Policy Update
Angela Rajeev
Background
According to Hindu mythology, the Ganga is revered as a goddess who descends on earth from the great heavens. She was brought down to earth for the penance of King Bhaghirata. Ganga’s civilisational importance sits uneasily alongside an assessment of the river’s current material condition. The Ganga’s length is over 2,525 kilometres. More importantly, the river supports 43 per cent of India’s population (CAG, 2017). Unfortunately, decades of industrial, religious and agricultural waste have severely degraded its ecological health. This has prompted the Government of India to launch the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) in June 2014. Under the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Structured around five thematic pillars – Nirmal Ganga (for pollution abatement), Aviral Ganga (deals with ecological flow), Jan Ganga (deals with public engagement), Gyan Ganga (research) and Arth Ganga (economic linkage). Phase I was sanctioned with an outlay of ₹20000 crore. It ran until March 2021. The programme was subsequently extended to March 2026 under Phase II and received an additional outlay of ₹22500 crore. As Phase II approaches its formal closure in 2026 offers a natural juncture to assess whether over a decade of investment has delivered proportionate ecological and infrastructural outcomes. More importantly, the question lies in whether the gap between allocation and utilisation has been narrowed or widened.
Functioning
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) runs the Namame Ganges Programme by use of a ‘river-basin approach’. This entails the main stem of the river Ganga and its tributaries. The tributaries span over five states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Its work focuses on sewage treatment and river-front cleaning. Secondary tasks are monitoring industrial effluents, afforestation drives, and biodiversity conservation. Community outreach is handled largely through the Ganga Gram initiative (PRS Legislative Research, 2026).
The Namami Gange Programme has evolved through two broad phases ever since its launch in 2014. The first phase was often referred to as Mission-I and it ran from 2014 to 2021. It had a budgetary outlay of Rs 20.000 crore and it focused on building foundational infrastructure in the Ganga basin. This being: sewage treatment plants, river-front development, and initial pollution monitoring. As targets from this phase remained incomplete the government approved Mission-II.
This extended the programme from 2021 to 2026 with an additional outlay of Rs 22,500 crore. This second phase sought to consolidate and scale up earlier efforts. Moreover, it had a stronger emphasis on completing sewage treatment capacity, industrial effluent compliance, and ecological restoration. It laid a roadmap for working toward a December 2026 deadline for key infrastructure targets (PRS Legislative Research, 2026).
Performance
Recent data points to steady, if uneven, progress across the programme’s core verticals. Firstly, on the grounds of Sewage infrastructure, 76 sewerage projects with a combined treatment capacity of 3,200 MLD were completed in the last five years alone. 71 additional projects worth ₹12,641 crore are underway and targeting a further 2,210 MLD. Secondly, it has taken into account Industrial pollution abatement. The Mathura (6.25 MLD) and Jajmau (20 MLD) Common Effluent Treatment Plants have been completed. Another key improvement is in its Biodiversity and afforestation vertical. Seven biodiversity parks and five priority wetlands have been sanctioned across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. 33,024 hectares have been afforested for ₹414 crore.
This works hand in hand with its goal of Species conservation. Gangetic dolphin surveys across 8,507 km of 28 rivers recorded a national population of 6,324, with dolphins reported for the first time in previously unrecorded stretches which include the Babai and Bagmati rivers. India’s first Dolphin Rescue Ambulance was inaugurated in January 2026, and a citizen-led “Soons-Saathi” network of roughly 100 volunteers now supports rescue efforts. Finally, in terms of Fund flow itself, since its inception (June 2014–March 2026), NMCG has disbursed ₹21,340 crore, of which ₹16,026 crore (75%) has gone toward sewage treatment projects specifically (PRS Legislative Research, Demand for Grants Analysis).
However, PRS Legislative Research’s analysis complicates the picture. Of the ₹30,096 crore allocated to the scheme between 2014-15 and 2025-26, only ₹18,842 crore had actually been spent as of March 2025, which is about 63% utilisation, down from 69% the previous year (PRS Legislative Research, Demand for Grants Analysis). This points to a growing concern around underutilisation of funds.
Figure 1: Chart depicting underutilisation of Namami Gange budget allocation (Source: Demand for Grants 2026–27 Analysis: Jal Shakti.)
Impact
Water quality data shows genuine improvement, yet its distribution remains geographically uneven. The CPCB’s 2025 Polluted River Stretch (PRS) assessment shows how Uttarakhand’s Haridwar–Sultanpur stretch has been removed from the polluted list (down from Priority IV in 2018). West Bengal’s Triveni–Diamond Harbour stretch has improved. Uttar Pradesh shows partial improvement. Conversely, Bihar shows barely marginal gains. PH/dissolved oxygen levels now meet bathing-water norms at all monitored locations. Faecal coliform levels have fallen substantially at several ghats.
Sewage treatment capacity has expanded roughly 30-fold since 2014. It has risen from approximately 115 MLD before the programme to 3446 MLD under Namami Gange. This comparison refers to capacity created under the programme relative to the pre-2014 baseline. Biomonitoring across 50 Ganga locations and 26 Yamuna locations in 2024-25 found biological water quality predominantly in the “Good” to “Moderate” range. The programme’s basin-based & multi-pillar model has drawn international recognition. This includes designation as one of the UN’s Top 10 World Restoration Flagships (2022).
However, capacity on paper does not necessitate capacity in practice. According to a Comptroller and Auditor General Audit in Uttarakhand, the audit report showed that more than 1/3rd of sewage treatment plants were discharging sewage directly into the Ganga – despite substantial funding towards the Namame Gange Programme (Comptroller and Auditor General of India [CAG], 2025).
Emerging Issues
Persistent underutilisation of funds – According to PIB report (2025-26), utilisation is hovering near 63% financial absorption even after the TSA reform intended to fix exactly this problem. This naturally remains an important factor that will prove to be a hurdle to any future progress.
Industrial non-compliance – CPCB data has identified over 450 industries in the Ganga basin that continue to violate pollution norms. Thereby undermining gains made through public sewage infrastructure (The New Indian Express, 2025).
Sewage capacity shortfall – At roughly half of the targeted treatment capacity, the core “Nirmal Ganga” pillar risks missing its own December 2026 deadline. Uttarakhand hadn’t built any sewage infrastructure in 16 Ganga-front towns using its own resources, and that leaves the state almost entirely dependent on central funding (Comptroller and Auditor General of India [CAG], 2025).
Fragile ecological gains – Gharial assessments across 22 rivers recorded 3,037 individuals. Habitat modelling found only 5.6% of surveyed habitat “highly suitable”. This indicates species recovery remains vulnerable to future flow and habitat disruption despite headline population numbers looking positive.
Diversified but shallow funding base – The Clean Ganga Fund, which was designed to mobilise NRI and corporate contributions, is still drawing half its funds from public sector undertakings rather than private or diaspora sources. Naturally, this serves as a structural funding-diversity gap, which was also flagged by the Public Accounts Committee (National Mission for Clean Ganga [NMCG], 2022)
Figure 2: Table Depicting how Contributions to Clean Ganga Fund indicate majority funding IS reliant on PSUs (Source: Clean Ganga Fund)
Way Forward
As Phase II concludes in March 2026, the programme’s central challenge is no longer conceptual design. The five-pillar basin-based model has proved scope for ecological recovery. Presently, three priorities stand out:
Firstly, close the utilisation gap by identifying and resolving state-level bottlenecks in project approval and disbursal and not relying solely on system-level fixes like TSA. The next phase should also establish state-wise utilisation benchmarks, publish project-level spending dashboards, and link the release of subsequent instalments to verified progress and timely submission of utilisation certificates.
Secondly, strengthen industrial enforcement, potentially through stricter penalties or public disclosure mechanisms for non-compliant industries identified by CPCB. A publicly accessible industry-wise compliance register could improve accountability, while pollution-control boards should be given clear deadlines for issuing closure directions.
Finally, to define a clear Phase III framework before the current mandate lapses and with explicit & time-bound targets for closing the sewage treatment gap. Thereby achieving a diversified, less PSU-dependent funding model for the Clean Ganga Fund.
Ultimately, sustaining the ecological momentum with visible numbers in rising dolphin counts, improving water quality and getting global recognition will obviously depend on whether the government can convert sanctioned funds into completed infrastructure at a materially faster rate than it has managed over the past decade.
References
Central Pollution Control Board. (2025). Polluted river stretches (PRS) report. https://cpcb.gov.in/openpdffile.php?id=UmVwb3J0RmlsZXMvMTc3N18xNzYwNjgxNDA4X21lZGlhcGhvdG80MzkyLnBkZg%3D%3D
Comptroller and Auditor General of India. (2017). Performance audit on the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (Report No. 39 of 2017). https://cag.gov.in/uploads/download_audit_report/2017/Chapter_1_Introduction_of_Report_No.39_of_2017_-Performance_Audit_on_Ministry_of_Water_Resources,_River_Development%26_Ganga_Rejuvenation_Union_Government.pdf
Ministry of Jal Shakti. (2026, March 23). Status of Namami Gange programme. Press Information Bureau. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2244007®=3&lang=2
National Mission for Clean Ganga. (2022). Clean Ganga Fund. https://nmcg.nic.in/CleanGangaFund/AboutCGF.html
National Mission for Clean Ganga. (n.d.). Namami Gange programme overview. Retrieved August 15, 2026, from https://nmcg.nic.in
PRS Legislative Research. (2026, February 3). Demand for grants 2026–27 analysis: Jal Shakti. https://prsindia.org/budgets/parliament/demand-for-grants-2026-27-analysis-jal-shakti
The New Indian Express. (2025, February 25). Think tank flags slow progress in ‘Namami Gange’ project, only 69% of funds used. https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2025/Feb/25/think-tank-flags-slow-progress-in-namami-gange-project-only-69-of-funds-used
Wildlife Institute of India. (2026). Gangetic dolphin and gharial population assessments. Press Information Bureau. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2244007®=1&lang=1
Comptroller and Auditor General of India. (2025). Report on the implementation of the Namami Gange Programme by Uttarakhand (Report No. 2 of 2025). Government of Uttarakhand. https://cag.gov.in/webroot/uploads/download_audit_report/2025/Report-No.-2-of-2025_Namami-Gange_UK_English-(04-07-2025)-069b020170bd314.74984302.pdf
About the Contributor
Angela Rajeev is a graduate in Political Science and History, with a minor in Economics, from Christ University, Bangalore. She approaches her research with a passion for gender, public policy, and geopolitics. As a Research and Editorial Intern at IMPRI, she works at the intersection of policy and culture while exploring issues related to governance, society and international relations.
Acknowledgements
The author extends sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team for their guidance and support along with the reviewers Ms. Sandra Menon and Ms. Pallavi for their valuable feedback and insights.
Disclaimer
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organization
Read more at IMPRI
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): Strengthening India’s Response to Cyber Fraud
