Water pollution and comparative non availability of this precious commodity is a persistent menace in northern India, even as it is growing in other parts of the country. Both the snow fed rivers that are crucial to northern India – considered holy by the people who live here – the Ganga and Yamuna – are facing in recent decades, pollution levels that do not seem to fall and in the bargain jeopardize their health and well being.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests in reply to a question in Lok Sabha in May this year said the Pollution Control Research Institute at BHEL ( Hardwar) has not conducted any study with regard to increasing pollution in the Yamuna river. However, Pollution Control Research Institute (PCRI) Hardwar is carrying out water quality monitoring and analysis in Western Yamuna Canal under Yamuna Action Plan.
To prevent increasing pollution in the Yamuna river, the Government had implemented the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) Phase I at an estimated cost of Rs. 715 crores. This phase was started in 1993 in three states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi covering 15 towns with funding from Japanese Bank for International Cooperation. This project was completed in February 2003. However, the results were not satisfactory and Comptroller and Auditor General's reports in 2004 and 2005 made a mention of the unsatisfactory completion of the task.
However, the Ministry's reply maintains that under this Plan, a total of 269 schemes of pollution abatement were completed including 38 sewage treatment plants, having treatment capacity of 753.25 million liters per day (MLD), of which 401.25 MLD is in UP, 322 MLD in Haryana and 30 MLD is in Delhi.
Further, the note has added that Yamuna Action Plan Phase II has been formulated keeping in view the experience gained during the implementation of YAP Phase I and has started from December 2004. This project has been approved for the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs. 625 crores.
The main components of the project include: In Delhi sewage treatment plants 135 MLD capacity new and 325 MLD capacity rehabilitation and rehabilitation/
The total amount of funds spent by the Government under the completed Yamuna Action Plan, Phase I is Rs. 682.14 crores and that spent on the ongoing works under Yamuna Action Plan, Phase II upto December 2006 is Rs. 6.11 crores.
Delhi Jal Board has submitted a time frame for enhancement of the utilization of existing sewage treatment capacities and also the creation of new capacities to Hon'ble Supreme Court. The DJB targets to attain utilization of sewage capacity along with the implicit expansion of the capacity to the level of 2081 MLD by December, 2007, 2326 MLD by December 2008, 2780 MLD by 2009 and 3791 MLD by 2015 subject to the required budgetary and non-budgetary resources being available.
The condition of the River Ganga seems no better. As if reports of a fast receding Gangotri glacier and its impact on the fertile land on the Ganga basin were not worrying enough, there are more reasons for environmentalists to get alarmed. The Central Empowered Committee, after an on the spot inspection said in its report to the Supreme Court in March this year that the entire area was under intense biotic pressure.
CEC carried out the inspection after the Army sought permission to widen roads at the border, which passes through the Gangotri National Park, for strategic reasons. The massive quantity of filth and garbage which accumulates at the source of the Ganga is ecologically and environmentally disastrous, CEC has said.
The Central Empowered Committee has recommended that the Uttarakhand Government deploy adequate number of officials to protect the Ganga basin area. On the advice of the Wildlife Institute of India, Uttarakhand Government had mulled over a proposal to stop pilgrims at the temple area and to provide water from Gaumukh for rituals at the site instead of letting thousands of people into the fragile alpine region. The Government however, developed cold feet.
The report also said: infrastructure requirements such as check posts, chowkis, anti poaching camps, vehicles, wireless network, high altitude clothing, and equipment for removal of garbage – need to be augmented. It's a tough job ahead…..
