MoEF signs three agreements with World Bank for cleaning Ganga and conservation of biodiversity in June 2011

The River cleaning project is to the tune of US $ 1 billion (approximately Rs 4,600 crore) loan and credit that will form part of the Bank’s long-term support for cleaning the Ganga River. Two Biodiversity Conservation agreements are for a credit of US$15.6 million and US$8.14 million grant.

On this occasion, Sh Jairam Ramesh , Minister of State for Environment and Forest Minister said, “Two protected areas, one each in Uttarakhand and Gujarat, will put in place a complete new model of managing the protected areas while safeguarding the livelihoods of local communities. So far local community was looked as enemies of protected areas, but this has to be changed. We have to make local communities full partners in the protection and regeneration of these protected areas. These new models will be applied in other areas of the country.” Giving details of cleaning operations of last few years, the Minister said, “The objective of Ganga project is ‘by 2020 no municipal sewage and industrial effluent will be let into the river Ganga without treatment’. With the help from the World bank, we are taking a big step forward in achieving the Mission Clean Ganga”.

An empowered and collaborative body of the central and state governments, National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) will implement the National Ganga River Basin Project with the assistance of the World Bank. The project will focus on building and strengthening the NGRBA’s related institutions at the central and state level; establishing a world-class Ganga Knowledge Centre; enhancing river basin management; and financing select priority investments to reduce point-source pollution in a sustainable manner. The authority has resolved under its “Mission Clean Ganga” that by year 2020 no untreated municipal sewage or industrial effluents will be discharged into the river. Today, only about one-third of the sewage generated by the towns and cities on the mainstream of the river is treated; and a significant volume of untreated or inadequately treated industrial effluents is also discharged into the Ganga.

The Ganga faces great challenges from expanding population, urbanization and industrial growth. Managing the complex interplay of water quality and quantity is essential to meet these challenges. A comprehensive approach will be adopted under which industrial pollution, solid waste management, and river front management will also be addressed besides the essential sewage treatment and infrastructure. Dedicated institutional mechanisms will be established in order to plan, prioritize and manage these investments for the long term.

The Project, with an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore (approx US$ 1.5 billion), has been approved by the Government of India and the World Bank. The share of the Government of India will be Rs 5,100 crore (approx US$ 1.1 billion) and that of the five state governments (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal) will be Rs 1,900 crore (approx US$ 0.4 billion). The World Bank will support the Government of India by providing technical assistance and financing of US $ 1 billion. The assistance would be in form of a loan of $801 million from IBRD and a credit of $199 million from IDA. The NGRBA Program will be implemented through close coordination between the central, state and local governments, and with the implementing agencies and civil society. It will encourage innovative approaches, including new technological solutions and results-based financing mechanisms to ensure desired improvements in water quality.

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