The Ganga River Basin is the world’s most populated river basin, with about 600 million people living in urban and rural areas. As a result, the region has a high rate of deep and multidimensional poverty, and the water and sewage infrastructure is either non-existent or inadequate. The Ganga basin contributes around 40% of India’s GDP and is a major economic and environmental asset for the nation. The river’s water quality issues differ depending on where you are in its path. In the Sundarbans, it varies from Gangotri to Rishikesh, and from Rishikesh to Kanpur, Farakkaand, Patna and Allahabad.
Explore through the National Mission for Clean Ganga topic and make some notes for your UPSC preparation.
National Mission for Clean Ganga
The National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management of River Ganga, commonly known as the National Ganga Council, executed the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). This mission became a registered society on August 12, 2011, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. State-level Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Benga and Jharkhand, and assist the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the National Ganga Council. It is a ministry of India programme to reduce the pollution of the Ganga River by giving financial and technical support.
National Clean Ganga Mission: Latest News
# From the 10th to the 15th of December, the 5th India Water Impact Summit 2020 was held virtually. The IWIS Summit 2020 will place a focus on comprehensive river and water body management, as well as synchronising development and river protection. It focuses on incorporating the Arth Ganga concept into India’s development plan.
# The World Bank has granted an Rs. 3,000 crore 5-year loan to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) or Namami Gange Project to help reduce pollution in the Ganga river basin. The mission has so far approved 313 projects for a total of Rs. 25,000 crore.
Objectives of National Mission for Clean Ganga – Facts to know for UPSC
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was held in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan by the Indian government. The National Marine Conservation Group works on pollution reduction initiatives such as intercepting, diverting, and treating wastewater that runs via open drains. Its goal is to minimise pollution by using bioremediation, appropriate in-situ treatment, cutting-edge technology, effluent treatment plants (ETP) and sewage treatment plants (STP).
The Nation Mission for Clean Ganga has a number of primary goals, including:
# Maintaining the water flow’s continuity while preserving natural seasonal fluctuations.
# To restore and sustain groundwater and surface flow.
# To restore and preserve the area’s native habitats.
# To allow public involvement in the process of river preservation, revitalization, and management. # To preserve and restore the aquatic biodiversity and also the riparian biodiversity of the Ganga basin.
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Initiatives towards Clean Ganga
Prior to the creation of the Clean Ganga Mission, a number of efforts aimed at reducing pollution and restoring the river Ganga was undertaken. The following are some of the main steps done by the Indian government prior to the launch of this mission:
Ganga Action Plan
The Ministry of Environment and Forests declared it in 1985. This was the first River Action Plan to be implemented for the purpose of improving water quality by intercepting, diverting, and treating residential sewage. The strategy was designed to keep hazardous and industrial chemical wastes out of the river.
National River Conservation Plan
This conservation strategy was created as an expansion of the Ganga Action Plan, with the goal of covering all of India’s main rivers.
National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA)
The National River Ganga Basin Authority, headed by India’s Prime Minister, was established in 2009 by the Central Issued under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It designated the Ganga as India’s “National River.”
In 2010, the government launched a clean-up programme to prevent contaminated municipal sewage and industrial runoff from entering the river.
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Phases of National Mission for Clean Ganga
Phase 1As part of the 1st phase of the National Ganga River Basin (valid through December 2021), the World Bank has already provided Rs. 4,535 crore to the National Ganga Clean Mission. Phase 2# Hybrid Annuity Projects: The loan will be used to fund 3 original “Hybrid Annuity Projects” for the Ganga’s banks in Agra, Meerut, and Saharanpur of the state Uttar Pradesh. # DBOT Projects: Bihar’s continuing DBOT (Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer) developments in Buxar, Munger, and Begusarai will get Rs. 1,209 crore. # Cleaning Projects: Spillover initiatives from the mission’s initial phase, as well as cleanup projects in tributaries like the Yamuna and Kali rivers, are among the projects. # Institutional development, strengthening investment resiliency to Covid-19-like emergency scenarios, the performance-based inducement for Urban Local Bodies, and management and coordination programmes are also examples of such initiatives. |
Collaboration with Germany
In order to revitalise the Ganga, India’s Ministry of Water Resources and the German International Cooperation (GIZ), which is controlled by the German Federal Government, inked an agreement in this respect. Through a discussion between Germany’s Ambassador to India, Dr Martin Ney, and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat in August 2017, Germany formally finalised a 900 crore assistance agreement. Overall, the EU state has promised the state of Uttarakhand, in which the river flows, 120 million Euros (about 100 crores).
Challenges Faced by NMCG
Poor Governance
There is less use of monies granted under the programmes due to a lack of appropriate monitoring and oversight.
Violation of e-Flow Norms
As per the Central Water Commission (CWC), four of the eleven hydroelectric projects on the higher levels of the Ganga’s tributaries are breaking Ganga ecological flow (e-flow) regulations, causing the river’s natural flow to be disrupted even further.
Pollution
Most of the Ganga is polluted, attributed to the prevalence of 5 states (Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand) on the river’s main channel. Tanneries in Kanpur, distilleries, processing plants, and sugar mills in the Kosi, Ramganga, and Kali river catchments all contribute significantly to pollution.
Illegal Construction
Illegal and widespread building along river beds has become a major impediment to river cleanup.
UPSC Preparation Tips to Ace GS Paper in 2021
Tip 1
Applicants should prepare a well-thought-out study strategy that will help them to cover the whole curriculum in a timely manner. The courses from UPSC Pathshala covers a wide range of subjects, you must check them out.
Each suggested topic should be addressed in accordance with the study schedule, and study milestones should be established. Candidates must adhere to the strategy religiously and ensure that no section of the curriculum is overlooked.
Also Read: UPSC Preparation Tips for Beginners: Strategy for The Indian Civil Service Examination
Tip 2
To be sure, the test is thorough enough that a cursory study of the material will not suffice to pass the exam and get the bonus points. Aspirants must have complete knowledge of each and every subject required in the test in order to secure the first spot on the Civil Services recruitment selection process. Negative marking is also a possibility.
Tip 3
There are a plethora of sample papers, questionnaires and other preparation materials available on the market. Aspirants are also encouraged to look at the previous year’s UPSC exam papers. This will enable them to comprehend how the report will be delivered as well as discover a lot of crucial details.
Tip 4
Aside from that, candidates should take full mock examinations in preparation for the new UPSC Civil Service Prelims exam. Solving IAS mock examinations might be beneficial in terms of improving overall numbers and time management skills. On a broad level, self-study is essential, as is memorising significant facts and numbers and having a good comprehension of key ideas.
Conclusion
We tried to cover everything important about the National Mission for Clean Ganga and we hope this will be helpful for your UPSC exam preparation. You can take notes of all the important details from here and put them under the national current affairs section. If you want to learn about some more UPSC topics like this, simply visit the blog section of UPSC Pathshala.
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