Ministry of Water Resources

12/30/2014 PrintRelease

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114162 1/9

Print PressInformationBureauGovernmentofIndia

MinistryofWaterResources29December201413:25IST

AchievementsandInitiativesoftheMinistryofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenation

YearEndReview

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation works with threepronged objectives to ensure effective use ofWater Resources, inclusiveness and sustainability.The new NDA Government at the centre, immediately after its taking over reorgranized theMinistryofWaterResources.RiverdevelopmentandGangarejuvenationwereaddedtoitandtheMinistry was renamed as Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and GangaRejuvenation.Themain thrustof theMinistryduring theyear2014hasbeenonrejuvenationonriverganga,interlinkingofriversandghatdevelopmentandbeautificationof river frontbesidesotherissues.

REJUVENATIONOFRIVERGANGAThework ofGangaRejuvenation has been transferred to thisMinistry videGazette notificationdated1.8.2014.Gangaandits tributarieshavebeenbroughtunderoneumbrella.RejuvenationofGanga has been prioritised as restoration of itswholesomeness by ensuring aviral dhara andnirmaldharaasalsoitsecologicalandgeologicalintegrity.TheUnionBudget201415hassetupan Integrated Ganga ConservationMission namely Namami Gange with an allocation of Rs.2037 crore for Ganga Rejuvenation. The plan formulated for Ganga Rejuvenation provides forShortterm, Mediumterm, and a Longterm action plan, incorporating the projects alreadysanctionedbyNationalGangaRiverBasinAuthority(NGRBP).Presently,aWorldBankassistedNational Ganga River Basin Project (NGRBP) for Rs 7000 crore and a Japan InternationalCooperation Agency (JICA) assisted Project at Varanasi for Rs. 496.90 crore are underimplementation.

NationalGangaMonitoringCentre (NGMC) isconceptualizedasaNodalCentre formonitoringthecriticalaspectsofGangarejuvenation,suchaswaterandeffluentqualityatidentifiedsuitablelocationsthroughoutGanga,usingITenabledsystems,etc.

TheGovernment proposes to free all villages along thebanksof the river fromopendefecationunderNamamiGangeproject.

FollowingmajorinitiativeshavebeentakentorejuvenateGanga:

National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has been expanded by includingMinister(WR,RDandGR)asvicechairmanandalsootherMinistersconcernedwithwholesomedevelopmentofGanga.

Improved coordination among variousministries through Group of Secretaries (GoS)setup on 6.6.2014 The GoS has held 10 meetings and submitted its report on28.08.2014.



TheFirstNationalDialoguei.eGangaManthanwasheldon7thofJuly2014morethan500 spiritual leaders of all beliefs, academicians & technocrats, NGOs &Environmentalists, and Policy makers & implementers actively participated in thedeliberations.To facilitate inflowof ideas, suggestions and involvement of people, awebsiteofNMCGhasbeenlaunchedon12thofSeptember2014.

AcommitteeofAdditionalSecretariesofMo(WR,RD&GR)andMoEF&CCconstitutedtorecommendonprovisionalenvironmentalflow.

ACommitteeconstitutedtoreviseexistingguidelinesonsandminingbyMoEF&CC.

Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun has been requested to prepare a plan forafforestationandConservationofFlora.

IncollaborationwithNationalMedicinalPlantsBoarda strategy isbeing finalized forconservationofmedicinalplantsintheupperreachesofGanga.

AprojecthasbeenundertakenforidentificationofspecialpropertiesofGangaJal,waterqualitymonitoringandsedimentanalysisthroughNationalEnvironmentalEngineeringResearchInstitute.

AthreemembertechnicalcommitteecomprisingDirector,NEERI,SecretaryCPCBandProf. Vinod Tare, IIT, Kanpur constituted to study and recommend suitabletechnologiesforpollutionabatementinriverGanga.

INTERLINKINGOFRIVERS(ILR)

AspertheNationalPerspectivePlanofILR,itwouldgiveadditionalbenefitsof35millionhect.ofirrigation(25millionhect.ofirrigationfromsurfacewatersand10millionhect.byincreaseduseof groundwaters) raising the ultimate irrigation potential from 140million hect. to 175millionhect.andgenerationof34000MWofpower,apartfromthebenefitsoffloodcontrol,navigation,water supply, fisheries, salinity and pollution control etc. The ILR is a project of nationalimportanceanditspurposeistoprovideequitabledistributionofwaterinthecountrywhichwillspeciallybenefit floodanddroughtproneareas. NationalWaterDevelopmentAgency(NWDA)hasidentified30links,16underPeninsularComponentand14underHimalayanComponentforpreparation of Feasibility Reports. Out of this, feasibility reports of 14 links of peninsularcomponentandtwolinks(Indianportion)ofHimalayancomponenthavebeenprepared.Surveysandinvestigationinrespectofsevenotherlinksisalsocompleteandtheirdraftfeasibilityreportshavebeencompiled.

In2014,firstILRprojectofKenBetwahasbeeninitiated.TheKenBetwalinkprojectwouldhaveadamonriverKenalongwith221KmLinkCanal,provideannualirrigationto6.35LakhHectare, supply drinkingwater to 13.42 lakh people and generate 78MWhydropower inMadhyaPradeshandUttarPradesh.

ASpecialCommitteeonILR,underthechairpersonshipofUnionMinister(WR)hasbeenconstituted,tooverseetheworkofILR.

TECHNOLOGYUPGRADATION

The management of river water system is being modernised with the use of latesttechnology.HydrologyProjectIII isbeing launchedwithWorldBankAssistance fordevelopingDecisionSupport System formodernisation ofGanga andBrahmaputraBasins, aswell as other



uncoveredpartsofthecountry,atacostofRs.3,000crore.

An ambitious National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) hasbeenlaunchedentailingmappingofaquifersinanareaof8.89lakhsq.kmofthecountryonascaleof1:50,000andin3D.SixpilotprojectsofAquifermappinghavebeencarriedoutinsixareasoffiveStatesnamelyMaharashtra(partofNagpurdistrict),Rajasthan(partsofDausaandJaisalmerdistricts),Bihar(partofPatnadistrict),Karnataka(partofTumkurdistrict)andTamilnadu(partofCuddalore district) using advanced techniques including heliborne Transient Electromagneticsurveysforfasterandaccuratemappingofaquifers.Thedataacquisitionhasbeencompletedandfinaldetailswillemergeafteranalysisofdatainconjunctionwithotherrelevantscientificdatatotest the efficacy of technologies in mapping of aquifers in different hydrogeological terrainsincludingidentificationofpotentialforgroundwaterresources.ThetotaloutlayfortheXIIPlanforAquiferMapping, a fully funded Scheme of thisMinistry is Rs. 2051 crore. This will help inmanagingAquiferrecharge,riverbankfiltrationandidentificationofcriticallystressedblocksaswellasidentificationofcontaminatedblocks.

AWorldBankaidedprojectviz.DamRehabilitationandImprovementProject(DRIP)isinoperation.Under theproject,advancedmaterialsandsimulation techniquesandguidelinesarebeingbrought/evolvedinthecountrytoensuredamsafety.

The implementationofDamRehabilitationand ImprovementProject (DRIP) is reviewedon a quarterly basis by the Technical Committee headed by Member (Design and Research),CentralWaterCommission(CWC).WorldBankalsoreviewstheprogressofDRIPbyconductinghalfyearlyreviewmissions.Sofar9meetingsoftheTechnicalCommitteeand5ReviewMissionsoftheWorldBankhavebeenconducted.

TheDamRehabilitationandImprovementProject(DRIP)initiallytargetedrehabilitationof223 large dams in four states, namely Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Theprojectbecameeffectiveon18thApril,2014.Laterduetoaddition/deletionofsomeoftheprojectsbythestates,totalnumberofdamsunderDRIPhavereducedto190(Kerala28,MadhyaPradesh29,Odisha26andTamilNadu107).StateProjectManagementUnit(SPMU)hasbeencreatedineachof the four statesandCentralProjectManagementUnit (CPMU)hasbeen setup inCWC.CWChasalsohiredtheservicesofaninternationalEngineeringandManagementConsultantforassisting in theproject implementation.Consultants subunits have alsobeen set up in the fourDRIPStatestofacilitatethecoordinationbetweenCPMUandSPMU.

To empower communities through well informed water related database for better research,planning,development,managementintheareaofwaterresources,underDevelopmentofWaterResources Information System (DWRIS)aWeb enabledWater Resources Information SystemnamedasIndiaWRIS,hasbeenundertaken.Itwilladd800newhydrologicalobservationsitesandexpandmonitoringofmajorreservoirsto120reservoirs.

CLEANINGOFYAMUNARIVER

GovernmentofIndiahassanctionedYamunaActionPlant(YAP)IandYAPIIschemesforriver Yamuna in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and YAPIII in Delhi under financialassistance from Japan International Coorperation Agency (JICA) for taking up works forsewerage/interception and diversion of drains, Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), low costsanitation/communitytoiletcomplexes,electric/ improvedwoodcrematoria,etc.AnexpenditureofRs.1514.42crore(includingstateshare)hasbeenincurredonYAPIandYAPIIwhileYAPIIIhasbeensanctionedatanestimatedcostofRs.1656.00crore.

GovernmentofIndiahasalsosanctioned twoprojects forRs.217.87crore forpollution



abatementofriverYamunaintownsofSonepatandPanipatinHaryana. The timeframe for completion ofYAPIII scheme, being funded by JICA forDelhi, is

December,2018andforinterceptorsewerprojectisJune,2015.

120SPECIALTEAMSSTARTWORKINGONGANGA,YAMUNAANDRAMGANGA

Special teamssetupby theMinistryofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenation have started submitting their reports. 120 such teams were constituted to studyvariousaspectsof118placesalongtheriversGanga,YamunaandRamganga.

TheseplaceswerelocatedinUttarakhand,UP,BiharandWestBengal.Theseteamswereasked to find out the latest position of sewage treatment plants located at these places and thetypesofplantationrequiredalong therivers.The teamswerealsodirected to findout the latestavailable techniques to modernize these treatment plants to obtain quicker results. Old andnonfunctional treatmentplantswillbe replacedbynewones.These teamswillalso recommendnecessary measures to be taken immediately to contain pollution in these rivers to CentralPollutionControlBoard.

JALMANTHAN A three day national conference on issues for optimal use of water resources called JalManthan was held at New Delhi from 20 to November 22, 2014. The three day event wasorganizedbytheMinistryofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenationtotake up wide ranging consultations with the state irrigation ministers, Secretaries for WaterResourcesandarangeofotherstakeholders.ThefocuswasonrefiningpoliciesoftheMinistrytomakethemmorepeoplefriendlyandresponsivetotheneedsofthestates.

OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE AND EBOOK OF MINISTRY OF WATERRESOURCESLAUNCHED

Initseffortstoreachtosocialmedia,theMinistryofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenationhaslauncheditsofficialfacebookpageandebook.

EXPERT ADVISORY GROUP CONSTITUTED TO RENDER ASSISTANCE TOMATTERSPERTAININGTOWATERSECTOR

AnExpertAdvisoryGroupundertheChairmanshipofShriBNNavalawala,ExSecretary,Ministry ofWaterResources, asChiefAdviser has been constituted to render assistance to theMinistryofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenationinmatterspertainingtowatersector.

TheExpertAdvisoryGroupwillhavetwoothermembersasAdvisersappointedfromtimetotime.TheothermemberswouldbeappointedinconsultationwiththeChiefAdviser.ThegroupmaycooptanyotherexpertsforaspecificpurposeandspecifiedperiodwiththepriorapprovaloftheMinistryofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenation.

Samir/jk



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