The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in collaboration with State Pollution Control Boards, Pollution Control Committees of Union Territories and local bodies, conducted an inventory of sewage treatment plants for the year 2020, Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, informed the Rajya Sabha.
The findings were compiled in a 2021 report titled National Inventory of Sewage Treatment Plants in India. According to the study, urban centres across the country generate a total of 72,368 million litres of sewage every day.
According to the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India 2021, published by the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, an area of 834,530 hectares has been affected by desertification and land degradation (DLD), Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
The atlas reports that the total area affected by DLD in Assam during 2003–2005 and 2011–2013 was 572,215 hectares and 716,596 hectares, respectively. The key drivers of desertification and land degradation in Assam include waterlogging, water erosion and vegetation degradation, the minister said.
According to state reports, two tigers have died in territorial fights at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the past two years, Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
As per the approved Tiger Conservation Plan for Ranthambore, the reserve has a carrying capacity of 14.845 tigers per 100 square kilometres, the minister added. The All India Tiger Estimation 2022 estimated the number of tigers in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to be between 57 and 63.
The government is aware of the rapid expansion of glacial lakes and other waterbodies in the Himalayan region, Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
The Central Water Commission (CWC), under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), is the nodal agency responsible for monitoring glacial lakes in India. Using remote sensing techniques, the CWC monitors 902 glacial lakes and waterbodies larger than 10 hectares, as listed in the Glacial Lake Inventory 2011 prepared by the National Remote Sensing Centre.
Monitoring is conducted from June to October each year, with detailed monthly and annual reports, including trend analysis, published on the CWC website, Singh added.
As of January 2025, under the Namami Gange Programme, a total of 492 projects have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 40,121.48 crore, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Union minister of state for jal shakti, informed the Lok Sabha. Of these, 307 projects have been completed and are operational. The CPCB has also conducted water quality monitoring of Ganga river, he added.
On September 6, 2023, the Union Cabinet approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to support their development, Shripad Naik, Union minister of state for power, told the Lok Sabha. Under the scheme, VGF support will be provided for BESS projects approved between 2023 and 2026.
The fund disbursement will take place in five tranches: 10 per cent upon financial closure of the project, 45 per cent upon achieving the Commercial Operation Date and 15 per cent annually over the following three years, Naik stated. With the decline in battery prices, the scheme’s capacity has been increased from 4,000 megawatt-hour to 13,200 MWh while remaining within the approved budget allocation of Rs 3,760 crore.
Since the inception of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), states have reported that 7,746 fluoride-affected and 13,706 arsenic-affected habitations have been covered under piped water supply schemes, V Somanna, Union minister of state for jal shakti, told the Lok Sabha. Of the 7,746 fluoride-affected habitations, 4,177 are in Rajasthan, including 480 in Jalore and 92 in Sirohi district. These habitations have now been reported by the state government as covered under JJM piped water supply schemes, he added.
As of now, 250 fluoride-affected and 314 arsenic-affected rural habitations remain without JJM-compliant piped water supply schemes, the minister said. However, all these habitations have been provided with safe drinking water through community-based water purification plants as an interim measure, ensuring each household receives 8–10 litres per capita per day for drinking and cooking needs.