GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 159
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2015
Plan to clean river Yamuna
*159. SHRI VIJAY JAWAHARLAL DARDA:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE be
pleased to state:
(a)
whether Government has any plan to clean river Yamuna by removing
sewerage and pollutants;
(b)
whether Government would also stop all drains entering into the river and if
so, the details thereof; and
(c)
the amount of money that has been spent on cleaning of Yamuna river, so far
and whether Government would now fix up a time-frame to clean the entire river?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST
AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (c)
A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of Rajya Sabha Starred
Question No.159 to be answered on Thursday, the 12th March, 2015 on “Plan to
clean river Yamuna” by Shri Vijay Jawaharlal Darda.
(a) to (c)
It is the responsibility of the State Governments / concerned local
bodies to set up proper facilities for collection and treatment of sewage being
generated in the towns and ensure that untreated sewage does not fall into the river,
thereby polluting them. However, this Ministry has supplemented the efforts of the
State Governments in addressing the problem of pollution of river Yamuna by
providing financial assistance to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana under Yamuna
Action Plan (YAP) in a phased manner since 1993. JICA (Japan International
Cooperation Agency) is providing loan assistance for taking up works under YAP.
The works taken up under YAP relate to sewerage/interception and diversion
of drains, sewage treatment plants (STPs), low cost sanitation/community toilet
complexes, electric/improved wood crematoria, etc. Under Phase-I and II of YAP, a
total of 299 schemes, including 41 sewage treatment plants, have been completed in
21 towns of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. In addition, 5 schemes pertaining to
consulting services have also been sanctioned. An expenditure of Rs. 1514.42 crore
(including State share) has been incurred on both phases of YAP. Sewage
treatment capacity of 942.25 million litres per day (mld) has been created under
these two phases of YAP, of which 455.25 mld is in U.P., 322 mld is in Haryana and
165 mld is in Delhi.
The JICA assisted YAP Phase - III project for Delhi has also been approved at
an estimated cost of Rs 1656 crore. Under the project, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is
implementing rehabilitation of existing trunk sewers and rising mains, upgradation/
modernization of existing 7 STPs with a total treatment capacity of 814 mld and
construction of a new 136 mld STP (in place of the old STP). Besides, the Public
Health Engineering Department (PHED), Haryana is implementing two projects
costing Rs. 217.87 crore for pollution abatement of river Yamuna in towns of
Sonepat and Panipat from internal budgetary resources of the Government, on
which expenditure of Rs. 121.54 crore has been incurred till December, 2014.
In addition, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is implementing an interceptor sewer
project costing Rs. 1357 crore along three major drains, namely Supplementary
Drain, Najafgarh Drain and Shadara Drain to intercept sewage from around 190
subsidiary small drains and convey it to the nearest STPs. One phase of the
interceptor sewer project has been completed resulting into tapping of around 45 mld
sewage for treatment in the STP.
Conservation of rivers is an ongoing process. The Central Government has
taken a new initiative to set up an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission namely
“Namami Gange” for rejuvenation of Ganga, which also covers river Yamuna as a
major tributary of Ganga.
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