Jal Shakti Ministry reviews states’ progress on river rejuvenation
New Delhi: The Jal Shakti Ministry on Thursday reviewed the progress made by states on river rejuvenation and pollution abatement, with a focus on implementation of action plans for polluted river stretches and functioning of sewage treatment infrastructure. The review, undertaken at the 21st meeting (part-II) of the Central Monitoring Committee (CMC), was chaired by V L Kantha Rao, secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
The committee undertook a detailed review of progress in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Maharashtra, Goa and Himachal Pradesh, officials said.
The committee reviewed the implementation status of action plans for polluted river stretches, including progress of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), functioning and compliance status of existing sewage treatment infrastructure, and solid waste management interventions, the ministry said in a statement. Issues related to environmental flows, floodplain regulation, submission of action plans for management of pollution in coastal areas and functioning of River Rejuvenation Committees (RRCs) were also reviewed, it added.
Emphasising the need to bridge the gap between sewage generation and treatment, Kantha Rao said optimal utilisation and compliance of existing STPs, along with expeditious completion of ongoing projects, remain critical for achieving sustained improvements in river water quality. He advised states to enhance reuse of treated wastewater, adopt a reuse of treated water policy where not done so far, strengthen floodplain zoning, improve monitoring mechanisms, and ensure timely submission of monthly progress reports. The meeting was attended by Zaigham Ali Khan, joint secretary, National River Conservation Directorate, Anup Kumar Srivastava, executive director (technical), National Mission
for Clean Ganga, senior officials from the ministry, the Central Pollution Control Board, and representatives of state governments and state pollution control boards.
