Ministry of Water Resources
29-May, 2018 19:19 IST
The Centre Committed to Clean Tributaries of Ganga as well
After Union Minister for WR, RD & GR Shri Nitin Gadkari holds review meetings along with Chief Minister of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board awards two more projects for Delhi today for Yamuna In Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, a proposal for Interception & Diversion (I&D) of 5 drains (having cumulative flow of 5 MLD) merging into river Saryu approved by the Executive Committee of NMCG today One sewerage management project in West Bengal approved for Jangipur municipality
After considerable success in sanctioning projects for main stem of river Ganga, the Centre has now shifted focus to the entire Ganga basin. Not only are new projects being taken up on the tributaries of Ganga, the existing approved projects on river Yamuna are also being expedited.
Just five days after the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari along with CM Delhi Shri Arvind Kejriwal took a review meeting of projects on Yamuna in Delhi; two projects were awarded today in the Board meeting of the DJB. These projects are laying of pumping mains of 8137 m in Kondli area at an estimated cost of Rs. 59.13 crore and rehabilitation of rising mains in Rithala area at an estimated cost of Rs. 45.40 crore. The work on four other projects under Yamuna Action Plan-III (YAP-III) is already going on. These projects include rehabilitation of trunk sewer lines of 8498 m in Kondli, rehabilitation of trunk sewer of 7715 m in Kondli, rehabilitation of sewer lines of 5090 m in Rithala and rehabilitation and upgradation of existing 182 MLD in Rithala in Delhi.
In the 12th Executive Committee meeting of NMCG held today, a proposal for interception and diversion of 5 drains (having cumulative flow of 5 MLD) merging into river Saryu in
Ayodhya has been approved by the Executive Committee at an estimated cost of Rs. 37.67 crore. It is noteworthy that in Ayodhya a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of 12 MLD already exists and is operational. This project will ensure that the existing STP will be fully utilized as the intercepted drains, which now merge into river Ganga, will be diverted to the STP for treatment and would not be carrying sewage directly into Saryu river.
In West Bengal, one project costing Rs. 68.47 crore has also been approved in which 13 interception and diversion structures will be created, besides two sewage treatment plants
(5 MLD in Raghunath Ganj and 8 MLD in Jangipur). A laboratory for effluent testing and online monitoring is part of the proposal. Jangipur comes under the historical Murshidabad district which used to be the capital of West Bengal before Kolkata.
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May 29, 2018 17:30 IST
An aerial view of the Yamuna river along with Signature Bridge at Wazirabad in New Delhi on Tuesday. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that within four months residents of Delhi and tourists will be able to witness this view. The bridge connects Wazirabad across the river Yamuna to the inner city. (Sonu Mehta / HT Photo)
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Ministry of Water Resources
30-May, 2018 15:28 IST
Notice issued by Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal
Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal has issued notice under Rule 4 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Rules, 1959 to the State Governments of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to nominate their representatives for adjudication of Mahanadi River Water Disputes latest by August 06, 2018. The notice also mentioned that if no nominations were received by the due date, the case may be decided in the absence of any representation of State Government.
Earlier on the request of Government of Odisha made under Section 3 of Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956, the Central Government constituted Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal on 12th March, 2018. The Central Government made reference for taking up adjudication to the Tribunal under Section 4 of the ISRWD Act, 1956 on 17th April, 2018.
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Ministry of Water Resources
30-May, 2018 18:32 IST
NMCG Team headed by DG holds review meeting in Lucknow for Namami Gange projects in Uttar Pradesh
Detailed discussions on Preparation for mahakumbh mela 2019 took place during the meeting UP Government urged to focus on cleaning of tributaries of Ganga
Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Mr. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra today reviewed the progress of projects under Namami Gange programme in Uttar Pradesh.
DG, NMCG requested Chief Secretary, U. P Government, for active involvement of 26 District Ganga Committees to be constituted for the cause of Ganga Rejuvenation.
While reviewing all 30 sewerage projects being undertaken in Uttar Pradesh under Namami Gange programme, NMCG urged the UP government to complete 8 of the 10 ongoing projects by December 2018 and start work on the remaining sanctioned projects at the earliest. In addition, the UP administration was also asked to complete the repair/rehabilitation/construction work of 87 ghats by March 2019.
During the meeting, a detailed discussion on preparations of Mahakumbh 2019 at Allahabad took place. NMCG asked the UP government to expedite the process of cleaning all 35 drains in Allahabad that meets river Ganga upstream through bioremediation so that projects could be implemented well before the Mahakumbh begins.
NMCG urged the government of Uttar Pradesh to focus on tributaries of Ganga and send proposals for cities of Meerut, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Jaunpur so that work on cleaning of tributaries like Hindon, Ram Ganga, Kali, Gomti etc may begin at the earliest.
NMCG also raised the important issue of Solid Waste going into Ganga through drains with the government of Uttar Pradesh. UP government was requested to direct the Urban Local Bodies along river Ganga to prepare an action plan to provide adequate arrangements in the drains, stretching at least a kilometre from the river’s confluence, to tap the solid waste entering into the river.
The project of Composite Ecological Task Force Battalion (Ganga Task Force) which has taken off under the aegis of Namami Gange programme was also discussed during the meeting. A Ganga Task Force will be deputed in three important towns of Allahabad, Varanasi and Kanpur to assists Ganga Rejuvenation efforts. The orientation meetings with the administration are being held. Principal Secretary, Environment and Forest, Ms Renuka Kumar while explaining the massive greening “Ganga Haritama Abhiyan” going on in Uttar Pradesh assured NMCG that necessary training shall be imparted to Ganga Task Force by the Environment Department and UP Pollution Control Board. She also suggested in the meeting to have some common training and orientation for Ganga Task Force and Ganga Praharies, a group of self-motivated volunteers along river Ganga, to maximize public participation.
The meeting was also attended by Executive Director (Projects), NMCG Mr. Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana, Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Rajiv Kumar, Principal Secretary (Urban Development), Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Manoj Kumar Singh and Principal Secretary (Environment & Forest), Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Renuka Kumar.
Ministry of Culture
02-June, 2018 17:54 IST
Stakeholder workshop to discuss the issues of pollution in and around Taj Mahal to be held in Agra tomorrow
A stakeholders workshop has been convened by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State (I/C) of Culture and Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, on 3.6.2018 at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Agra. The meeting will discuss the issues of pollution in and around Taj Mahal and focus on drawing short term and long term measures to deal with the problem and to protect Taj from environment pollution. To create awareness about adopting environment friendly transport options, Dr Mahesh Sharma will be travelling by train for the event.
The meeting will be attended by high level representatives of State Government, MPs and MLAs of Agra, along with all concerned stakeholders in the presence of Senior Officers of Ministry of Culture, M/o Environment, Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Board, Archaeological Survey of India and local administration.
The meeting will be followed by ‘Walk around the Taj’ as well as Clean up of River Yamuna to be followed by the Taj Mahal Declaration. A press conference will also be held on the occasion to highlight the decisions taken and the action plan.
NB/PS
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Ministry of Water Resources
02-June, 2018 15:11 IST
NMCG undertakes cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj Ghat in Delhi
In the run up to the World Environment Day 2018, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with Yes Bank organised a cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat on river Yamuna in New Delhi today. The focus during the cleanliness drive remained
on freeing the ghat from plastic waste along with other solid waste.
This is the third time in the past two months NMCG has organised a Swachhta drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat. Volunteers from NMCG and other stakeholders, led by Director General, NMCG, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra cleaned the Kalindi Kunj ghat of plastic and other solid waste. Cleaning of Yamuna is part of the Namami Gange programme as it is the tributary of River Ganga. More than 300 officials from different organisations participated in the event. These include NMCG, Yes Bank, World Bank, GIZ, IL&FS, Jamia Millia Islamia, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and other departments. Around 15 trucks full of waste collected from the ghat and the river was transported for proper disposal.
Director General, NMCG, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said on the occasion: “It is heartening to see the enthusiastic involvement of so many other departments and local people. While I thank all who participated in today’s the event, I request the people of Delhi to join hands with us in more numbers to clean River Yamuna. The involvement of each and every one of us is indispensable to clean Ganga mission.”
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
02-June, 2018 19:48 IST
Environment Ministry, Teri Sign MOU to Set up a Resource Efficiency Cell;
Launch Initiatives to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Plastic Waste
In the run up to World Environment Day, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) today launched a number of initiatives to support the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) focus on waste management and resource efficiency. The initiatives were unveiled by Secretary, MoEFCC, Shri CK Mishra and Director General, TERI, Dr Ajay Mathur, at an event at Vigyan Bhawan here today.
MoEFCC, TERI sign MoU to set up a Resource Efficiency Cell at the Ministry:
MoEFCC and TERI entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a resource efficiency cell in the Ministry. The main objectives of the Cell are to provide a platform to mainstream resource efficiency in public policy. It aims to achieve this through coordinated thinking among the various relevant Ministries and agencies for promoting resource efficiency in the use of materials in the country.
It also aims to ensure a ‘systems’ thinking based on materials, products and processes, apart from enabling the preparation of an overarching resource efficiency policy for India and coordinated sectoral policies and regulatory mechanisms.
At the event hosted by TERI, the European Union and MoEFCC also signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) to support the implementation of the EU Resource Efficiency Initiative (EU-REI) Project in India, with a specific objective to foster the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources in India. The JDI seeks to strengthen technological, scientific and management capacities of MoEFCC, the EU and other relevant partners from private and public sector along with the implementing partners in the field of Resource Efficiency.
Secretary, MoEFCC, Shri C K Mishra released a TERI paper on ‘Opportunities and Challenges of Plastics Waste Management’.
As per the findings, the paper states that the annual average per capita consumption of plastic in India is about 11 kgs. Further, households generate maximum plastic waste, of which water and soft drink bottles form a large number. In terms of plastic in water bodies, seas near Mumbai, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are among the worst polluted in the world. The plastic debris under water affect at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species.
The paper highlights how effective collection and recycling could lead to an overall reduction of waste, cost, and energy consumption, and also effectively reduce GHG (Green House Gas) emissions. It also focuses upon the need to promote the use of biodegradable plastic, especially in high-end large-scale applications, which can help in pushing bioplastics from labs to markets.
The paper emphasizes the role of Urban Local Bodies to set up decentralized Material Recovery Facilities and corporates to adopt Extended User Responsibility to collect back packaging waste generated from their products.
An industry consortium on ‘Waste-Proofing the Future’ to identify the institutional and policy interventions needed to sustainably manage waste was launched at the event. The consortium has been launched with eight members comprising Aditya Birla Group, RED FM, KidZania India – ImagiNation Edutainment India Pvt Ltd, Dalmia (Bharat) Cement Ltd, Uflex Ltd, and DS Group of Companies.
It is the first time that stakeholders from diverse sectors have come together for the cause of waste management. The roadmap for the consortium will be to create a supply chain for various types of wastes so that there is a business case for all stakeholders. To begin with waste collection points will also be set up in schools through KidZania, and policy research will be conducted on varied issues for better implementation.
India generates an estimated 32 million metric tons of packaging waste each year, of which plastic constitutes 16 per cent. The unorganised collection of waste leads to cherry-picking of wastes, with only 14% of plastic packaging being collected for recycling.
Between 2010 and 2020, India’s demand for various materials is estimated to increase from US $1.4 trillion to US $5 trillion. In such a scenario, improving resource-use efficiency will be very important in delinking economic growth and human wellbeing from ever-increasing consumption of natural resources and the resultant environmental impacts. Resource efficiency encompasses a wide variety of technology, process, policy and institutional issues along the various stages (design, manufacturing, refurbishment, and end-of-life) of product life cycles, including the three ‘R’s - reduce, reuse, and recycle.
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