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National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

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Ganga mission gets power to allow treated sewage into water bodies.

  • Establishment – It was registered as a society in 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
  • Objectives – To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga and to maintain minimum ecological flows ensuring better water quality and environmentally sustainable development.
  • Vision – To ensure Aviral Dhara (Continuous Flow), Nirmal Dhara (Unpolluted Flow), Geologic and ecological integrity.
  • Operation – The implementation arm of National Ganga Council since 2016.
  • It has a 2-tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee.
  • Key functions – Implement the work programme of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) and the World Bank supported National Ganga River Basin Project.
  • Coordinate and oversee the implementation of the projects.
  • Accept or to provide any grant of money, loan securities or property to undertake operations.
  • New Provisions – NMCG may now permit the discharge of treated sewage and effluent that conforms to the prescribed “norms” into the river, canal or water bodies.
  • Recent activities of NMCG in 2023 – It has organised the 8th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) and Driving Holistic Action for Urban Rivers (DHARA) Conference.
  • It has launched Global River Cities Alliance with 9 countries to scale up collaborative knowledge sharing to facilitate river conservation.

Role of EPA, 1986 in protecting River Ganga

  • It aims 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.
  • It envisages 5 tier structure at national, state and district level as below
    • National Ganga Council under chairmanship of Prime Minister of India.
    • Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
    • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
    • State Ganga Committees
    • District Ganga Committees in every specified district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in the states.