Imphal, July 24 2017: Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that no funds have been released by the Ministry to the State Government for reducing the pollution of Nambul river in Manipur under NRCP .
Replying to a query raised by MP K Bhabananda in the Rajya Sabha regarding any National River Conservation Directorate (NCRD) projects or programmes for the rivers in Manipur and details of funds released to the State Government, Harsh Vardhan said that it is the responsibility of the local bodies/ State Governments to set up proper facilities for collection, treatment and disposal of sewage and to ensure that untreated sewage do not fall into rivers and other water bodies, thereby polluting them .
He pointed out that the Ministry supplements the efforts of the State Governments in pollution abatement in identified stretches of various rivers through Centrally sponsored schemes of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for implementation of projects on cost sharing basis between the Central and State Governments .
He explained that proposals for reducing the pollution of rivers are submitted by the State Government from time to time, which are examined and considered for financial assistance under NRCP depending on the degree of pollution in the river, the State Governments commitment to bear matching share, conformity of projects formulated as per the Ministry’s guidelines along with availability of funds under the programme .
Harsh Vardhan said that a conceptual project report for ‘ Waste water Treatment and Cleanup in Nambul and Waishel Maril Basins, Manipur’ amounting to Rs 452.44 crore was received from the Government of Manipur in May, 2015 but the project report was returned to the State Government in May 2015, itself, as it was not prepared per the guidelines of NRCP .
Thus, no funds have been released by the Ministry to the State Government to clean pollution of Nambul river in Manipur under NRCP, he added.
Source: The Sangai Express
