Details of State/ UT wise average daily hours of supply in the country, as reported by the States, is placed at Annexure.

Government of India launched schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) etc., to support States in achieving the objective of providing uninterrupted power supply to all households. Projects worth Rs. 1.85lakh crore were executed for strengthening the distribution system across States which includes works like new/upgradation of substations, new/ upgradation of HT & LT lines, agricultural feeder segregation, Aerial Bunched Cable and underground cabling etc. A total of 18,374 villages were electrified under DDUGJY and 2.86 crore households were electrified during SAUBHAGYA.

Further, Government of India launched Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) with the objective of improving the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers through a financially sustainable and operationally efficient Distribution Sector. The Scheme has an outlay of Rs. 3,03,758 crore with a Gross Budgetary Support of Rs. 97,631 crore from Government of India over a period of five years from 2021-22 to FY 2025-26.  Projects worth Rs. 2.62 lakh crore for distribution infrastructure works and smart metering works have been sanctioned under the scheme.

In addition to above, Government has taken following initiatives to achieve uninterrupted power supply across the country:

(i). 2,14,237 MW of generation capacity were added in the last ten years. Generation capacity increased by 79.5% from 2,48,554 MW in March 2014 to 4,46,190 MW in June, 2024.

(ii). 1,95,181 ckt kilometre of transmission lines were added since April, 2014 connecting the whole country into one grid running on one frequency. This has enabled to transfer 1,18,740 MW from one corner of the country to another.

(iii). Generation Capacity addition (under construction and identified) by 2032 as given below:

a) Thermal capacity of minimum 80,000 MW by 2032.

b) Hydro capacity of 25,010 MW by 2032.

c) Nuclear capacity of 14,300 MW by 2032.

d) Pump Storage Plants (PSP) capacity of 50,760 MW by 2032.

e) Small Hydro Capacity of 510 MW by 2032.

f) Solar Power Capacity of 1,43,980MW by 2032.

g) Wind Power Capacity of 23,340 MW by 2032.

Thus, total anticipated capacity addition by 2032 will be 3,37,900 MW.

As per Rule (10) of the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, the distribution licensee shall supply 24×7 power to all consumers. However, the Commission may specify lower hours of supply for some categories of consumers like agriculture. The Rules are universally applicable in the country.

As per Annual Report submitted by 36 States/UTs for the year 2021 – 2022, under Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, to Central Pollution Control Board, the total municipal solid waste generated in the country  was 1,70,339 TPD, of which 1,56, 449 TPD, was collected and 91,511 TPD was processed / treated and 41,455 TPD was landfilled.

As per Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), municipal solid waste to the tune of 6400 TPD is generated within BMC limits, out of which 5800 TPD is processed and disposed at Kanjurmarg Integrated  Waste Management Facility through Bio-reactor and composting technology and about 600 TPD is disposed of in Deonar Dumping Ground. Further, various steps are taken by BMC at dumping grounds, which inter alia include covering of municipal solid waste with soil cover, regular fogging for pest control, regular ambient air quality monitoring, in order to have minimal effect of municipal solid waste disposal on environment and public health. As per BMC, at present, there is no rise in diseases around dumping grounds.

As per BMC, Waste to Energy Project of 600 TPD capacity for scientific disposal of municipal solid waste and generation of electric power has been undertaken. The project has received fund under the 15^th Finance Commission – Grant for Solid Waste Management. As per timeline, the commissioning date is October 2025. About 7 MW electricity is estimated to be generated from the project in Mumbai and the capital cost of the project is about Rs. 504 Crores.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The Government of India (GoI) launched the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) in 2014-15 for the rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries with a budgetary outlay of ₹ 20,000 crore, for five years, up to March 2021 and has been further extended to March 2026 with a budgetary outlay of ₹ 22,500 crore. Under the programme, a diverse and holistic set of interventions for cleaning and rejuvenation of river Ganga have been taken up, that includes wastewater treatment, solid waste management, riverfront management (ghats and crematoria), ensuring e- flow, rural sanitation, afforestation, biodiversity conservation, public participation, etc.

Till June 2024, a total of 467 projects have been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 39,080.70 Crore, out of which 292 projects have already been completed and made operational. Out of the total sanctioned projects, 200 sewerage infrastructure projects have been taken up with a cost of ₹ 32,071 crore for creation & rehabilitation of 6,217 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity and laying of around 5,282 km sewerage network. Among these, 120 sewerage projects have been completed and made operational, resulting in the creation & rehabilitation of 3,242 MLD of STP capacity and the laying of 4,528 km sewerage network.

The other steps and projects taken by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under NGP to make the Ganga and its tributaries pollution-free with sustainable cleanliness are as follows:

1. Under the Namami Gange Programme, sewage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned with a 5 year to 15 year terms of operation and maintenance contract condition to ensure long-term sustainable operations and maintenance to meet the prescribed water quality norms.
2. For industrial pollution abatement, 5 nos. of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) have been sanctioned, i.e., Jajmau CETP (20 MLD), Banther CETP (4.5 MLD), Unnao CETP (2.65 MLD), Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD) and Gorakhpur CETP (7.5 MLD). Two projects, Mathura CETP (6.25 MLD) and Jajmau CETP (20 MLD), have been completed;
3. Annual inspection of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) operating in Ganga main-stem States and its tributaries have been undertaken since 2017. These efforts have resulted in reduction in BOD load from 26 tonnes per day (TPD) in 2017 to 13.73 TPD in 2022, and about 28.6 % reduction in effluent discharge from 349 MLD in 2017 to 249.31 MLD in 2022;
4. At NMCG, an on-line dashboard “PRAYAG” has been operationalized for continuous monitoring of river water quality; the performance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs); etc. on the Ganga and Yamuna River;
5. A total nos. of 139 District Ganga Committees (DGC) have been constituted, which conducts 4M (Monthly, Mandated, Minuted, and Monitored) meetings regularly. As of June, 2024, more than 3,032 meetings have been conducted;
6. In coordination with the selected DGCs, District Ganga Plans for 4 districts in Ramganga Basin, i.e., Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand; & Shahjahanpur, Moradabad and Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, have been prepared to foster decentralized planning and better participation of people in river basin management;
7. For the conservation of wetlands, 4 projects have been sanctioned in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar & Jharkhand at a cost of ₹12.53 crore;
8. NMCG, through the State Forest Department, has implemented a forestry intervention project along the main stem of river Ganga. 31,494 hectares area have been afforested with an expenditure of about ₹ 347 crore;
9. A total of 105 lakhs of Indian Major Carp (IMC) fingerlings have been ranched in the Ganga since 2017 to conserve fish biodiversity and prey base for river Dolphins, and ensure the livelihood of fishers in the Ganga basin under the special project implemented by Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI);
10. Science-based species restoration programme, rescue, and rehabilitation programme for aquatic species like Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and Ghariyal in collaboration with Wild Life Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and State Forest Department, have shown marked improvements in biodiversity with increased sightings of Dolphins, Otters, Hilsa, Turtles, and other riverine species;
11. Ganga Task Force (GTF) was raised in the state of Uttar Pradesh to assist NMCG in carrying out its mandated tasks, such as (a) Plantation of trees to check soil erosion; (b) Management of Public Awareness / Participation campaigns; (c) Patrolling of Sensitive Rivers Areas for Biodiversity protection; (d) Patrolling of Ghats, etc.
12. A cadre of Ganga Doots (45,000 nos.), Ganga Praharis (2,900 nos.) and Ganga Mitra (700 nos.) are involved in public participatory activities;
13. Construction of independent household toilets in 4,507 identified villages in the five River Ganga states has been completed. All these Ganga bank villages have now been declared open defecation-free (ODF). Further till date, 3,679 no’s of Ganga villages have been declared ODF sustainability (ODF Plus).
14. Comprehensive public awareness campaigns have undertaken to instill a sense of responsibility and engagement among the public in efforts to clean and conserve the Ganga River. These include – Ganga Utsav, Nadi Utsav, regular cleanathons and plantation drives, Ghat Par Yoga, Ganga Aartis, etc. The efforts are also supported by dedicated cadres of Ganga saviours, such as Ganga Praharis, Ganga Vichar Manch, Ganga Doots, etc.

This was informed by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI, SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.