Despite considerable funding under the Centre’s flagship Namami Gange programme, Uttarakhand fails to keep the Ganga clean. More than a third of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the state dump untreated sewage into the river, as per the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
Namami Gange was rolled out in 2014 to curb pollution in the Ganga. Under the programme, funds are disbursed to all Ganga basin states to set up STPs to treat wastewater before it is discharged into the river, and to improve sewerage networks in Ganga-front cities. In 2017, the Union government audited all the Ganga basin states and found high levels of pollution across its stretch. The report made recommendations to reduce discharge of untreated sewage. However, Uttarakhand has not implemented the main suggested measures such as scientific disposal of municipal garbage, capacity upgradation of STPs, says the latest audit. “Since our last performance audit in 2017-18, Audit has noticed deficiencies in planning, implementation and operation & maintenance (O&M) of program activities. As a result, the State Government missed the main milestone of preventing untreated sewage from falling into Ganga,” says the report.
CAG’s on-ground analysis shows that 12 of the 44 STPs in Uttarakhand discharge untreated sewage into the Ganga. The reasons vary. For example, STPs in Rishikesh, Kirti Nagar, Rudraprayag and Srikot release sewage directly due to poor treatment capacity. Other plants in Rudraprayag, Gopeshwar and Karnaprayag record leakage or damage in the drain tapping systems (see 'Untreated stretch').
STPs also see poor management and maintenance. Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, the state's maintenance agency for sew-age infrastructure, refused to take over 18 STPs citing serious construction, safety and operational issues, says the report. The audit also flags lapses in …
This article was originally published in the June 1-15, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth