The river that gave a civilisation its name is getting cleaner. Slowly, methodically, and in ways that don’t make for dramatic headlines — but the numbers from India’s flagship Ganga rejuvenation programme are beginning to tell a genuine story of progress. The Namami Gange Programme has now sanctioned 524 projects worth ₹43,031 crore and seen 363 of them completed — a 69 percent completion rate. Within that number, the sewage treatment infrastructure being built is what will ultimately determine whether the Ganga’s recovery is permanent.
The sewage challenge is vast — and being addressed
Rivers don’t primarily get dirty from industrial discharge. They get dirty from the cities built beside them. Untreated sewage is the single largest source of pollution in most Indian rivers, and the Ganga is no exception. Under Namami Gange, 218 sewerage projects have been sanctioned, with a combined treatment capacity of 6,610 million litres per day (MLD) and a sewer network of 5,233 kilometres. Of these, 145 projects are already complete, having created or rehabilitated 4,263 MLD of treatment capacity and over 4,600 kilometres of sewer network. In FY 2025-26 alone, the programme added 538 MLD of new sewage treatment capacity.
Two projects reviewed at the July 2 task force meeting illustrate the programme’s focus. The 100 MLD Dhandhupura Sewage Treatment Plant at Agra — which will significantly reduce untreated wastewater entering the Yamuna — has begun trial testing. And the 55 MLD Bhagwanpura STP at Varanasi, recently commissioned and incorporating a 750 kW solar power plant, shows how the programme is making sewage treatment infrastructure energy-efficient from the ground up.
Nature-based solutions, not just pipes
The meeting also reviewed constructed wetland systems — engineered ecosystems that use natural plant and microbial processes to clean wastewater before it reaches the river. Delhi’s Shastri Park and Kailash Nagar drains are being treated with in-situ constructed wetlands. This approach is cheaper to operate than conventional STPs and creates green infrastructure within the city simultaneously.
The sign that matters most: dolphins are coming back
Water conservation at this scale produces measurable outcomes. At Assi Ghat in Varanasi, fecal coliform values dropped from 2,500 MPN/100mL in 2014 to 790 MPN/100mL in 2025. At Gandhi Ghat in Patna, the fall was from 5,400 to 2,200 MPN/100mL. Most telling of all: Gangetic dolphin populations — one of the most sensitive indicators of river health — have risen to 6,327. Dolphins don’t respond to press releases; they respond to actual water conditions.
India is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, with per capita freshwater availability declining for decades. The Ganga and its tributaries serve hundreds of millions of people. The programme’s ₹21,550 crore expenditure to date represents a serious national commitment. It is also a test case for whether large-scale, long-horizon sustainable development interventions in India’s complex federal structure can actually work. The evidence, building slowly over twelve years, suggests they can — when implementation is sustained, monitored, and accountable. Rivers don’t heal quickly. But they heal.
Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India (PRID 2280512)