Executive Summary:
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3413 regarding cancer-related issues in Haryana, answered on August 8, 2025. It addresses the number of cancer patients, the impact of polluted water from the Ghaggar River, plans to clean the river, and assistance for BPL cancer patients. The information includes cancer incidence estimates, available facilities, pollution monitoring data, and financial assistance programs.
Key Points / Main Content:
Cancer Incidence and Facilities:
* Estimated cancer cases in Haryana ranged from 1468 to 1678 annually between 2019 and 2023.
* Cancer care facilities exist in Government Medical Colleges in Hisar, Karnal, Nuh, Sonipat, and Rohtak.
* National Cancer Institute in Bhadsa, Jhajjar provides comprehensive cancer care services.
* An Atal Cancer Care Centre (ACCC) has been established at Sub Divisional Civil Hospital (SDCH), Ambala Cantt.
* National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NPNCD) is implemented in all 22 districts of Haryana.
* 22 District NCD Clinics, 157 Community Health Center NCD Clinics, and 5 District Cancer Care Centres are functional.
* Five Day Care Cancer Centres have been approved for Haryana.
Ghaggar River Pollution:
* A study indicates that people near Ghaggar river drains are highly prone to cancer due to pollutants.
* Lead, iron, and aluminum levels in the river exceed permissible limits.
* The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitors the Ghaggar River at 18 locations in Punjab and 9 in Haryana.
* In 2023, the Ghaggar River water did not comply with Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing at all monitored locations.
* Haryana State Pollution Control Board has deemed the Ghaggar River water unfit for drinking.
* 15 MLD sewage treatment capacity created in Punjab under the National River Conservation Plan.
* Punjab has installed 28 STPs with a total capacity of 291.7 MLD to treat wastewater.
* Haryana has created a sewage treatment capacity of 588 MLD under the Ghaggar Action Plan.
Financial Assistance for Cancer Patients:
* Cancer treatment is either free or subsidized in Government Institutions.
* Financial assistance is available to poor patients via the Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN).
* Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) provides health insurance of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year, including cancer treatment.
* All modes of cancer treatment (Medical, Surgical, and Radiation Oncology) are covered under PMJAY.
Impact Analysis:
Cancer Patients in Haryana:
* Impact: Access to cancer care facilities and financial assistance for treatment.
* Action Required: Utilize available cancer care facilities and explore financial assistance options.
Residents Near Ghaggar River:
* Impact: Potential health risks due to polluted water.
* Action Required: Be aware of the health risks and adhere to guidelines issued by authorities.
Central and State Pollution Control Boards:
* Impact: Responsibility for monitoring and improving water quality.
* Action Required: Continue monitoring water quality, implement pollution control measures, and enforce regulations.
Government Institutions and Healthcare Providers:
* Impact: Provision of subsidized or free cancer treatment.
* Action Required: Ensure continued access to affordable cancer treatment and awareness of available financial assistance programs.
Key Entities Referenced
Haryana: A state in India where special cancer wards are being established.
Ghaggar river: A river in Punjab and Haryana whose polluted water is suspected of contributing to cancer cases.
Indian Council of Medical Research's National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR NCRP): An organization that provides data on cancer incidence in Haryana.
National Cancer Institute, Bhadsa district Jhajjar: A comprehensive cancer care service provider located in Jhajjar district, Haryana.
Atal Cancer Care Centre (ACCC), Sub Divisional Civil Hospital SDCH, Ambala Cantt: A cancer care center established in Ambala Cantt, Haryana under the Strengthening of tertiary cancer care centres facilities Scheme.
National Programme for Prevention and Control of NonCommunicable Diseases (NPNCD): A program implemented in all 22 districts of Haryana to prevent and control non-communicable diseases, including cancer.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): A board in coordination with State Pollution Control Boards SPCBs that monitors water quality and found River Ghaggar is found noncomplying w.r.t. notified Primary Water Quality Criteria.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY): A scheme that provides health insurance cover for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization, including cancer treatment.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3413
TO BE ANSWEREDON8THAUGUST,2025
SPECIALCANCER WARDS IN HARYANA
3413 KUMARI SELJA:
Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleasedtostate:
(a) the number of cancer patients along the number of districts which have established with
special cancerwards for treatment of such patientsinHaryana;
(b) the role of the polluted water of Ghaggar riverenteringHaryana inspreading Cancer;
(c) whether the Government has made any plan to clean the water of the said river and if so, the
detailsthereof; and
(d) whether the Union Government provides any special assistance to cancer patients belonging
toBPLfamiliesandif so, the detailsthereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAOJADHAV)
(a):AspertheIndianCouncilofMedicalResearch'sNationalCancerRegistryProgramme(ICMR
-NCRP), the estimatednumberof incidencesof cancercasesinHaryana during thelast five years
(2019-2023)isgivenbelow:
Estimated numberof cancercases in Haryana(2021-2023) – Both Sexes*
Year 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Estimated Incidenceof All sites of 1468 1536 1580 1630 1678
cancercases in Haryana
CancercarefacilitiesareavailableinGovernmentMedicalCollegesindistrictHisar,Karnal,Nuh,
Sonipat & Rohtak. Further comprehensive cancer care services are provided in National Cancer
Institute,BhadsadistrictJhajjar.
UndertheStrengtheningoftertiarycancercarecentresfacilitiesScheme,AtalCancerCareCentre
(ACCC) has been established at Sub Divisional Civil Hospital (SDCH), Ambala Cantt. It is
equippedwithlatestequipmentforcancerTreatmentandComprehensiveCancerCareservicesare
providedtotheneedypatientsnotonlyfromHaryanabutalsoneighboringStates.National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) is
being implemented in all 22 districts of the State of Haryana. Under NP-NCD, 22 District NCD
Clinics, 157 Community Health Center NCD Clinics and 05 District Cancer Care Centres are
functional at Panchkula, Ambala, Faridabad, Kurukshetra & Yamunanagar. Further 05 Day Care
CancerCentreshavebeenapprovedfortheStateofHaryana.
(b) & (c): ICMR has informed that a study conducted by Kaur et al., 2024, published in Indian
Academy of Sciences on Human health risk assessment revealed that people dwelling near river
drainsare highly prone tocancerdisease andhazardquotients were observed above the threshold
limit that poses high non-carcinogenic risks. The results of the current study revealed that lead,
iron,andaluminiumexceededthepermissiblelimitoftheCentralPollutionControlBoard(India).
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in coordination with State Pollution Control Boards
(SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) has established a Water Quality Monitoring
Network the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP). River Ghaggar is
monitoredat18locationsinPunjaband9locationsinHaryanabyrespectiveSPCB/CPCB.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has informed that the analysis of water quality
monitoring results of river Ghaggar in the state of Punjab and Haryana for the year 2023 reveals
that River Ghaggar is found non-complying w.r.t. notified Primary Water Quality Criteria for
OutdoorBathingatallthemonitoredlocationsinthestateofPunjabandHaryanafortheyear2023.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has found the water of Ghaggar River not fit for
drinking.
Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan, sewage treatment
capacity of 15 million litres per day (MLD) was created in different towns in Punjab for
conservation of Ghaggar river. Punjab Pollution Control Board has informed that to treat waste
waterfromthetownsinthecatchmentofriverGhaggar,28STPsoftotalcapacity291.7MLDhave
beeninstalled.HaryanaStatePollutionControlBoardhasinformedthatsewagetreatmentcapacity
of588MLDhasbeencreatedinrivercatchmentintheStateundertheGhaggarActionPlan.
(d): The Treatment of cancer is either free or subsidized in the Government Institutions. Further,
financial assistance is provided to poor patients for their cancer treatment under the Health
Minister's Cancer Patient Fund component of the Umbrella scheme of the Rashtriya Arogya
Nidhi (RAN). Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) aims at providing health insurance
cover of Rs. 5 lakhs perfamily per year for secondary andtertiary care hospitalization. Since the
inception of the scheme, treatment for cancer diseases is included in the benefit packages. All
modes of treatment for cancer (Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology and Radiation Oncology)
are coveredunderthe scheme.
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