UPSC Mains 2015 · GS III · Q15 · 12.5 marks · 200 words

Discuss the *Namami Gange* and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) programmes and causes of mixed results from the previous schemes. What quantum leaps can help preserve the river Ganga better than incremental inputs ?

हिन्दी में

*नमामी गंगे* और स्वच्छ गंगा का राष्ट्रीय मिशन (एन.एम.सी.जी.) कार्यक्रमों पर और इससे पूर्व की योजनाओं से मिश्रित परिणामों के कारणों पर चर्चा कीजिए । गंगा नदी के परिरक्षण में कौन-सी प्रमात्रा छलांगें, क्रमिक योगदानों की अपेक्षा ज़्यादा सहायक हो सकती हैं ?

PollutionEnvironmental Governance

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Programmes for cleaning polluted rivers in India have been implemented for a long time, however, the results of these programmes are not very encouraging. Identify the reasons for the same and possible steps to rectify the situation.”

Wasim Ur RahmanAIR 281 · CSE 2024 · 216 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Due to rising urbanisation and industrial activity, our rivers have become increasingly polluted. This has been sought to be corrected through various programmes.

Body · points

Programmes for cleaning Rivers

  1. National River Conservation Project
  2. Namami Gange Programme
  3. Water Act, 1954

Reasons for failure

  1. Inadequate enforcement. Eg. Tanneries in Kanpur continue to discharge directly in Ganga
  2. Inadequate infrastructure. Eg. Sewage Treatment plants have not been built

in sufficient numbers

  1. Inadequate focus on non-point sources of pollution. Eg. Agricultural runoff

  2. Lack of awareness about the implication of pollution. E.g. Idols submerged in Ganga

  3. Lack of inter-state coordination. E.g. Yamuna - Haryana, Delhi, UP

  4. Paucity of funds as river cleaning needs lot of money.

Steps Required

  1. Strict enforcement of regulations and strict check on industries.

  2. Proper sewage treatment before discharge into rivers. Eg. Okhla sewage treatment plant in Delhi

  3. Promotion of inter-ministerial collaboration to deal with the problem holistically

  4. Declaring rivers as living entity. Eg. Ganga

  5. Integrating Swachha Bharat Mission with Namami Gange. Eg. Development of swachha villages on bank of Ganga.

  6. Continuous monitoring of BOD, COD, coliform level etc to assess the health of river.

Close · a summary

Thus rivers need to be brought back to their natural state to ensure Swachha India and swastha India.

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2015, General Studies Paper III, Q15. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.