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There are 311 polluted stretches identified on 279 rivers in 30 states/Union territories of India according to the latest information available in the Polluted River Stretches report published by the Central Pollution Control Board in November 2022, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, minister of ztate for Jal Shakti told the Rajya Sabha on August 11, 2025.
The project for abatement of pollution in Pune’s Mula-Mutha river, under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) scheme, has been sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 990.26 crore on a cost-sharing basis between the Centre (85 per cent) and the state government/Pune Municipal Corporation (15 per cent), Choudhary told the Rajya Sabha.
The project includes the construction of 11 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with a total treatment capacity of 396 million litres per day (MLD), along with allied works. The scheduled date of completion is March 2026. So far, 58 per cent physical progress has been achieved, he added.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has authorised entities to develop city gas distribution or CGD networks in 307 Geographical Areas or Gas, covering the whole of mainland India (including tier 2 and tier 3 cities).
Authorised entities have to provide approximately 12.6 crore (126 million) PNG domestic [(PNG) (D)] connections and set up 18,336 CNG Stations by 2034, as per Minimum Work Programme or MWP targets.
The entities have provided more than 1.50 crore (15 million) PNG (D) connections and established more than 8,000 CNG Stations as on May 31, 2025, Suresh Gopi, minister of state in the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas told the Rajya Sabha.
The government is taking sustained measures towards exploring and identifying crude oil and hydrocarbon reserves in the Andaman-Nicobar (AN) basin so that they can contribute to the country’s long-term energy security and reduce import dependence.
Following the introduction of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy or HELP, the government has allocated four blocks for oil and gas exploration in the AN Basin, covering approximately 23,261 square kilometres (SKM).
Exploratory efforts have resulted in the acquisition of 8,501 line kilometres of 2-Dimentional (2D) seismic data and 3,270 SKM of 3D seismic data in these blocks and three wells have been drilled in these blocks so far. Furthermore, under Open Acreage Licensing Policy or OALP - X, four blocks with a total area of 47,058 sq km have been offered in the Andaman Basin, Gopi told the Rajya Sabha.
Ninety-five cities (of the 226 which have participated in the exercise) have prepared disaster management plans in 2023, according to Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 3.0 reporting data.
These include ward level hazard, risk, vulnerability and capacity assessments based on National Disaster Management Authority guidelines, Tokhan Sahu, minister of state in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs told the Rajya Sabha.
The government has adopted a ‘Whole of Government’ approach involving multiple ministries and departments for promoting conversion of organic waste [including Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)] into Biogas, Compressed Biogas (CBG), and organic manure.
The setting up of MSW-based CBG projects reduces landfill burden; curbs methane emissions; promotes scientific waste processing; lowers pollution levels and converts waste into clean energy and organic manure, thereby promoting circular economy, Gopi told the Rajya Sabha.
The Government of Tamil Nadu launched the Green Tamil Nadu Mission in 2021-22 with the objective of increasing the tree and forest cover from 23.71 per cent to 33 per cent of the state’s geographical area within 10 years.
The mission focuses on enhancing biodiversity, forest productivity, trees on farmlands, urban and peri-urban greenery, green employment, and farmers’ incomes.
Over the last three years (2022-23 to 2024-25), 10.86 crore (108.6 million) seedlings have been planted across the state by the Tamil Nadu forest department, other government departments, non-profits, and the public.
In Cuddalore district, about 54.25 lakh (5.425 million) seedlings have been planted through the involvement of various stakeholders, Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change told the Lok Sabha.