TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: The head of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Centre’s marquee project to clean the Ganga and its tributaries, in a recent meeting, expressed concern over the tardiness of river-cleaning projects being executed in various States under the mission.
EXPLANATION:
- The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is one of India’s most significant environmental initiatives, launched under the Namami Gange program in 2015.
- This ambitious project aims to rejuvenate the Ganga River and its tributaries by addressing pollution, improving sewage management, and enhancing the overall ecosystem.
- The mission is crucial not only for the environmental health of the region but also for the millions of people who rely on the Ganga for their livelihood and daily needs.
Financial Allocations and Expenditures
- Since its inception, the Namami Gange mission has seen substantial financial commitments from the Indian government, with nearly ₹37,550 crore sanctioned for various projects under its umbrella.
- The largest and most critical component of these projects is the development of sewage-management infrastructure, a key focus area that has received a significant portion of the funding.
- However, as of June 2024, only ₹18,033 crore of the allocated funds have been utilized.
- This includes ₹15,039 crore spent specifically on sewage infrastructure projects.
- The slow pace of expenditure has raised concerns among officials and stakeholders involved in the mission, particularly given the critical nature of the work being undertaken.
Concerns
- The Director General of the NMCG expressed serious concerns over the sluggish pace of expenditure during a review meeting held on July 12, 2024.
- His remarks were directed at authorities in Uttar Pradesh, a state with a significant share of the projects under the Namami Gange mission.
- Uttar Pradesh’s performance is particularly crucial due to its geographic and demographic importance in the Ganga basin.
- It was questioned why the expenditure in the state had been so low, considering the urgency and importance of the projects.
- The state representative responded by highlighting that only ₹15.16 crore had been spent on six key projects in cities such as Jaunpur, Kasganj, Varanasi, Bareilly, Salori, and Agra.
- The official also noted that the funds allocated at the beginning of the quarter were only received in mid-June, which delayed the payment process, with ₹25 crore in payments still being processed.
Challenges in Implementation
- Several challenges have contributed to the slow pace of the Clean Ganga mission’s implementation.
- These include bureaucratic delays in fund disbursement, administrative inefficiencies at the state level, and the complexity of coordinating between multiple agencies and stakeholders.
- The scale of the mission also means that projects must be meticulously planned and executed, often requiring significant time and resources.
- Moreover, the infrastructure projects, particularly those related to sewage management, are technically demanding and require long-term commitments.
- Delays in the initial phases can have a cascading effect, slowing down the entire project timeline and reducing the overall impact of the mission.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
- National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) was registered in 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
- It acted as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
- NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from the 7th October 2016, consequent to constitution of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga.
- The Act envisages five tier structure at national, state and district level to take measures for prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution in river Ganga and to ensure continuous adequate flow of water so as to rejuvenate the river Ganga as below;
1. National Ganga Council under chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
2. Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation).
3. National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG).
4. State Ganga Committees and
5. District Ganga Committees in every specified district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in the states.
- NMCG has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee.
- Both of them are headed by Director General, NMCG.
- Executive Committee has been authorized to accord approval for all projects up to Rs.1000 crore.
- Similar to structure at national level, State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) acts as implementing arm of State Ganga Committees.
- Thus the newly created structure attempts to bring all stakeholders on one platform to take a holistic approach towards the task of Ganga cleaning and rejuvenation.