Parliament Question: Implementation of Arth Ganga Scheme and Development of Yamuna River Ghat near Kairana

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3103 ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025 IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTH GANGA SCHEME AND DEVELOPMENT OF YAMUNA RIVER GHAT NEAR KAIRANA

3103. MS IQRA CHOUDHARY

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the objectives and key components of the Arth Ganga Scheme under the Namami Gange Programme including details of its six verticals;

(b) whether the Government is planning to develop or rejuvenate the Yamuna River ghat near Kairana in Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh under the Arth Ganga Scheme, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the measures taken under the Arth Ganga Scheme to address pollution and promote sustainable economic activities along the Yamuna River including initiatives such as Natural Farming and Jalaj;

(d) the steps taken to enhance public participation and empower local communities including the role of Ganga Praharis and initiatives like ImAvatar and CLAP in context of Yamuna River conservation; and

(e) whether any monitoring mechanisms have been established to evaluate the scheme’s effectiveness in promoting river conservation and economic development along the Yamuna River and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)

(a) Arth Ganga is a sustainable and viable economic development model to strengthen the river people connect through an economic bridge. Main pillars of Arth-Ganga include Promotion of Natural Framing;

Monetisation and reuse of Treated water and sludge from the STPs; Improvement of Livelihood opportunities and Promotion of Tourism & Cultural heritage.

(b) No proposal for development of ghat on river Yamuna in Kairana, Shamli District is under consideration in National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).

(c) & (d) In order to address pollution and promote sustainable economic activities in the Ganga basin, NMCG has established Jalaj centres. These centres promote awareness and people participation with focus on economic activities for river rejuvenation.

1NMCG has organized Natural Farming Farmers’ Training workshops in coordination with Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare along the Ganga basin States.

NMCG has sanctioned a study project titled "Evaluation of Natural Farming practices on water and energy savings and Enhancement of Soil Fertility & Crop Productivity" to WALAMTARI (Water and Land Management Training and Research Institute), Andhra Pradesh to evaluate the impact of natural farming on water and energy usage, soil fertility, and crop productivity.

A project titled “Exploration of Floral Biodiversity near Ganga Banks for Plant Conservation, Training, and Economic Development of the Region” has been sanctioned to Patanjali. It is a comprehensive initiative aimed at documenting and conserving the biodiversity of the Ganga river ecosystem from Gaumukh (Uttarakhand) to Ganga Sagar (West Bengal).

Under the “Jalaj: Connecting River and People to Realize Arth Ganga” project, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun has set up Jalaj centres on various models such as Dolphin Safaris, Homestays, Livelihood Centers, and Awareness & Sale Points etc, to promote eco-tourism, community participation, and conservation awareness.

NMCG has sanctioned a project titled “Capacity Building Programme for Leveraging Community and Local Resources Based on Technology” to Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO). Under this one Arth Ganga Centre at Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Three Ganga Resource Centres set up at Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Digwara (Bihar) and Sahebganj (Jharkhand).

Around 8,000 people were trained in FY 2024–25 by HESCO through various livelihood programs.

NMCG has published National Framework for ‘Safe Reuse of Treated Water’. The framework gives guidelines for the formulation of State reuse policy and is intended to build appropriate market and economic models for the reuse of treated wastewater. MoUs have been signed for reuse of treated water with Ministry of Power, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has mapped all Ganga districts for documenting architectural, natural and intangible cultural heritage under their study. A study has been commissioned for similar documentation for Yamuna basin.

In order to enhance public participation and empower local communities, NMCG is raising awareness on biodiversity and river rejuvenation through Jalaj centres established across Ganga basin. These centres also promote awareness on Namami Gange interventions and provide market linkage to various Jalajs/ SHGs/ NGOs of Ganga basin. Ganga Praharis have been deployed as local community members trained as volunteers to protect and conserve the biodiversity and cleanliness of rivers in Ganga basin.

2MoU was signed with ImAvatar for promoting Arth Ganga initiative with focus on livelihood and public participation.

Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP) was an interactive online platform developed with an aim to provide a platform for knowledge on issues related to the environment, water, and rivers through online quizzes and reference material.

Comprehensive public awareness campaigns have been undertaken to instill a sense of responsibility and engagement among the public in efforts to clean and conserve the Ganga River. These include - Ganga Utsav, Nadi Utsav, regular cleanathons and plantation drives, Ghat Par Yoga, Ganga Aartis, etc.

The efforts are also supported by dedicated cadres of Ganga saviours, such as Ganga Praharis, Ganga Vichar Manch, etc.

(e) The progress under various components of Arth Ganga is reviewed at various levels, including the Empowered Task Force chaired by Minister of Jal Shakti. ***** 3