NEWS

The government has decided that no untreated municipal sewage or industrial effluent will be allowed to be released to river Ganga by 2020, environment minister Jairam Ramesh told the Lok Sabha on Nov 25, 2009. The decision was taken at the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) on October 5, Ramesh said while replying to a written question. He said an estimated investment of Rs 15,000 crore over the next ten years will be required to create the necessary treatment and sewerage infrastructure under 'Mission Clean Ganga'. "The requisite resources will be shared between the Centre and the states after consultation with the Planning Commission," he added.

The Minister also stated that state governments have also been asked to formulate detailed project reports on critical pollution hotspots and major towns. To another query, he said State River Conservation Authorities have been constituted in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and West Bengal under the chairmanship of the chief ministers for coordinating implementation of schemes. "Besides states have been requested to constitute City Level Monitoring Committees for better implementation of schemes," he added.