PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
After the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) tabled during the recent Vidhan Sabha session pointed out to major gaps in efforts to clean the Ganga river, the officials of State Mission for Clean Ganga, Namami Gange Uttarakhand have pointed out that their efforts have resulted in tangible results. Officials quoting Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board data, said that in 2013–2014, the water quality of the Ganga in Haridwar was D category D (fisheries).
After the launch of Namami Gange, in 2015, the water quality improved to C category (drinkable after treatment). By 2025, water quality had improved to A category (drinkable) in Rishikesh and B category (bathing) in Haridwar. This clearly demonstrates that the Namami Gange programme is producing tangible results in ensuring the cleanliness and purity of the Ganga and its tributaries, officials claimed.
Under the ambitious flagship Namami Gange programme initiated by the Government of India in 2014, dedicated to the cleanliness, uninterrupted flow and purity of the Ganga, the first step involved identifying 15 primary towns along the main course of the Ganga—from Badrinath to Devprayag and from Gangotri to Haridwar. These towns include Haridwar, Rishikesh, Swargashram, Tapovan, Muni-ki-Reti, Kirtinagar, Srinagar, Shrikot, Nandprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Gopeshwar-Chamoli, Joshimath, Badrinath and Uttarkashi.
To prevent pollution caused by drains discharging into the Ganga, 62 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with a combined capacity of 244.47 MLD were approved along the main river. Out of these, 51 STPs with a capacity of 195.355 MLD have already been completed and are functional. In Uttarakhand, 170 polluted drains discharging into the Ganga have been identified, out of which 155 drains have been successfully tapped. The remaining 15 drains are in the process of being connected to 11 STPs under construction with a total capacity of 49.122 MLD.
Officials further said that Uttarakhand is the first State in India to pass through the State Cabinet and implement Policy on safe reuse of treated water (SRTW) developed in cooperation with GIZ (German International Cooperation) in line with National SRTW framework. As per this Policy, treated water from STPs will now be effectively reused for construction, firefighting, irrigation and other purposes, significantly conserving fresh water sources.
Additionally, district Ganga committees are preparing district Ganga plans in all 13 districts of the State under Namami Gange, focusing on liquid waste, fecal sludge, municipal solid waste and water conservation. The plans for eight districts have been completed with implementation underway. The remaining five district plans are being prepared.
