Nearly 30% of the so-called Grossly Polluting Industries (GPI), along the Ganga, were not complying with norms according to a year-long survey by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
“Between December 2015 to January 2017, 302 GPIs were inspected by the CPCB of which … 141 units were found to be complying with stipulated norms, whereas 96 were found non-complying and 65 were found closed. Closure directions were issued to 45 non-complying units, show cause notices to 37 and letters to 14 non-complying units,” Minister of State for Water Resources Vijay Goel informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
GPIs are defined as industries that discharge more than 1,00,000 litres of waste water and/or hazardous chemicals.
The CPCB has identified a total of 764 major polluting industries along Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Bihar.
Tanneries comprise the bulk of polluting industries and 80% of the polluting industries are located in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, according to the National Mission for Clean Ganga, a Water Ministry body.
72 projects sanctioned
Under the Namami Gange Programme till March 20, 2017, 145 projects are sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹10,730.71 crore. Out of these, 72 projects are sanctioned for creation of 932.84 million litres per day (MLD) new Sewage Treatment Plants (STP), rehabilitating of 1091.00 MLD of STP and laying/rehabilitation of 4031.41 km sewer network for treating pollution in the Ganga and Yamuna.
Till date, 13 projects have been completed and have created 198.13 MLD STP capacity (153.1 MLD for river Ganga and 45 MLD for Yamuna River) and laid 1147.75 km of sewerage network, Mr. Goel added.
