected cities and towns
VII. Knowledge Management on Ganga through Ganga Knowledge Centre
GIS data and Spatial Analysis for Ganga basin
Study of communities depending on Ganga for their traditional livelihood
The Plan Implementation Has Been Divided Into Three Levels:
I. Entry-level activities (for immediate visible impact),
River surface cleaning to address the floating solid wastes;
Rural sanitation to arrest the pollution (solid & liquid) entering through rural sewage drains etc.

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II. Medium term activities (to be implemented within 5 years of time frame)
Arresting the municipal and industrial pollution entering into the river.
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Creation of additional 2500 MLD additional treatment capacity is to be created in next 5
years.
III. Long-term activities (to be implemented within 10 years).
Multi-stakeholder approach
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Since cleaning the river requires not only a multi-dimensional perspective but multi-sectoral approach also. It
cannot be the aim of one ministry only. Accordingly involvement of various ministries, different state
governments, people has been enlisted through various schemes or MoUs.
i) Under Swachh Ganga- Gramin Sahbhagita' initiative active participation of Panchayats for promotion of
medicinal plants and livelihood, treatment of rural solid waste and rural sanitation etc are some of the
activities which are to be implemented through it.
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ii) Under Ganga Action Plan MoU have been signed with different Ministries to implement the 21 targets.
Different ministries will take diverse initiatives like:
Ministry of HRD under 'Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan' will encourage IITs and NITs to adopt villages to
implement the projects for solid/liquid waste management and open defecation free status,
Ministry of Youth Affairs will involve sports persons to form young group to take up activities
related to Ganga cleaning.
iii) Railway ministry had signed MoU to use recycled water for non-potable purpose.
iv) Ganga Vahini comprising of volunteers, ex-serviceman, people from territorial under the chairmanship of
District Magistrate will be formed to keep vigil and help in cleaning Ganga.
Multi-Sectoral Approach:
Different sections like educational institutes and industries are being approached to take up the task. A
consortium of 7 IITs is preparing Ganga River Management Plan. Plan is to get support of industries
through PPP mode or through Corporate SOcial Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
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International co-operation
International co-operation with countries like Germany, Japan and UK has been done to seek technology
and expertise in the area.
Implementation:
i) The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state
counterpart organizations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs). NMCG will also establish
field offices wherever necessary.
ii) In an attempt to bolster enforcement the Centre also plans to establish a 4-battalion Ganga Eco-Task
Force, a Territorial Army unit, apart from contemplating on a legislation that aims to check pollution and
protect the river.
Funding
i) Establishment of Clean Ganga Fund to seek contribution from all those who are concerned. This is open

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to all even NRIs and PIOs. Corporates can give their CSR contribution or adopt ghats, pilot new research
or any other activity related to Namami Gange initiative.
ii) OR
Learning from earlier initiatives the scheme has been declared as Central Sector Scheme and center will
bear full cost as in earlier initiatives states have failed to provide their part of funds which have resulted
into failures.
iii) Centre now plans to provide for operation & maintenance of the assets for a minimum 10 year period,
and adopt a PPP/SPV approach for pollution hotspots.
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Monitoring:
i) Institutionalizing a robust review and monitoring mechanism by roping in 3rd party appraisal agencies from
both public and private sector, State agencies, Urban Local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions has
been done. Contemporary audit tools including social audit and community monitoring is also being
considered.
ii) All these are apart from monitoring committee at district, state and center level under top rank civil
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servant.
Challenges:
i) Though the problem of funding has been solved through increased finances and 100% funding by center,
but the problem of implementation still remains. Implementation has to be done by states, municipalities
and gram Panchayat. Unless they share the same commitment implementation will be difficult.
ii) Politics plays a great role in present times. With different party governments co-operating to implement
the vision, the accolades must also be shared by all. But in reality if any one tries to take all credit and
gain political mileage in such situation others see political benefit in non-implementation.
iii) It is the responsibility of States and local governments to make laws to stop illegal sand mining, and
making rain water conservation a reality to boost the ground water level.
iv) In recent, a Parliamentary Committee has said that, too much focus on engineering and no focus on social
engineering has been one of the reason for failure of earlier programmes. In Namami Gange also the
involvement of social science institutions which can analyze the sociological, psychological and economical
interconnections between people and Ganga is missing. This would have been of great importance in
bringing behavioral change.
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v) If new initiatives by government bring any kind of hardship or economic loss to people without
corresponding gains the acceptability of the initiative will be less. Governments must take care of this
challenge also. For example
Supreme Court has found the center's plan to clean Ganga to "bureaucratic" and not for the layman and
has rapped government for saying that it will take 200 years to clean Ganga in this way. This reflects the
feasibility of the project.
No monitorable targets have been put in public domain against which the performance of the initiative
can be measured.
The river which provided penance to many, this time is seeking same for itself. The recent efforts appear to
be in right direction. The completion of make-over and beautification of Assi-Ghat in Varanasi within timeframe
gives a hope to everyone. The Swacha Bharat Abhiyaan will also complement the efforts of Namami Ganage
and will be a big boost. The publicity which both of these initiatives have gained may result into attitudinal
change among the people and their greater involvement.

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In spite of all these efforts the basic question which remains is, what we are tackling with environment
degradation or river pollution or Ganga pollution?
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Earlier initiative to Clean Ganga:
Initial efforts began with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Phase-I in 1985.
GAP Phase-II was approved in stages from 1993 onwards; it included tributaries of the Ganga-Yamuna,
Gomti, Damodar and Mahananda. The plan was expanded in 1995 to other rivers under the National
River Conservation Plan.
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Ganga was declared the national river in February 2009, and the National Ganga River Basin Authority
(NGRBA) was setup.
In 2010 the 135 Km. stretch of Bhagirathi between Gaumukh and Uttar Kashi has been declared eco-
sensitive zone.
In two phases of Yamuna Action Plan (YAP), Rs 1,070 crore has been released by the centre and Rs 1,511
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crore spent until February 2014.

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