Ganga Action Plan

The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) is an environmental initiative launched by the Government of India aimed at reducing pollution and improving the water quality of the River Ganga. The plan, inaugurated in 1985, marked a significant step in India’s environmental policy, focusing on the conservation and restoration of one of the most sacred and vital rivers in the country. Despite being a river of immense cultural, religious, and economic importance, the Ganga had been suffering from severe pollution due to industrial effluents, untreated sewage, and human activities. The GAP sought to address these issues through coordinated planning, scientific assessment, and community participation.

Background and Objectives

The Ganga, stretching over 2,500 kilometres across northern India, supports nearly 40 per cent of the country’s population. Over time, industrialisation, urbanisation, and population pressure led to the discharge of massive quantities of untreated sewage and industrial waste into the river. By the early 1980s, water quality in several stretches had deteriorated alarmingly, prompting public concern and scientific scrutiny.
The Central Ganga Authority (CGA), chaired by the Prime Minister, was established in 1985 to oversee the mission. The Ganga Project Directorate (GPD) functioned under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (now Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) to execute the plan.
The primary objectives of the Ganga Action Plan were to:

• Reduce the pollution load on the Ganga by intercepting, diverting, and treating domestic sewage.
• Prevent industrial effluents from entering the river without proper treatment.
• Improve water quality for domestic, agricultural, and religious uses.
• Raise public awareness and involve local communities in river conservation.
• Develop long-term strategies for sustainable river basin management.

Implementation Phases

The GAP was implemented in two distinct phases:
Phase I (1985–2000): This phase covered the most critical and polluted stretches of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. It initially targeted 25 Class-I cities situated along the river, responsible for approximately 75 per cent of the total pollution load. Major activities included the construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs), low-cost sanitation facilities, riverfront development, and public education campaigns.
Phase II (GAP-II, launched in 1993): Recognising the need for continuity, GAP-II expanded its focus to tributaries such as the Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar, and Mahananda Rivers, acknowledging their contribution to the Ganga’s pollution. This phase also integrated the plan under the broader National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in 1996, aiming to apply lessons learnt from Phase I and strengthen institutional coordination.

Key Components and Strategies

The GAP adopted a multidisciplinary approach involving engineering, scientific, and social components:

• Sewage Treatment: Establishment of treatment plants to ensure that municipal wastewater was treated before being discharged.
• Industrial Pollution Control: Enforcement of pollution control standards through regulatory measures and installation of effluent treatment plants (ETPs) in industries.
• Riverfront Development: Construction of electric crematoria and improved bathing ghats to reduce the direct disposal of waste and human remains.
• Public Participation: Encouraging involvement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), educational institutions, and local communities in monitoring and awareness programmes.
• Monitoring and Research: Regular water quality monitoring through the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and development of new technologies for wastewater management.

Achievements and Outcomes

The Ganga Action Plan succeeded in laying the groundwork for systematic river conservation efforts in India. It led to the establishment of infrastructure for sewage treatment, scientific assessment of pollution sources, and heightened public consciousness about environmental protection.
By the late 1990s, over 260 schemes had been implemented, including the construction of more than 70 sewage treatment plants with a treatment capacity of approximately 869 million litres per day. The programme also reduced the flow of untreated sewage in major urban stretches and improved sanitation conditions in riverfront towns.
However, despite these achievements, the water quality improvement was less than anticipated due to factors such as inadequate maintenance of infrastructure, population growth, delays in project execution, and continuing inflow of untreated waste from tributaries.

Criticism and Limitations

The Ganga Action Plan faced multiple criticisms over its implementation and effectiveness.

• Technical Inefficiency: Many sewage treatment plants operated below capacity due to irregular electricity supply, mechanical breakdowns, or lack of skilled manpower.
• Institutional Challenges: Poor coordination among central, state, and local bodies hindered project execution and accountability.
• Funding and Maintenance Issues: Delays in fund release and inadequate financial management affected the sustainability of the schemes.
• Unaddressed Pollution Sources: Agricultural runoff, religious offerings, and siltation were not adequately targeted under the initial design.
• Limited Community Involvement: Despite efforts to engage the public, local participation remained insufficient to ensure behavioural change at the grassroots level.

These shortcomings led to calls for a more integrated, basin-wide approach that could simultaneously address industrial, agricultural, and urban sources of pollution.

Evolution into Later Initiatives

The partial success of the Ganga Action Plan provided valuable lessons that informed subsequent river rejuvenation programmes. The National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), launched in 1996, incorporated GAP-II and extended the scope to cover all major rivers in India.
In 2014, the Government of India launched the Namami Gange Mission, a flagship programme under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, as a more comprehensive and better-funded initiative for cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga. Namami Gange emphasised convergence among central and state agencies, strict industrial regulation, community-based sanitation, and solid waste management. It also introduced real-time monitoring of water quality and promoted sustainable livelihood opportunities linked with river conservation.