Pollution Control, River Rejuvenation and Environmental Governance

What was asked, and of whom?

The question asked about measures taken by the government under various environmental initiatives, including the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Namami Gange Mission, and other schemes for pollution control, river rejuvenation, and environmental governance. The answer was provided by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Who asked / answered

Shri Jagdambika Pal, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi (asked); Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (answered)

What the government said

• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched in 2019 for 130 cities, with 108 cities showing reduced PM10 concentrations in 2025-26 compared to 2017-18
• 14 cities met National Ambient Air Quality Standards in 2025-26
• Namami Gange Programme (NGP) sanctioned 527 projects at ₹43,326 crores
• National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) covered 58 rivers in 100 towns across 17 states at ₹8,975 crores
• NPCA scheme released ₹70.87 crores for wetland conservation since 2023-24
• Nagar Van Yojana sanctioned 652 projects in 28 states/UTs at ₹699.33 crores
• MISHTI programme released ₹88.44 crore for 9,536 hectares of mangrove restoration
• EPR regulations registered 65,241 producers and 3,117 plastic waste processors, recycling 232.65 lakh metric tons of plastic waste
• PARIVESH portal reduced average clearance time from 600 days (2014) to 57 days (2025-26)
• Polluted River Stretches reduced from 351 in 2018 to 296 in 2025
• 16 polluted river stretches identified on 14 rivers in Uttar Pradesh in 2025

Points worth noting

• Polluted River Stretches reduced from 351 in 2018 to 296 in 2025
• 14 polluted river stretches identified on 13 rivers other than Ganga in Uttar Pradesh in 2025
• 16 polluted river stretches identified on 14 rivers in Uttar Pradesh in 2025