A government-commissioned independent study of 97 towns along the Ganga shows that 39% of these towns in five States are in need of overall improvement in cleanliness, solid waste management and a change in how nullahs (drains) are handled.
The study was conducted over six weeks in November-December 2018. Only 92 towns were considered for the study as data could not be obtained for five towns.
The study assigns three grades to Ganga towns:
Grade A: Good cleanliness and solid waste management services in and around the ghats area. Most nullahs were connected to STP or had garbage screens
Grade B: Partial cleanliness around the ghats. Needs improvement in solid waste management services
Grade C: Needs overall improvement in cleanliness, solid waste management services and infrastructure set up of nullahs
How they fared
Over half the towns in Bihar and West Bengal where the Ganga flows were given the C grade, which means they require overall improvement.
The below graph shows the percentage of towns rated A, B and C among different States.
Population matters
Only three towns with a population of more than a lakh each were graded A. Most of the towns which received the A grade had a low population.
| Population range | Grade A | Grade B | Grade C |
|---|---|---|---|
| <1 lakh | 9 | 26 | 12 |
| 1-4 lakh | 2 | 16 | 19 |
| >4 lakh | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 12 | 44 | 36 |
River dumps
It is common for nullahs to drain into the Ganga across towns in all the States. In Bihar, the towns had dumpsites along the river as well.
The below visualisation shows the percentage of towns in each State that had nullahs draining into them; had solid waste floating on the surface; and had dumpsites along the ghats.
Low fund utilisation
An analysis of funds allocated for the Ganga-cleaning mission shows that in 2017-18, only half the budgeted amount was released/spent.
The below data was given as a written answer during the Rajya Sabha Question Hour.
