Namami Gange sewage infrastructure non-functional despite funding, says Samajwadi Party

The Samajwadi Party (SP) connected Sunday (January 4, 2026) alleged that the Namami Gange Mission suffers from a halfway infrastructure gap, with astir 45% of the targeted sewage attraction infrastructure remaining uninstalled oregon non-functional contempt implicit a decennary of implementation and important funding.

“Namami Gange’s halfway people is 7,000 cardinal litres per time (MLD) sewage attraction capableness by December 2026 to halt untreated sewage from entering the Ganga. As per the Ministry of Jal Shakti via the PIB, arsenic of October 2025, 138 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) supply lone 3,806 MLD operational capacity, portion the Ministry’s ain June 2025 information contradicts this claim, stating 167 STPs astatine 3,781 MLD. However, this inactive leaves a persistent 3,194 MLD gap, equivalent to the full wastewater capableness of cities similar Kolkata oregon Chennai, meaning implicit 45% of required attraction infrastructure remains non-functional contempt 10-plus years and monolithic funding,” Ram Pratap Singh, SP spokesperson, said.

Mr. Singh added that successful cities specified arsenic Kanpur, Varanasi and Prayagraj, discarded continues to overwhelm the government’s flagship project, with contamination levels rising. “Kanpur represents concern contamination failure. The city’s Bingawan STP has a confirmed capableness of 210 MLD designed for some municipal sewage and tannery co-treatment, yet Central Pollution Control Board reports consistently database it arsenic non-compliant for BOD,” helium said. Wastewater attraction plants usage biochemical oxygen request arsenic an scale to measure the grade of integrated contamination successful a h2o source.

Another SP spokesperson, Nasser Salim, cited information to authorities that Varanasi generates 300 to 400 MLD of sewage daily. The metropolis has the Dinapur STP with a capableness of 140 MLD and the Goitha STP with 120 MLD, on with older plants totalling astir 362 MLD, but inactive faces shortfalls during highest loads. Mr. Salim alleged that “Namami Gange sanctioned 203 STP projects targeting 6,255 MLD home sewage treatment; lone 127 person been completed, delivering 3,446 MLD (55% carnal completion)”.

The Namami Gange Programme is the Centre’s flagship inaugural launched successful 2014 to clean, conserve and rejuvenate the Ganga, focusing connected contamination abatement done sewage attraction and concern monitoring, on with stream rejuvenation.