Parliament Question: Namami Gange Mission Phase-II

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 273 ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026 NAMAMI GANGE MISSION PHASE-II 273 #. SHRI MAYANKKUMAR NAYAK: Dr. KAVITA PATIDAR: SMT. KIRAN CHOUDHRY: SHRI KESRIDEVSINH JHALA: Dr. MEDHA VISHRAM KULKARNI: SHRI AMAR PAL MAURYA: Will the Minister of Jal Shakti be pleased to state: (a) the key projects operationalised under Namami Gange Mission Phase-II during 2025, including major sewage treatment plants commissioned; (b) the total sewage treatment capacity created under the Mission and its impact on Ganga water quality improvement; (c) the biodiversity conservation achievements, including the status of Gangetic dolphin population and afforestation along the river; and (d) the roadmap for achieving the Mission's objectives of Nirmal and Aviral Dhara by 2026? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) Under the Namami Gange Mission (NGM) Phase II, during 2025 (January to December), a total of 25 key sewage treatment plants with a total treatment capacity of 530 Million Liters per Day (MLD) have been commissioned and operationalised. (b) Under NGM, a total sewage treatment capacity of 3,977 MLD has been created as of December 2025. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), carries out manual water quality monitoring of the river Ganga at 112 locations across five Ganga main-stem States- Uttarakhand-19; Uttar Pradesh-41; Bihar- 33; Jharkhand-04; and West Bengal-15. As per CPCB report on Polluted River Stretch (PRS) 2025 following information about Ganga main stem pollution is available: Ganga Main Stem – State-wise Comparison (2018 vs 2025) State 2018 Priority 2025 Polluted Priority Trend/Observation Polluted (2018) Stretch (2025) Stretch Uttarakhand Haridwar IV No PRS — Improved and PRS stretch 1→ removed Sultanpur Uttar Pradesh Kannauj → IV Bijnor → IV / V Partially Varanasi Tarighat improved Bihar Buxar V Bhagalpur D/S→ V Marginal pollution remains to Khalgaon D/S Bhagalpur Jharkhand No PRS — No PRS — — West Bengal Triveni → III Baharampore → V improved Diamond Diamond Harbour Harbour Based on the water quality data (median values) of the river Ganga for the year 2025 (January to August), the following observations are made. (i) pH & Dissolved Oxygen (DO) are the most critical parameters of river health. The pH & DO of River Ganga meet the required norms for bathing criteria at all the locations of River Ganga. (ii) Water quality of river Ganga is conforming with the bathing criteria w.r.t. Bio- chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the entire stretch of river Ganga in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar & West Bengal, except the following locations/stretches:  Farrukhabad to Purana Rajapur, Kanpur.  Dalmau, Raebareli.  D/s Mirzapur to Tarighat, Ghazipur (except two locations namely U/s Varanasi, After confluence Gomti & U/s Ghazipur) in Uttar Pradesh. As per the biomonitoring conducted during 2024-25 at 50 locations along river Ganga and its tributaries and 26 locations along River Yamuna and its tributaries, the biological water quality (BWQ) predominantly ranged from ‘Good’ to ‘Moderate’. The presence of diverse benthic macro- invertebrate species indicates the ecological potential of the rivers to sustain aquatic life. (c) The Namami Gange Mission Phase-II, has integrated biodiversity conservation as a core component of river rejuvenation, alongside pollution abatement and flow management. The Mission implements science-based interventions for the conservation of aquatic and riparian biodiversity, including flagship and threatened species such as the Gangetic Dolphin, freshwater turtles, native fish species, gharial, otters and migratory fishes, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, the Turtle Survival Alliance of India and the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute. The first-ever country-wide assessment of river dolphins conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, in partnership with State Forest Departments, has estimated the population of Gangetic Dolphins in Indian rivers at approximately 6,324, with the Ganga basin supporting the largest proportion. Conservation of native fish diversity is done through fish ranching of indigenous species, restoration of spawning and nursery habitats and promotion of sustainable fisheries. Targeted 2interventions for freshwater turtle conservation include habitat restoration, protection of nesting and basking sites, head-starting programmes and rescue and rehabilitation. Afforestation and river-edge forestry works are implemented along the river Ganga through State Forest Departments, with about 33,024 hectares already covered to improve habitat quality and riverbank stability. (d) The steps taken by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to improve water quality in the river Ganga and its tributaries, in pursuit of the objectives of Nirmal and Aviral Dhara, are as follows: 1. A total of 218 number of sewerage infrastructure projects (STPs) costing ₹ 35,698 crores have been taken up for remediation of polluted river areas with treatment capacity of 6,610 Million Liters per Day (MLD). 138 STPs with a capacity of 3,977 MLD have been completed and made operational; 2. For industrial pollution abatement, 3 nos. of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) have been sanctioned, i.e., Jajmau CETP (20 MLD), Banther CETP (4.5 MLD) and Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD). Two projects, Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD) and Jajmau CETP (20 MLD), have been completed; 3. NMCG successfully implemented the minimum e-flow norms notified in October 2018, ensuring continuous environmental flow in the river Ganga. Regular compliance is being effectively monitored by the Central Water Commission (CWC); 4. Biodiversity Conservation: Seven Biodiversity Parks in seven districts (Mirzapur, Bulandshahar, Hapur, Budaun, Ayodhya, Bijnore and Pratapgarh) of Uttar Pradesh and 5 priority wetlands in Uttar Pradesh (3), Bihar (1) and Jharkhand (1) have been sanctioned; 5. NMCG, through the State Forest Department, has implemented a forestry intervention project along the main stem of river Ganga. 33,024 hectares area have been afforested with an expenditure of about ₹ 414 crores; 6. A total of 160 lakhs of Indian Major Carp (IMC) fingerlings have been ranched in the Ganga since 2017 to conserve fish biodiversity and prey base for river Dolphins, and ensure the livelihood of fishers in the Ganga basin under the special project implemented by Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI); 7. Science-based species restoration programme, rescue, and rehabilitation programme for aquatic species like Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and Ghariyal in collaboration with Wild Life Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and State Forest Department, have shown marked improvements in biodiversity with increased sightings of Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and other riverine species. Cleaning of river is a continuous process and Government of India is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments in addressing the challenges of pollution in river Ganga and its tributaries by providing financial and technical assistance under the Namami Gange Programme. ***** 3