Environment ยท GS3
Sewerage projects under Namami Gange Phase II
One line
Five sewage-treatment projects became operational for the Ganga and Yamuna basins under Namami Gange Phase II during the third quarter of FY 2025-26.
Summary
Urban sewage is a major source of river pollution. The projects add treatment capacity and interception infrastructure, but cleaner rivers depend on plant utilisation, sewer connections, operation and maintenance, and compliance with discharge standards.
PYQ pattern
UPSC commonly connects river pollution with sewage treatment, urban governance, environmental regulation, and basin-level planning. See the official UPSC question-paper archive.
Core notes
- PIB said commissioned treatment capacity under the programme reached 3,976 million litres per day across 173 sewage-treatment plants.
- New facilities included projects in Shuklagunj, Agra, Varanasi, and other basin locations.
- Several projects used the Hybrid Annuity Model, which combines construction payments with performance-linked operation payments.
- Sequential Batch Reactor technology treats wastewater in timed biological cycles.
Prelims lens
- Namami Gange is implemented through the National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- A sewage-treatment plant treats wastewater before discharge. It does not replace the sewer network needed to bring sewage to the plant.
- Hybrid annuity can tie part of payment to long-term operation and performance.
MCQ 1
Consider the following statements:
- Namami Gange includes sewage-treatment infrastructure.
- Commissioned treatment capacity alone proves that all untreated sewage has stopped entering a river.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 only
- C. Both 1 and 2
- D. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answerHide answer
A
The programme includes sewage projects. Actual pollution reduction also depends on connections, utilisation, maintenance, and enforcement.
MCQ 2
Sequential Batch Reactor technology is associated with:
- A. Wastewater treatment
- B. Uranium enrichment
- C. Satellite navigation
- D. Crop-price discovery
Reveal answerHide answer
A
It is a biological wastewater-treatment process operated through timed cycles.
Mains
Question, 10 marks, 150 words: River rejuvenation requires more than building sewage-treatment capacity. Examine.
Approach:
- Identify sewage and other pollution sources.
- Explain interception, treatment, reuse, and basin governance.
- Discuss under-utilisation, weak sewer networks, maintenance, and monitoring.
- Suggest performance contracts, real-time data, reuse markets, and urban-local-body capacity.