**Executive Summary**
This document provides an update on the Government of India's efforts to address pollution in the Ganga River. As of December 4, 2025, the Ministry of Jal Shakti reports on the assessment of pollution magnitude, actions taken to curb pollution, physical and financial targets achieved, and future strategies. The report includes data up to November 2025 and outlines comprehensive measures for river rejuvenation.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Pollution Assessment and STP Capacity:**
* Total sewage generated in the five Ganga states is approximately 10,160 MLD.
* Available Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity is 7820 MLD.
* Projects to bridge the gap, creating 1,996 MLD STP capacity, are underway.
* The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitors water quality at 112 locations across five states.
* **River Quality and Trends:**
* pH and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels meet bathing criteria at all Ganga River locations.
* Water quality conforms to bathing criteria regarding Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in most areas except specified locations in Uttar Pradesh.
* Biomonitoring indicates biological water quality ranging from "Good" to "Moderate" at various locations.
* The Ganga Main Stem pollution has improved compared to 2018 levels, with some stretches removed from the Polluted River Stretch (PRS) list.
* **Projects and Financial Investments:**
* The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has sanctioned 69 projects costing ₹11,741 crore to create a total sewage treatment capacity of 2,161 MLD between 2021-22 and November 2025.
* Financial allocations and disbursements for these projects are detailed year-wise.
* **Strategies and Measures:**
* Government adopted a comprehensive, technology-driven strategy.
* Employs innovations in sewage management, including the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and 15-year Operation & Maintenance (O&M) contracts.
* Integrated River Basin Management (RBM) Cell established.
* LiDAR and drone surveys used for drainage monitoring.
* Parametric monitoring systems and CCTV cameras installed at STPs.
* **Urban and Nature-Based Solutions:**
* Urban River Management Plans promoted in collaboration with NIUA.
* Centers of Excellence created for focused research.
* Nature-based solutions, including constructed wetlands, are promoted.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Citizens and Communities along the Ganga River
**Impact:** Improved water quality for bathing and other uses; reduced health risks due to pollution; potential economic benefits from tourism and fisheries.
**Action Required:** Benefit from the cleaner water and participate in local initiatives to maintain river health.
**Stakeholder:** Government Agencies (Ministry of Jal Shakti, NMCG, CPCB)
**Impact:** Responsible for implementing and monitoring pollution control measures; required to achieve set targets and utilize allocated funds effectively.
**Action Required:** Continue to implement and monitor projects, improve coordination between agencies, and adapt strategies based on monitoring data.
**Stakeholder:** Industries Discharging Effluents into the River
**Impact:** Subject to stricter regulations and monitoring to reduce pollution discharge.
**Action Required:** Comply with regulations, invest in pollution control technologies, and participate in collaborative efforts to reduce industrial pollution.
Key Entities Referenced
Ganga River: The primary river being discussed and the focus of pollution control efforts.
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The Indian government ministry responsible for water resources and river Ganga rejuvenation.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): The primary program and its governing body responsible for cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga River.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Agency that monitors water quality of the river Ganga.
Polluted River Stretch (PRS): The term describing stretches of the Ganga that are polluted; the report from CPCB is important.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 825
ANSWERED ON 04.12.2025
POLLUTION IN GANGA RIVER
825. SHRI NAVEEN JINDAL:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) the assessment of the Government about the magnitude and quantum of pollution in the Ganga river;
(b) the action taken by the Government to curb the pollution in the Ganga river during the last five
years, year-wise;
(c) the physical targets set and achievements made along with funds allocated and actually utilised
during the said period, year-wise;
(d) the physical achievements made and the expenditure incurred during the ongoing fiscal year upto
November, 2025; and
(e) whether the Government is contemplating some change in strategy/programmes/schemes to tackle
the situation in a more comprehensive and effective manner since the pollution in the Ganga river is a
recurring issue and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)
(a) As per the available information, total sewage generated in the 5 Ganga States (main stem) is
about 10,160 MLD against which the available STP capacity is 7820 MLD and to bridge the gap, the
projects of 1,996 MLD are at various stages of completion.
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 removed
Sultanpur
Uttar Pradesh Kannauj → IV Bijnor → Tarighat IV / V Partially
Varanasi improved
1Bihar Buxar to V Bhagalpur V Marginal pollution
Bhagalpur D/S remains
Khalgaon D/S
→
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, Raibareilly.
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.
(b) NMCG has sanctioned 69 projects at a cost of ₹ 11,741 crore to create a total sewage treatment
capacity of 2,161 MLD, during the last 5 financial years (i.e 2021-22 to 2025-26 till November 2025) ,
to curb the pollution in the River Ganga & its tributaries, the details are as under;
No. of Projects Sanctioned Cost (Rs. in
Financial Year MLD
Sanctioned crore)
2021-22 4 122 663
2022-23 28 1,166 6115
2023-24 15 324 1600
2024-25 13 401 2207
2025-26 1156
9 148
(Till Nov 2025)
Total 69 2,161 11,741
2(c) & (d) The physical targets and achievements during the last five years are as under;
Physical Progress Financial Progress
Year Target Sewage Treatment Achievement Disbursement
Funds Allocated
Capacity ( MLD) (MLD) by NMCG
(Rs. in crore)
(Rs. in crore)
2020-21 140 64 1,300 1,340
2021-22 280 374 1,900 1,893
2022-23 615 582 2,500 2,259
2023-24 1000 711 2,400 2,396
2024-25 473 612 3,000 2,589
2025-26 (Till 600 83 3,400 1192
27th November
2025)
(e) The Government has adopted a comprehensive, technology-driven strategy for the cleaning and
rejuvenation of the river Ganga. In addition to introducing innovations in sewage management such as
the interception and diversion approach, the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), and provision for 15-year
Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of assets for improved sustainability; several new and integrated
measures have been taken to ensure long-term effectiveness:
Integrated River Basin Management (RBM):
To reinforce the integrated approach towards river basin management, a dedicated RBM cell has been
established. Under this cell, a Thematic Expert Group has been created to address issues related to
plastic pollution in the river Ganga. Climate resilience and disaster risk reduction are integrated into
basin planning.
Operations and Maintenance :
A large number of STPs are now in operation and maintenance phase and dedicated O&M cell has been
established to manage the created assets in an efficient and optimal manner.
Drainage and Pollution Monitoring :
A LiDAR and Drone survey are used to identify all drains discharging into the river, enabling a
comprehensive response to drainage-related challenges.
To enhance monitoring, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has implemented
parametric monitoring systems for water quality at all Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and installed
CCTV cameras to facilitate physical monitoring of STP operations. Public disclosure of STP
3performance data further strengthens the accountability framework for infrastructure established by
NMCG.
Urban River Management Planning :
For integrated planning and urban river rejuvenation, NMCG in collaboration with NIUA has promoted
preparation of Urban River Management Plans with focus on River sensitive Master Plans for the city.
Additionally, two Centers of Excellence have been created to focus on emerging areas such as Decision
Support System, Characterizing emerging pollutants, Managed Aquifer Recharge models, and Digital
Twin for the river Ganga.
Nature-Based Solutions , Wetland Rejuvenation and Biodiversity Parks for Flood Plain
Restoration :
The Government has also promoted nature-based solutions, including constructed wetlands , as part of
the overall river rejuvenation strategy. A focus on rejuvenation of higher order streams/small rivers
through mainstreaming of 'NbS' (Nature based Solutions) for effective abatement of pollution coming
from hinterland of River Ganga basin
Wetland and spring rejuvenation initiatives are integrated into basin planning, recognizing their role
in maintaining base flows and groundwater recharge. The main activities also include to improve the
riparian buffer that provides for improved habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity.
NMCG is one of its kind program which is unique in India and is evolving towards a
comprehensive template for river rejuvenation for the country. The programmatic flexibility provided by
the the Government to the Mission and the program has ensured that mission is continuously evolving
and adapting to emerging requirements. The program has moved from piecemeal approach to an
integrated basin approach with assured financing and 15-year O&M; it further expanded coverage to
tributaries and smaller towns, strengthening FSSM/SM, biodiversity, and wetlands; currently the
program is focused on saturation strategy through creation of adequate sewage treatment capacity in
towns on Ganga main stem and important tributaries, ecological restoration of rivers through nature
based solutions (NbS), pilots for rejuvenation of small rivers, urban river management (URMPs,
RCA/GRCA), basin governance (RBM unit), and programmatic circular economy scale-up.
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