National Ganga River Basin Authority


National Ganga River Basin Authority is a financing, planning, implementing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganges River, functioning under the water resource ministry of India. The mission of the organisation is to safeguard the drainage basin which feeds water into the Ganges by protecting it from pollution or overuse. In July 2014, the NGRBA has been transferred from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, formerly Ministry of Water Resources.
Union government in a notification issued on 20 September 2016 has taken decision under River Ganga Authorities Order 2016 for a new body named "National Council for River Ganga " NCRG to replace existing NGRBA. The new body will act as an authority replacing the existing National Ganga River Basin Authority for overall responsibility for superintendence of pollution prevention and rejuvenation of river Ganga Basin.

Establishment

It was established by the Central Government of India, on 20 February 2009 under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, which also declared Ganges as the "National River" of India.

Overview

The Prime Minister is the chair of the Authority. Other members include the cabinet ministers of ministries that include the Ganges among their direct concerns and the chief ministers of states through which the Ganges River flows. The Chief Ministers as members are from the states through which Ganges flow viz. Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, among others.
The first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority was held on 5 October 2009.
In the 2010 Union budget of India, the allocation for National Ganga River Basin Authority doubled to 500 crore.

Members of the NGRBA

There are total of 23 members of the NGRBA. 14 out of 23 come from the government sectors whereas the remaining 9 come from the NGO sector.

Government members of the Committee

Members belonging to the government sector are as follows:
  1. Prime Minister of India, chair
  2. Minister of Environment and Forests
  3. Minister of Finance
  4. Minister of Urban Development
  5. Minister of Water Resources
  6. Minister of Power
  7. Minister of Sciences and Technology
  8. Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
  9. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
  10. Chief Minister of Bihar
  11. Chief Minister of Jharkhand
  12. Chief Minister of West Bengal
  13. Ministry of Environment and Forests
  14. Ministry of Environment and Forests, secretary

    Expert members of the committee

Members belonging to the NGO sector are as follows: