Cases / Water use · India · date not stated
CAG audit finds 12 of 44 Ganga sewage plants discharge untreated water
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
India's Comptroller and Auditor General found 12 of 44 sewage treatment plants on the Ganga discharged untreated water. The river's water quality is the nature at stake.
What?
The CAG found 12 of 44 sewage treatment plants on the Ganga discharging untreated water. Down To Earth
Where?
The Ganga river, India; the plants are on its bank. Down To Earth
When?
Audit reported in 2025; the Namami Gange records cover 2017 to 2026. Down To Earth
Who?
Gained
- Namami Gange annuity contractors — Annuity payments over 15 years under the hybrid model PRS India
Lost
None on recordHarmed
- The Ganga river — Untreated sewage discharged from 12 plants Down To Earth
Why?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
The plants discharge water without treatment; the sources reviewed do not state why. Down To Earth
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India found that 12 of 44 sewage treatment plants on the Ganga discharged untreated water, according to Down To Earth.
The Namami Gange programme's hybrid annuity model pays 60% of capital over 15 years, PRS India reports.
PRS India reports that the CAG found delays in 26 of 46 Namami Gange schemes in 2017.
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- None on record The sources reviewed do not say how much untreated sewage reaches the river or the volume discharged by each plant.
- None on record The sources reviewed do not name the 44 plants.
- None on record No penalty for the untreated discharge is recorded in the sources reviewed.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society— Researchers
Press and investigations
- 12 of 44 sewage plants discharge untreated water (CAG audit, summary)Down To Earth · 2025
Communities and civil society
- Audit: Namami Gange (summary)PRS India · 2017–2026
Connected cases
Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
- CAG found delays in 26 of 46 Namami Gange schemes in 2017 India · 2017–2026
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Public authority) — here: audit body that found the untreated discharge; there: Auditor that found delays and untreated discharges
- Namami Gange programme (Government programme) — here: programme whose hybrid annuity model pays contractors; there: Government programme that pays the annuities
- Great Nicobar project compensatory afforestation (India) India · 2023–2025
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Public authority) — here: audit body that found the untreated discharge; there: Auditor that reported on the compensatory afforestation fund
- India CAMPA compensatory afforestation fund India · 2006–2025
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Public authority) — here: audit body that found the untreated discharge; there: Auditor: found misuse in Uttarakhand; 2013 audit of planting