RECORD NOTE OF DISCUSSIONS TAKEN PLACE IN BRAIN STORMING
MEETING FOR PROPOSED INITIAL ACTIONABLE ITEMS OF THE GANGA RIVER
BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN HELD ON 14TH SEPTEMBER, 2010
A meeting was held in the MoEF on 14.9.2010 to discuss the preparation of the
Ganga River Basin Management Plan. The list of participants is at Annexure-I.
2.
Prof. Vinod Tare, IIT Kanpur made a detailed presentation explaining the
process being followed for the development of the plan and the results/ outcomes
expected to be achieved.
3.
Shri Rajiv Gauba, Joint Secretary, MoEF observed that the Basin Management
Plan will be the basis for the action programme of NGRBA. The plan is expected to
provide the road map for projects, policy initiatives, institutional framework, legal
measures, etc. Though a timeframe of 12-18 months has been given for completion of
the exercise, it had been agreed before the award of work that a series of interim
reports will be provided by the consortium of IITs so that the priority activities of the
NGRBA can commence at the earliest. Further, the preparation of the plan should
involve adequate consultations with all stakeholders. In this regard, a useful beginning
has been made with the workshop at IIT, Kanpur on 28.8.2010.
4.
After detailed discussions, certain broad conclusions were reached. The Basin
Management Plan would provide implementable suggestions resulting in the
achievement of the following objectives:(i)
Environmental flow is maintained in the river throughout the year, i.e. the
concept of ‘Aviral Dhara’ should be realized;
(ii)
The demand for other uses of water is optimized;
(iii)
Notwithstanding the increasing utilization of groundwater resources expected in
future, depletion of ground water table in the Ganga River Basin is arrested and
reversed through planned measures for recharging groundwater;
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(iv)
The ultimate vision should be to realize the goal of ‘Nirmal Dhara’, i.e. unpolluted
flow. This would mean that no municipal wastewater or industrial effluent is discharged
into the river. This vision/ultimate objective, however, needs to be tempered with
practical considerations;
(v)
There is no alternative to treating the entire municipal wastewater in the Ganga
Basin. All wastewater should be diverted from the rivers followed by full treatment, i.e.
using the best available practices for industrial effluents and up to tertiary levels for
sewage. This fits in with the objective of ‘Mission Clean Ganga’ adopted by NGRBA.
(vi)
Given the constraints of resources, the focus should, in the first phase, be on
the main stem of Ganga. After treatment to requisite standards, endeavour should be
to maximize the reuse/recycling of wastewater. This can be done by ensuring proper
linkages for use of wastewater for irrigation, use in industries, flushing of toilets, air
conditioning, etc. The treated water may also be put in surface storage facilities or used
for groundwater recharge.
It may be easier to set up decentralized wastewater treatment facilities using the
concept of recycling of wastewater for flushing of toilets, etc. in new settlements or in
recently set up settlements which have adequate open spaces. It may, however, not be
a practicable proposition in the old settlements or in the densely populated settlements.
Decentralized STPs, requiring double plumbing for use in flushing may be
restricted to new settlements as it may not be easy to ensure popular support for
expenditure on infrastructure relating to double plumbing.
It may also not be possible everywhere to ensure the necessary linkages with
industrial and agricultural uses. While every endeavour should be made and a rigorous
exercise should be undertaken while planning the sewage treatment facilities to
maximize reuse/recycling, there may not be an alternative in the short term to treating
the entire wastewater to the best possible standards, recycling/reusing it as much as
possible and discharging the rest in to the river.
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(vii)
International experiences in the major river basins like Rhine, Danube, Murray
Darling, Yangtze, etc. in the treatment of wastewater and its reuse or its discharge
back into the river may be thoroughly documented. It is important to draw appropriate
lessons from such river basins especially with regard to the treatment of municipal
wastewater and effluents and the extent to which it has been possible to reuse and
recycle the wastewater.
(viii)
Industries should be encouraged to adopt zero-discharge standards.
(ix)
Flood waters must be stored for use in the lean seasons with proper safeguards
to protect ecology and control sediment transport in the river. Water storage facilities
may include dams in the hills, and barrages, canals, and interconnected kharif
channels, ponds, lakes, etc. in the plains. In addition to meeting the irrigation, domestic
and industrial needs in the dry season, the water stored in the plains will result in
ground water recharge and hence arrest the depletion of groundwater table resulting
from exploitation of groundwater resources in the dry season.
(x)
Measures to store storm water in river and away from river. Technology
interventions like lining of canals may also be explored. This may be provided where
the water table is quite high. Unlined canal is the source for recharging the sub-surface
water, where water table is quite low.
(xi)
No disposal of solid waste of any kind to be permitted on the banks of the rivers
or in the rivers itself. No polluting activity such as defecation, washing of clothes,
wallowing of animals, etc. or disposal of un-burnt/half burned corpses to be permitted.
This is as per the concept of ‘Nirmal Dhara’ or ‘Un-polluted Flow’. This will require
giving emphasis to creating proper sanitation facilities along river banks, especially
where people congregate in large numbers, creating clean ghats and facilities for
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cremation maximizing the impact of river water quality, facilities for dealing with the
impact of immersion of idols and other religious materials, etc.
(xii)
The active flood plain boundary of the rivers to be marked clearly. Human
activities within the active floodplain boundary to be severely restricted.
(xiii)
Riverbanks (beyond the active floodplain boundary) to be reclaimed and
developed in places where large human settlements exist on the riverbanks.
(xiv)
Enhancement of forestry activities so that surface water runoff is reduced and
infiltration of the surface runoff is increased.
(xv)
The suggestion for constitution of a Standing Expert Committee for scrutiny of
master plans and approval of projects to be sanctioned under NGRBA to be examined
in view of the recently established system of project approval by independent reputed
technical institutions and technical scrutiny systems being put in place under the World
Bank Project.
5.
Based on the critical activities related to "Mission Clean Ganga", preliminary
reports on the following subjects were identified for submission by December 2010:
(a)
Assessment Report of pollution load (domestic, industrial, non-point sources) in
main stem of Ganga.
(b)
Report on effluent standards to be prescribed for STPs in various stretches on
the main stem of Ganga.
(c)
Report on technology options for sewage treatment plants including innovative
and decentralized options.
(d)
First cut results on the impacts on the water resources development projects (in
place, under implementation and proposed) in the Ganga River basin.
6.
Meanwhile, the following activities should be undertaken immediately:
(i)
The Basin Management Plan should identify the critical stretches on the Ganga
river and its tributaries where pollution levels are extremely high.
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(ii)
Diversion of all domestic sewage discharges flowing through sewers/nalas/
drains in these stretches. Appropriate project proposals for this purpose to be
formulated and cleared expeditiously. Immediate sanctioning of projects relating to
sewage treatment and solid waste management in all Class A and Class B cities of the
Ganga River Basin.
(iii)
In certain stretches where the BOD and DO in the river water are within the
permissible limits of the designated standards but faecal coliform exceeding the limit,
pro-active measures for sanitation and solid waste management may be given high
priority.
(iv)
Issuance of closure notices to all polluting industries, not limited to industries
located in the critical stretches but also including those which critically diminish the
assimilative capacity in the downstream. Such industries are required to manage their
effluents using the Best Available Technology (BAT) / Best Available Practices (BAP)
as per guidelines issued by CPCB. Industries to be encouraged to adopt zero
discharge standards.
(v)
Installation of CETPs to cover small and unorganized industrial units polluting
the ground as well as sub-surface water should be undertaken.
(vi)
Mobilization of general public / NGOs (Ganga panchayat) as watchdogs.
.....
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ANNEXURE-I
Brain Storming Meeting for Proposed Initial Actionable Items of the Ganga River
Basin Management Plan held on 14.9.2010
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Name/Designation
Sh. Rajiv Gauba, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests
Sh. Rajiv Sinha, Director, National River Conservation Directorate
Sh. Lalit Kapur, Director, National River Conservation Directorate
Sh. B. B. Barman, Additional Director, National River Conservation
Directorate
Sh. L. K. Bokolia, Joint Director, National River Conservation Directorate
Dr. Vinod Tare, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
Dr. Arvind Kumar Nema, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
Prof. Saumitra Mukherjee, Jawahar Lal Nehru University
Sh. Paritosh Tyagi, Ex Chairman of the CPCB
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