UPSC Prelims 2016 Question:

Which of the following are the key features of ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)?

1. River basin is the unit of planning and management. 
2. It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level. 
3. One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on rotation basis.
   
   

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Explanation :

• ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)’ was set up in 2009 with the objectives of ensuring conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach for comprehensive planning and management; and maintaining environmental flows (E-flow) in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality. So, statement 1 is correct.
  
  
• NGRBA spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level. It is chaired by the Prime Minister and has as its members the Union Ministers concerned, the Chief Ministers of the States through which Ganga flows, viz., Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. So, statement 2 is correct.
  
  
• At state level, The NGRBA is supported by the state level State Ganga River Conservation Authorities (SGRCAs) in five Ganga basin States which are chaired by the Chief Ministers of the respective States. So, statement 3 is not correct.
  
  

Therefore, option (1) is the correct answer.

Relevance: In 2014, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is an Integrated Conservation Mission introduced by the Union Government to conserve the river Ganga.

Subject: Environment | Environmental Acts and Policies