Water Pollution & Clean Rivers
70% of surface water is unfit for consumption. 37.7 million waterborne illness cases annually.
Current Policies
Namami Gange Programme
Enacted 2014 · Coverage: Ganga River Basin across 11 states
Jal Jeevan Mission
Enacted 2019 · Coverage: 19 Cr rural households (Target: 100% piped tap water)
National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)
Enacted 1995 · Coverage: 351 polluted river stretches nationwide
Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Industrial Norms
Enacted 2015 · Coverage: High-polluting textile, tannery, & chemical industrial units
Past Promises
"Classify all major rivers clean by 2022 under National River Conservation Plan"
BrokenMade by: NMCG / MoEFCC, 2016
351 river stretches remain severely polluted; Yamuna & Ganga BOD and coliform levels exceed safe limits
"100% urban domestic sewage treatment capacity by 2020"
BrokenMade by: CPCB / MoUD, 2015
Over 72% of urban sewage (72,368 MLD) continues to flow untreated into surface waters
"Provide safe piped drinking water to all rural households by 2024 under Jal Jeevan Mission"
BrokenMade by: Ministry of Jal Shakti, 2019
Target deadline extended to 2030; over 85% of rural water still drawn from contaminated groundwater