Minister of Water Resources (MoWR) Uma Bharti on Wednesday announced setting up of a Committee of Secretaries to speed up the implementation of Namami Gange Programme.
Chairing the first Meeting of the Empowered Task Force on River Ganga, the Minister announced that Secretaries from the departments of Water Resources, Environment and Forest and Drinking Water and Sanitation will be its members. The Committee will meet at least once in a fortnight.
Reviewing the progress of the Namami Gange Programme Bharti said that first, old liabilities have to be completed and new initiatives should be segregated from it. She asked States to form States and District level Ganga panels at the earliest.
Giving an overview of the progress, the Minister informed that presently 42 sewage infrastructure projects are under execution. These 42 projects envisage creation of 327.93 MlD sewage treatment capacity.
Till December 2016, 253.50 MlD sewage treatment capacity has been created. Sewer Network of 3896.55 km is to be laid under these projects. Sewer network of 1060.96 km has been laid and balance work is under progress.
The Minister informed that currently, eight projects of sewage treatment plants are under execution at a total cost of `348.76 crore. These projects envisages creation of 109.40 MlD treatment capacity. Till December 2016, treatment capacity created was 33.40 MlD.
Bharti informed that online Effluent Monitoring Systems have been installed in 572 out of 760 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) and online data is being captured at dashboard from 266 such industries.
Monitoring data connectivity to MoWR, RD & GR, CPCB, State and State Pollution Control Boards is being undertaken. Also, 135 GPIs have been closed for non-compliance to stipulated norms and 17 have been exempted (ZlD achieved). Balance 36 units have been given deadline till 31st March 2017 for installation of online Effluent Monitoring System (EMS).
The Minister said eight Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Station (RTWQMS) are operational under National Hydrology Project. A network of 113 RTWQMS has been planned. In Phase - I, 36 RTWQMS is under installation and to be completed by March 2017. CPCB has proposed to install nine RTWQMS on the tributaries of River Ganga.