India’s river rejuvenation and pollution abatement efforts have gathered significant momentum, with marked improvement recorded in the water quality of the river Ganga, supported by large-scale investments in sewage infrastructure and sustained ecological monitoring, the government informed Parliament.
Under the Namami Gange Programme, a total of 218 sewerage infrastructure projects worth ₹35,698 crore have been taken up to remediate polluted stretches of rivers. These include Sewage Treatment Plants with a combined capacity of 6,610 million litres per day. Of these, 138 projects with a capacity of 3,977 million litres per day have already been completed and made operational.
According to reports of the Central Pollution Control Board for 2018 and 2025 on Polluted River Stretches, there has been a clear improvement in the water quality of the main stem of the river Ganga. State-wise comparison shows that polluted stretches in Uttarakhand have been fully removed, while partial improvements have been recorded in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. In Bihar, marginal pollution persists in limited stretches, while Jharkhand continues to report no polluted river stretches.
Analysis of river water quality data for 2025, covering the period from January to August, indicates that pH levels and dissolved oxygen in the river Ganga meet bathing water quality norms across all monitored locations. However, biochemical oxygen demand remains above desired levels in certain stretches of Uttar Pradesh, while most stretches in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal continue to show challenges in this parameter.
Biomonitoring conducted during 2024–25 at 50 locations along the Ganga and its tributaries, and 26 locations along the Yamuna and its tributaries, found that biological water quality largely ranged from good to moderate. The presence of diverse benthic macro-invertebrate species indicates improving ecological conditions and the rivers’ capacity to sustain aquatic life.
The government reiterated that river cleaning is a continuous process and that the primary responsibility for preventing pollution rests with state governments, union territories, local bodies and industries. The Union Government provides financial and technical support through the central sector Namami Gange Programme for the Ganga basin and the centrally sponsored National River Conservation Plan for other river basins.
Under the National River Conservation Plan, four sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 593 million litres per day have been set up in Hyderabad for pollution abatement of the Musi river. Additionally, five treatment plants with a capacity of 28.46 million litres per day have been established in Bhadrachalam, Mancherial and Ramagundam to reduce pollution in the Godavari river in Telangana. Twelve institutions have also been engaged to prepare Condition Assessment and Management Plans for six major river basins, including the Godavari, Krishna, Narmada, Cauvery, Mahanadi and Periyar.
To promote sustainable water management, a National Framework for Safe Reuse of Treated Water has been developed, and states have been directed to align their policies accordingly. City-level action plans have also been prepared to translate reuse policies into implementable projects.
Public awareness and community participation remain a key pillar of river conservation. Cleanliness drives, school programmes, mass media campaigns, social media outreach and activities such as Ganga Utsav, Swachhta Pakhwada, Ganga Run and river expeditions are being organised to encourage citizen engagement and adoption of environmentally responsible practices.
The information was provided by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
