The Namami Gange Programme, launched in 2014, is an integrated conservation mission aimed at accomplishing the twin objectives of reducing pollution and rejuvenating River Ganga and its tributaries. The programme has a comprehensive set of initiatives such as wastewater treatment, solid waste treatment, riverfront management, afforestation and biodiversity conservation. The programme has been very effective in states such as Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal, and is gaining momentum in other areas as well. At a recent India Infrastructure conference, G. Asok Kumar, director general, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti, discussed the programme, the projects being undertaken, and its achievements and key features. Excerpts…
Governance structure of the mission
The Namami Gange Programme is a five-tier structure at the national, state and district levels. This structure ensures that adequate measures are undertaken for the prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution to facilitate the continuous and adequate flow of water in order to rejuvenate the Ganga River. The five-tier structure comprises the National Ganga Council (under the chairpersonship of the honourable prime minister), Empowered Task Force (under the Union minister of Jal Shakti), Governing Council and Executive Committee (headed by the director general of the NMCG), State Ganga Committees (chaired by the chief secretary of the respective states) and District Ganga Committees (headed by the district magistrates of the respective districts).
Current status and plans
The Namami Gange Programme is structured around five key pillars: Nirmal Ganga (unpolluted river), Aviral Ganga (ecology and flow), Arth Ganga (river-people connect by boosting the economy and livelihood), Jan Ganga (people’s participation) and Gyan Ganga (research, policy formulation and knowledge management). As of October 2023, 450 projects have been sanctioned under the programme at a total cost of around Rs 380.22 billion. Of these, 270 have been completed, 124 are under progress, 44 are under tendering and 12 are yet to receive administrative approval and expenditure sanction.
Under this programme, the government plans to enhance the sewage treatment capacity to 6,173 million litres per day (mld). Of this, as of October 2023, 2,664 mld has already been created and 3,509 mld is planned between September 2023 and March 2026. Further, the total targeted capacity by December 2026 is set at 7,001 mld.
Key achievements and features
Recognition by UN Decade
Ever since the launch of the programme, it has achieved several milestones. During the United Nations (UN) Conference on Biological Diversity (COP15) in December 2022, the Namami Gange Programme was recognised as one of the top 10 world restoration flagship initiatives by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Compliance with international conventions
The programme is committed to achieving various objectives, such as the nine Sustainable Development Goals of the UN, including aspects such as clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, life below water and life on land. Moreover, the programme aims to fulfil 10 restoration principles of the UN Decade, including global contribution, broad engagement, benefits to nature and people, knowledge integration, monitoring and management, and policy integration. It also adheres to the mandates of the Rio Conventions, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
Restoration of polluted stretches
Since the implementation of the Namami Gange Programme, there has been a notable improvement in river water quality. None of the river Ganga stretches fall under Priority Categories I to IV, which is a significant achievement. For instance, polluted stretches, such as Haridwar to Sultanpur in Uttarakhand and Buxar to Bhagalpur in Bihar, have moved from Priority Category V (4.2-5.8 mg/l biochemical oxygen demand [BOD]) to the Non-polluted Category, and from Priority Category II (7.8-27 mg/l BOD) to Non-polluted respectively.
Financial innovations
The government has rolled out many new financial products and services under the programme. For instance, the public-private partnership mode was first introduced in the water sector under the Namami Gange Programme. Further, in 2018, the hybrid annuity mode (HAM) was introduced as a pilot to execute projects involving the construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and interception and diversion works. In this model, 40 per cent of the capital cost was paid during the construction stage, and the remaining 60 per cent was paid over 15 years as annuities with interest on the outstanding balance, along with operation and maintenance expenses. The HAM model has now gained traction, fostering increased competition and private participation in the water sector while stabilising the financials. To date, 33 projects have been sanctioned under the HAM model, with the aim of creating 2,361.1 mld of new capacity or rehabilitation. The sanctioned cost for these projects is Rs 125.14 billion.
Another innovative financial model is the one city one operator (OCOP) model, where all the STPs of a city are assigned to a single operator. This aims to increase accountability for the water discharged into the river from a particular city. This model is a shift towards a one-step solution for an entire city through the integration of new and existing sewage treatment infrastructure under the HAM model. It establishes single ownership and accountability for end-to-end operations, ensuring continued performance for both existing and new sewerage infrastructure. So far, 53 cities in India have been covered under the OCOP model. Other innovations for ensuring the long-term sustainability of assets include IRDB loan guarantees, performance-linked incentives and urban river management plans.
Interventions under Arth Ganga
Arth Ganga is a sustainable and viable economic model conceptualised under the Namami Gange Programme, designed to integrate people in the basin with the rejuvenation efforts for the Ganga River. In coordination with many other ministries and central and state government departments, six key interventions have been undertaken. These include the promotion of zero-budget natural farming in the Ganga basin; monetisation and reuse of treated wastewater and sludge by urban local bodies to generate revenue and convert sludge into usable products; development of livelihood generation opportunities through activities such as Ghat Mein Haat to sell the local products of Ganga cities/towns along riverbanks, etc.; encouragement of public participation through regular events such as Ganga Aartis, cleanliness drives and Yoga on Ghat in coordination with district Ganga committees; promotion of cultural heritage and tourism by developing small local tourism and cultural circuits; and institution building by setting up decentralised monitoring and governance units.
The way forward
The Namami Gange Programme offers substantial opportunities for private players, both from a financial point of view and in terms of deploying new technologies. The mission endeavours to leverage domain expertise and resources from across the world for Ganga rejuvenation, and many countries such as Australia, the UK, Germany, Finland and Israel have also shown interest in collaborating with India for this. Going forward, the government is keen on fostering collaborations at both national and international levels to achieve the targets of cleaning the Ganga river.
