Highlights of the Achievements of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation

Highlights of the Achievements of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation

Year End Review 2016

Ministry of Water Resources, River, Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

GANGA REJUVENATION

·         The Union Cabinet had approved the proposal for taking up Hybrid Annuity based Public Private Partnership (PPP) model under Namami Gange Programme which aims to reform the wastewater sector in India.

·         As a major initiative towards fast track implementation of Namami Gange Programme the first company of Ganga Task force Battalion was deployed at Garhmukteshwar.

·         As part of Namami Gange programme, Government of India has set up “Clean Ganga Fund” for encouraging contributions from Resident Indians, Non-Resident Indians, Persons of Indian origin, Institutions, and corporates towards Ganga Rejuvenation. The total contribution received as on 4th March 2016 in Clean Ganga Fund was Rs. 87.69 Crores.

·         An Implementation Agreement for Ganga Rejuvenation under the Namami Gange Programme was signed in New Delhi on 16^th April, 2016 between the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and German International Cooperation (GIZ) of Germany.

·         National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) announced the formal launch of Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (CGRBMS) in New Delhi.

·         41 Sewage treatment plants development / rehabilitation under 34 projects, having total capacity of 808.23 mld, were sanctioned in the Ganga Basin States since inception of NGRBA Programme.

·         The Empowered Steering Committee (ESC) of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) had approved projects for Development of Ghats and crematoria. The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs. 2446 crore.

·         Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted a committee to prepare draft Ganga Act. Justice Shri Girdhar Malviya (Retd.) was appointed the Chairman of the committee.

·         The empowered steering committee (ESC) of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has approved various projects worth Rs. 400 crore (approx).

·         Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD&GR) signed an MoU in Delhi with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) for speedy implementation of Namami Gange programme.

·         The Union Cabinet approved the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities order, 2016.  The order lays down a new institutional structure for policy and implementation in fast track manner and empowers National Mission for Clean Ganga to discharge its functions in an independent and accountable manner.

·         The Ministry released an amount of Rs. 315 crore to the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for the implementation of Ganga action plan under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) during the current financial year.

·         The Government availed financial assistance in the form of developmental loans granted by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), amounting to Rs. 496.90 Crore for projects on Yamuna.

·         As on 30th September 2016, 128 projects were sanctioned under Namami Gange Programme (including the existing projects sanctioned under NGRBA Programme) at an estimated project cost of Rs.9419 crore.

           RIVER  DEVELOPMENT

·         Based on the satellite imageries, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted a study on Paleo-channels in the North-Western part of India. This study revealed that the Paleo-channels originate from Himalayas as well as Aravallies and flow further south in the States of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

·         A revised Bill has been drafted to constitute a Corporation named Brahmaputra Barak North-East River Development Corporation (BBNERDC).

           WATER RESOURCES

·         The Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Sushri Uma Bharti announced that Jal Manthan convention will become an annual feature.

·         Jal Manthan-2 convention on the theme “Integrated Approach for Sustainable Water Management” was held in New Delhi on 24^th February, 2016.  

·         Workshop on lessons learnt from the ongoing Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) was held in New Delhi on 19 February, 2016.

·         Overall allocation of resources for the Ministry of Water Resources was increased from Rs 7,431 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 12,517 crore in the Union Budget for 2016-17 through budgetary support and market borrowings. This shows an increase of more than 168%.

·         The fourth edition of India Water Week was observed from 04 to 08 April, 2016. It was inaugurated by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti in New Delhi.

·         A Water Film Festival was held at Water Expo-2016 in New Delhi on 8^th April, 2016.

·         The Govt. had approved  the National Hydrology Project under Central  Sector  Scheme  as an Externally  aided  Project with support  from the World  Bank  for  Rs.  3679.77 crore.

·         Union Minister for WR, RD and GR Sushri Uma Bharti launched nine projects for rural sanitation initiatives under Namami Gange Programme for conservation of river Ganga in Sahibganj, Jharkhand on 13^th May, 2016.

·         Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the Afghan-India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam) with President of Afghanistan Dr. Ashraf Ghani at Chist-e-Sharif in Herat province in Western Afghanistan on 10^th June, 2016.

·         Union Ministry for WR, RD and GR called a Meeting of representatives of Governments of Odisha and Chattisgarh in New Delhi to consider the various water resources issues/projects in Mahanadi Basin. The meeting was called in pursuance of the assurance given by Union Minister for WR, RD and GR Sushri Uma Bharti in Parliament on July 26, 2016.

·         Government had started an initiative called “Ganga Gram” under Namami Gange Programme.  Under this, the villages will be developed as model villages by developing sustainable sanitation infrastructure and cleanliness practices. In the first phase government has started the Ganga Gram initiative in 306 villages.

·         Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti and Union Urban Development Minister Shri M Venkaiah Naidu launched Smart Ganga City Scheme in ten important cities through video conference. These cities are – Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan, Varanasi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Patna, Sahibgunj and Barrackpore.

·         Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has launched various projects worth Rs. 560 crore under Namami Gange programme at Ganga Barrage in Kanpur.

·         Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation constituted a high level technical team to visit the Cauvery basin area to assess the ground realities in the basin. Shri GS Jha, Chairman, Central Water Commission was appointed the Chairman of this team.

·         First installment of Rs. 1500 crore were released to the states as central assistance for 99 prioritized irrigation projects under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Program (AIBP).