A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has flagged gaps in sewage management under the Namami Gange programme in Uttarakhand, including untreated sewage entering rivers and inadequate household connections to sewer networks. The audit found that total coliform levels in the Ganga increased 32-fold between Devprayag and Haridwar over a stretch of around 93 kilometres, according to data up to October 2023.
The audit covered the period from 2018 to 2023 and highlighted shortcomings in the operation and use of sewage treatment plants (STPs). Of 37 STPs examined, 12 were discharging untreated sewage into the Ganga and its tributaries. In seven towns, 21 STPs had not received any domestic sewer connections, limiting their actual use.
The report also found that treatment capacity at several plants was inadequate. Ineffective tapping of drains allowed sewage to flow directly into rivers. Some STPs were also not operating in accordance with National Green Tribunal (NGT) standards.
Low household connections limit sewage treatment
The audit highlighted gaps in household connections to sewer networks in several towns. In Srinagar, only 797 of 6,523 households, or 12.22%, were connected. In Chamoli-Gopeshwar, 354 of 5,510 households, or 6.42%, had sewer connections. In Gyanसू, Uttarkashi, 572 of 6,089 households, or 9.39%, were connected.
The Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan had also refused to take over the Srinagar STP, citing deficiencies.
In Haridwar, 47,728 of 68,802 households, or 69.37%, were connected to the sewer network. In Rishikesh, Tapovan and Muni Ki Reti combined, only 9,966 of 34,756 households, or 28.67%, had sewer connections.
The CAG report emphasised that constructing STPs alone would not be sufficient without connecting households to the sewer network.
Ganga pollution rises along 93-km stretch
A comparison of water quality data over a decade at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar and Devprayag showed a 32-fold increase in total coliform levels between the two locations by October 2023. The report identified the discharge of untreated sewage as a key factor contributing to the rise.
The audit also noted that district Ganga committees in Srinagar, Uttarkashi, Tehri, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Dehradun and Haridwar had not prepared river basin management plans.
The state government spent ₹55.08 crore on sewage development, while no funds were spent on expanding sewerage arrangements in Ganga-front towns, according to the report.
Senior chemist and former OSD of the Sparsh Ganga campaign, Prof. P.P. Badoni, said bacteriophage levels from Dharasu to Gangotri were recorded at 1,100%, which he described as helping make water safe. He also suggested that sewage from hotels and restaurants could contribute to coliform levels between Devprayag and Rishikesh.
The audit findings underline the need to improve sewage treatment, expand household connections and prevent untreated wastewater from entering the Ganga and its tributaries.
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