The River Ganga Authorities Order, 2016:
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) amended the 2016 Ganga Authorities Order, removing the blanket construction-free zone tag on the Ganga flood plain.
- The River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 is a statutory order issued under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- It grants statutory backing and mission status to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and creates a multi-tiered institutional framework for restoring the river.
- Aim is to ensure the effective abatement of pollution, maintain ecological flows (Aviral Dhara), and protect the ecological integrity (Nirmal Dhara) of the Ganga river basin using a unified, multi-state, and inter-sectoral approach.
Key Features of the 2016 Order:
- National Ganga Council: Created an apex authority chaired by the Prime Minister (replacing the NGRBA) to provide overall direction and superintendence over Ganga basin rejuvenation.
- Empowered Task Force: Established a task force chaired by the Union Water Resources Minister to coordinate specific action plans, milestones, and timelines across ministries and state governments.
- Statutory Status for NMCG: Declared the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) as a statutory authority empowered to issue binding directions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- Decentralized Multi-Tier Governance: Set up State Ganga Committees and District Ganga Protection Committees across basin states to monitor local pollution threats and execute grassroots projects.
- Ecological Flows &Environmental Standards: Mandated maintaining minimum continuous ecological flows throughout the length of the river to facilitate natural self-rejuvenation.
- Original Flood Plain Prohibitions: Explicitly designated the banks and flood plains (defined by 100-year flood frequencies) as a construction-free zone to prevent pollution and protect groundwater recharge functions.
