Power grids collapse: Five reforms that the sector urgently needs

A second consecutive day of Northern grid failure, coupled with the collapse of Eastern and North-Estern grids has brought in stark light, the need for reforms in India's power sector.

In what is being called as the biggest ever power failure in India, half of of the country was without electricity supply on Tuesday afternoon.

This affected hundreds of trains and lakhs of households and establishments as the grid that connects generating stations with customers collapsed for the second time in two days, highlighting the precarious state of the power sector in the country. The failure has raised concerns about the power sector.

Here is a look at five reforms that the power sector urgently needs.

1) Fuel. Scrap coal nationalisation, till that happens, allow all those holding coal mines to produce as much coal as they can, the incentive being permission to sell at the best price possible. Tax away supernormal profits.

2) Mandate regulators to allow pass-through of fuel costs and state grids to permit open-access. At least those who can afford to buy power at the market price will not be starved of power.

3) Stamp out power theft and subsidised power. No industry can survive if close to 40% of what it produces is not paid for, for some reason or the other. All subsidies should be transferred as income support, leaving the market for power functional.

4) Deploy information technology in the grid. Smart grids can them be programmed to maintain grid discipline - cut off states drawing excess power and generators supplying excess power. Shift discipline from compliance by humans to algorithms determined by policy.

5) Invest massively in generation, transmission and distribution, so as to meet latent demand in rural areas. This will trigger structural diversification in the rural economy, create new incomes and boost overall economic growth

World's best 10 Airports - Asia dominates

Incheon Airport added two movie theaters, an ice rink and the world’s first airport Louis Vuitton store during the 2011.

Korea’s Incheon International Airport has maintained its streak with a seventh consecutive win in the annual Airport Service Quality Awards from Airports Council International (ACI).
Incheon Airport took the title of “Best Airport Worldwide” of 2011 by ACI on February 14, 2012, for the seventh year in a row.
Singapore’s Changi Airport came in second and Beijing Capital International Airport took third in a top five that was filled entirely by Asian airports.
“For Incheon International Airport to dominate in this category for seven consecutive years is testament to the degree to which customer service is intrinsically linked to their business strategy,” said Angela Gittens, the World Director of Airports Council International (ACI).
ACI — a non-profit organization based in Montreal — consists of 580 members operating 1,650 airports in 179 countries and territories, and is the only global trade representative of airports.
The ACI rankings are considered some of the most prestigious accolades in the industry, along with the World Airport Awards given by Skytrax, a United Kingdom-based consultancy.
Hong Kong International Airport took the SKYTRAX top prize for 2011, while Singapore’s Changi Airport and Incheon International Airport came in second and third.
The ACI’s yearly review is based on passenger satisfaction surveys.
‘I have been hugely impressed by Incheon International Airport ever since I first came to Korea,” said frequent traveler Paul Tonks, who recently traveled to the United Kingdom via Incheon. “As someone who grew up a few miles from Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest, I think that the experience of using Incheon is superbly efficient and comfortable.”
According to the ACI’s 2011 review, Guayaquil (2-5 million passengers), Nagoya (5-15 million passengers), Seoul Gimpo (15-25 million passengers) and Singapore (more than 40 million passengers) were the top performers in their respective categories for Best Airport by Size.
Chongqing, Dubai, East London, Guayaquil, Montreal and Palma de Mallorca took top honors for Best Improvement in their respective regions.
List of Best 10 Airports in the World
10. Auckland Airport, Auckland, New Zealand


Should a first-place Skytrax World Airport Award for the Australia/Pacific region be much reason to gloat when there is not much competition?
When this accolade could likely be extended to most of the Southern Hemisphere — the answer is yes. Like its rugby team, New Zealand’s mysterious capacity to outperform much bigger places applies to its flagship aviation facility too.
Auckland’s latest renovation has breathed welcome new life into its international terminal, which offers a swift E-gate system and an award-winning commercial property overhaul that includes several new dining options and A-list retailers, including Apple and MAC cosmetics.
Then there’s the “Kiwi geniality factor,” which in an airport that now supports over 20 international carriers, is more than just about free Steinlager beer on long haul Air New Zealand flights.
“When we asked airport staff for directions here,” notes one passenger, “we were actually walked to the location in question.”
9. Montevideo Carrasco, Montevideo, Uruguay


Finding contentment in virtually any airport in the Americas usually depends mainly on the book and/or beverage in your hand. One of the few exceptions to this rule is now hiding in Uruguay, which garners the kind of air passenger enthusiasm that Buenos Aires, Belize City or Baltimore can’t even fathom.
“This airport is breathtakingly beautiful, spotless clean, and efficient,” writes one recent passenger at airline and airport review site, airlinequality.com.
“Attractive architecture, spacious, clean, lots of light. Smooth check-in, security control and immigration,” gushes another. “Try the small coffee shop next to Gate 8 with an outdoor terrace!”
People passing through Montevideo are digging its airport’s sleek, glassy, curvaceous US$165 million makeover which was completed a couple of years ago and will surely score a cameo in “Up in the Air 2.”
In a building this bright and shiny, even things that might bum passengers out in regular airports (What, no fast food court?) just make this one seem even more sophisticated.
Amenities include a full-service restaurant and third-floor observation deck with long, sunny views that thankfully don’t reach Sao Paolo-Garulhos even on a clear day.
8. Victoria International, Victoria, Canada


Canada’s favorite little regional airport has earned its stripes on a reputation for ease, efficiency and friendliness, along with some value-added quirks that no other airport in the world would ever bother to think about.
Like, for example, hosting a special “chocolatier” exhibit or unveiling a 2.5-kilometer bike path around the perimeter.
Tucked in a scenic peninsula on Vancouver Island about 20 minutes from mercilessly pleasant downtown Victoria and a picturesque ferry ride from mainland British Columbia, Victoria “International” (the moniker derives from connections to SeaTac and San Francisco) handles well over a million annual domestic and U.S. passengers.
That’s a lot for a terminal with nine little gates, three luggage carousels and a cozy glassy atrium. But it doesn’t feel like it. “I was out within 10 minutes of the plane touching down,” says one recent passenger.
Bottom line: this is the way everyone envisions entering Canada, and almost never does.
7. Zurich Airport, Zurich, Switzerland


OK, so maybe not everyone loves Switzerland’s largest airport when they’re getting squeezed onto the Skymetro to Terminal E, grilled by a hair-splitting security officer, or paying through the teeth for a puny sandwich.
But it’s a speedy train ride, security’s just doing its job and you could eat your lunch off the floor here.
Zurich continues to offer the sort of spotless, well-run, no-nonsense flying experience that passengers realize they love when they’re having a much worse time at another airport.
Recent expansion projects, renovations and increasing crowds may have hampered the facility’s cuckoo-clock efficiency rep of late, but projects here — like new terminals, observation decks, a children’s airport-themed play area — actually get done.
From the airport, there are few better train systems connecting passengers to the rest of Europe.
And few other airports are routinely decorated with as many consumer-oriented awards as Zurich, which placed first in this year’s World Travel Awards, first in Europe (second in the world) in last year’s Business Traveller Awards and third in Europe in the 2010 Consumer Awards.
6. Tampa International, Tampa, United States


Never mind aviational blights like LAX or MIA that live down to their acronyms; it’s a shame those sturdier major U.S. hubs don’t get more respect. Atlanta-Hartsfield, Chicago-O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth.
These behemoths decently convey some of the largest, hardest-to-please throngs of air travelers on earth, who rag on them constantly.
Mid-sized American airports tend to fare better — in random places like Portland, Oregon, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hartford, Connecticut and (all kidding aside) Detroit — which get some due appreciation in the public eye.
The open-air walkways at Honolulu and Maui also earn raves — though, given their location and high percentage of travelers coming specifically to brighten their moods, any Hawaiian airport has a bit of an unfair advantage.
But Tampa, home of the first Landside/Airside Terminal Complex structure, a frequent Global Airport Efficiency Award winner, and recipient of a Second Best Airport in the World in an aging J.D. Powers & Assoc. customer satisfaction survey, takes the lion’s share of shout-outs.
Travelers through Tampa continue to wax on about its efficient, tram-connected wheel-spoked design that ends all running to distant gates (Denver, are you listening?), its affable Floridian staff that aren’t like those tired, moody cadavers in Orlando, its tasteful galleria of stores, boutiques and restaurants that wouldn’t dare deprive waiting passengers of a Ron Jon Surf Shop.
The only frequent beef here is that no major airline has elected to make this place its hub. But if Tampa is smart, it won’t be going there any time soon.
5. Ushuaia-Malvinas Argentinas International, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina


The world is dotted with cruddy, old air terminals plunked in the middle of nowhere, seducing passengers with their wild natural surroundings, hair-raising 50-meter runways and pimply teenage luggage crews.
But the modern, chalet-ish facility nestled on the outskirts of Ushaia between the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel on the bottom of the civilized world (aka “the world’s southernmost international airport in the world’s southernmost town”) is an inspired-looking, 747-friendly place.
All slick gable roof and broad timber-beamed interior, you’d half-expect to find a ski boot rental counter in the basement.
There isn’t one. But the lounge is quite nice, the bar is open, the Wi-Fi’s on the house and there’s a respectable duty free shop. Not bad for an outpost serving mainly as a gateway to Patagonia, Antarctica and the Falklands.
Airports like Jackson Hole could learn something here. And your arrival is nearly as dramatic as descending over the Tetons — with sweet views of the lower Andes before rolling onto a rugged archipelago on the edge of the habitable planet.
4. Munich Airport, Munich, Germany


Now that Lufthansa’s second base (after bigger, busier, far less loved Frankfurt) has swiftly grown into a major international airport facing its own capacity issues and contentious third runway plans, it could easily succumb to the stress-inducing foibles of other award-winning European hubs — like Amsterdam (nice leather sofas, but what’s with the lines?) and Copenhagen (is this an airport or a shopping mall with a sauna?).
But so far, so good.
Munich’s 1990s-era Terminal 1 is younger, fresher-looking and better organized than most terminal 2s and 3s on the planet. Its second terminal, home to Lufthansa and Star Alliance members, is arranged around a bright, central plaza that makes LHR and CDG look purgatorial.
Smack in the middle, the facility’s airy shopping and recreation area — Munich Airport Centre — is easily accessible to all passengers without feeling pushy.
A “Bavarian hospitality” ethos here means this is one of the few airports on either side of the Atlantic where a no-frills T2 passenger can enjoy free tea and coffee and a T1er can happily sit out a flight delay at Air Bräu, a micro-brew worthy of a college town.




3. Hong Kong International, Hong Kong


Now that its place as one of the great land reclamation projects of the 20th century is, well, 20th-century, HKIA is onto newer benchmarks — including entering the world’s 50 million annual passenger club (shared with only 10 other airports) and becoming the busiest freight airport on earth.
This kind of pressure might sink a less inspired or prepared facility (the airport currently has a multi-phase Master Plan 2030 in the works which will see it through the next couple decades), but Hong Kong keeps looking better and more five-star functional with everything thrown at it.
And not just for cargo carriers, but for more than 900 daily flights’ worth of satisfied travelers whisking through this foolproof hub — offering loads of opportunities for lounging, golfing, fine-dining, 4-D movie theater-ing, free Wi-Fi’ing and simply wishing that this year’s Skytrax World Airport of the Year could be replicated in London, Paris, New York, Juneau … anywhere outside of Asia.
Considered one of the most accessible airports in operation today, Hong Kong’s swift and driverless Automated People Mover is both ultra-convenient and kind-of-forbidding.
Hong Kong’s express train service to/from downtown offers remote check-in and has reinvented just how simple it should be to reach or depart a remote-looking airport. That is, if you ever want to depart.
2. Singapore Changi, Singapore


Is there a bigger compliment to an airport than travelers routinely scheduling more time here just to have fun and relieve stress?
Spotless, flawlessly organized and stocked with conveniences that continue to lock Singapore for the gold, silver or (in an off-year marred by constructing more improvements) bronze in every serious annual airport poll, here’s the place that re-invented what airports can be.
That is — places with pools, whirlpool baths and massage tables, prayer rooms and rooftop bars, LAN gaming areas and free movie theaters, koi ponds and butterfly gardens.
Changi’s massive interiors may require some hiking — on efficient travelators or shuttle trains — to distant gates or between terminals. But as long as you’re not running to catch a flight, it’s no O’Hare or Heathrow-style headache. More like a tour of what an elite international airport can and should be.
Above all, it’s the mandated comfort factor here that’s most appreciated by passengers gravitating to relaxation lounges or, in a pinch, reclining slumber chairs with flat-screen TVs spread throughout the terminal floors.
Based on its four C voting criteria — Comfort, Convenience, Cleanliness and Customer service – Sleeping in Airports has granted SIN its coveted Golden Pillow Award for 15 straight years.
1. Seoul Incheon, Seoul, Korea


At 10 years young, South Korea’s pin-up airport continues to wow passengers with its bright and airy arrival halls, its futuristic connecting train terminal, its Pine Tree and Wildflower gardens and its boggling array of amenities that include private sleeping rooms, free showers, round-the-clock spa facilities, ubiquitous Internet lounges, a golf course and an ice skating rink.
And all this without forgetting why most people actually come to airports: not so much to work on their double axels or putting, but to get somewhere else as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Crowned as the world’s top airport in the annual, customer-survey-based Airport Service Quality Awards, ICN is one of only three in the world with a full five-star Skytrax rating — along with the next two airports on this list.
Why is Seoul number three? Bring Cirque du Soleil here and we’ll see about next year.
In the meantime, check out the traditional Korean music performances or acrobatic shows on the first floor open stage. And don’t forget to swing by the Korean Culture Museum.
“It was nice to see several cultural experiences placed around the terminal,” writes one airlinequality.com passenger. “How many of us go through an airport and learn nothing of the country we are in?”
World’s busiest airports
Global aviation organization Airports Council International (ACI) has released its World Airport Traffic Report for 2010, with London, Paris and Hong Kong taking out the first three places in terms of international passenger traffic.
According to the report, worldwide airport passenger numbers increased by 6.6 percent in 2010 to 5.04 billion. Worldwide domestic traffic increased by 5.8 percent while international traffic jumped by 7.7 percent.
London’s Heathrow airport remained the busiest in the world, handling over 60 million international passengers. The big mover was South Korea’s Incheon, which moved into the top ten in 2010. Madrid fell out of the top 10, Incheon moved into 8th place and Tokyo dropped from 8th in 2009 to 9th.
1. London (Heathrow), United Kingdom:  60.9 million passengers per year
2. Paris, France:  53.15 million
3. Hong Kong: 49.77 million
4. Dubai, UAE: 46.31 million
5. Frankfurt, Germany: 46.3 million
6. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 45.13 million
7. Singapore: 40.92 million
8. Incheon, South Korea: 32.94 million
9. Tokyo (Narita), Japan: 32.16 million
10. Bangkok, Thailand: 31.41 million
When it comes to overall passenger numbers — domestic and international — the ACI list takes a different shape, dominated by U.S. facilities.
1. Atlanta, USA: 89.33 million
2. Beijing, China: 73.94 million
3. Chicago, USA:  66.77 million
4. London (Heathrow), UK: 65.88 million
5. Tokyo (Haneda), Japan: 64.21 million
6. Los Angeles, USA: 59.07 million
7. Paris, France: 58.16 million
8. Dallas, USA: 56.9 million
9. Frankfurt, Germany: 53 million
10. Denver, USA: 52.2 million
Courtesy: CNN International

Enabling Web in 22 Indian Languages: W3C India Office

The internet has completed 42 years of its existence on 2^nd September, 2011. The generation that has not seen other means of communication than internet is grown up now. They find it easy to communicate online with their peers but when it comes to communicating with people using other Indian languages than English they find themselves clueless. Now this hindrance in communication will be over soon.

The Government committed to the goal of ‘Internet for All’, in close co-operation with other stakeholders has taken several steps in this direction. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) India Office, one of such steps, was formally launched on 6^th May, 2010. A 2-day Conference on World-Wide-Web: Technology, Standards and Internationalization was held in New Delhi to mark the launching. On 15^th September 2011 W3C India Office Workspace was inaugurated at Electronics Niketan, CGO Complex. The establishment of New W3C India Office space gives it a permanent entity and would play more active and crucial role in proliferation of W3C standards among ICT industry and users to make India truly knowledge based society.

World Wide Web Consortium

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international Standards Body headquartered at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA which develops Standards / Best Practices / recommendations to ensure seamless web access to all. W3C has 19 offices world-wide   having the core objective of promotion, proliferation and adoption of W3C standards and its implementation according to local languages and culture.   The Vision of W3C is to achieve “Web for Everyone and Web on Everything.” W3C works in tandem with other standards making bodies such as UNICODE, IETF, ICANN and ISO at the international level. W3C has so far published about 183 standards for web technology and working in the future web standards. Recommendations evolved by W3C run across many technical domains.

Need for Setting up of W3C India Office 

Awareness, Education & Outreach is the major goal of W3C India office which will lead to adoption of W3C recommendations. Although these Web Standards are applicable across the globe yet some of these require customization for local languages & culture. It will be feasible to have seamless multilingual web by constantly addressing these needs and working in tandem with W3C.

Indian Linguistic Diversity having 22 constitutionally recognized languages and 11   complex scripts   is more diverse than that of entire European Union.  Apart from these 22 constitutionally recognized languages India’s rich linguistic diversity boasts of 100 other major languages and 2371 dialects as per Census 2001. In India, a Language may be based on many scripts. Many languages may be based on a single script; these languages culturally differ depending on region though using same script. Even there are wide variations in the usage of the same language across various parts of the country.  Linear scripts such as Roman do not change their shape hence characters juxtapose – one after another whereas Indian Languages have complex conjunct characters. Major issues related to Indian languages like orthography – spelling issues, dialect variations etc. testify that each language has its own specific requirements to be investigated carefully for enabling W3C standards in 22 Indian Languages. Implementation of W3C standards for seamless web access across device and platforms in Indian languages makes it a gigantic and challenging task. 

The Nation-Wide Flag-ship E-Governance Programme and roll-out through various national and state-wide mission mode projects and citizen services through CSCs adds a new dimension of W3C’s role in India. Internationalization of W3C’s standards in Indian context and their implementation addressing the complex language requirements would be a key role for W3C India. W3C India is also the national platform involving the industry, academia and users which evolve national recommendations/ guidelines from India.

W3C India Initiative will not only facilitate wider access of web by the people of this country but will also equip them to provide locally relevant content on the internet.  Such initiatives will play a great role in reducing poverty, improving health care, education, spreading good governance and addressing all local challenges in the global context. 

The future internet issues need to be addressed from a holistic perspective by taking into account building blocks right from users, services and applications down to network. This requires a multi-disciplinary approach by involving innovative SMEs and develops drivers, interfaces, networks and services to support future networked society.

            Participation from India is there but it is limited as some industry members are interacting with W3C on specific areas of interest to them. India need to ensure that all her officially recognized 22 languages can be adequately represented in W3C recommendations to make Web accessible in Indian languages a reality and in view if this the role of India becomes prominent especially in the area of internationalization.

W3C India Office

            W3C India Office has been set up at DIT under the aegis of Human Centered Computing Division. The Division is implementing the programme “Technology Development for Indian Languages (TDIL)”. TDIL programme is engaging itself actively since 2006 with all the stakeholders in the country to work towards internationalization of W3C Recommendations.

            Sh.N.Ravi Shanker, JS in DIT is the patron while Smt.Swaran Lata is the Country Manager of, W3C India Office.

The objective of W3C India office is to promote adoption of W3C recommendations among developers, application builders, and standards setters, and to encourage inclusion of stakeholder organizations in the creation of future recommendations.

On 12^th September 2011 W3C India has  released “Internationalization of E-Governance solutions: Best practices”.W3C India prepared a set of Internationalization and Localization Best Practices for E-Governance applications to bring out the necessity and purpose of internationalization in the perspective of Web-based services and E-governance in Indian languages. The main consumers of these guidelines are the Application developers for the E-Governance sector, users and policy makers in E-Governance applications.

Membership of W3C is open to all types of organizations (commercial, educational and governmental entities) and individual. A membership agreement has to be signed to become a member. Member may be for profit or not-for-profit organization. Most members invest significant resources into web technologies like developing web-based products, using web technologies as an enabling medium, conducting research on the web or developing specification based on W3C work. For effective functioning of W3C India Office suggestions in research areas of technologies directly related to priority areas of W3C based on member’s interest are desired.

W3C India Office launched with the long term vision of “Enabling Web in 22 Indian languages” will accelerate the growth of Web in Indian Languages.  In today’s technology driven world, access to information is crucial for taking the benefits of ICT to the masses.  The engagement with W3C in building all the required standards will facilitate information access on World Wide Web regardless of languages, location, ability, generation, age and income.  This would prove to be a transformational step.

National Culture Fund

The National Culture Fund (NCF) was launched on 29th March, 1997. The main objectives for setting up of NCF was to  mobilize resources from government, non-government agencies, private institutions and individuals for the restoration, conservation, protection and development of the rich cultural and natural heritage of India and to encourage Public Private Partnership.

The National Culture Fund is managed and administered by the Council and an Executive Committee. The Minister of Tourism and Culture chairs the Council. The Council can have maximum strength of 24 members including Chairman and Member Secretary with 19 eminent members representing various fields like Corporate Sector, Private Foundation and Non-Profit Organisations. The NCF carries in built accountability towards the Indian Parliament and the donors for the activities commissioned under its aegis. The Project Implementation Committee executes the project. This has representation of the donors, the National Culture Fund, the civic authorities and Archaeological Survey of India wherever required. The accounts of the project are incorporated in the National Culture Fund accounts, which are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Donations to the National Culture Fund are eligible for 100% tax benefit under Section 80G (2) of the Income Tax Act.

Govt. of India, the Ministry of Culture has released the full amount of Corpus Fund of Rs.19.50 crores and has fulfilled the commitment of providing Rs.19.50 crores as Corpus Fund to the National Culture Fund. The secondary corpus with NCF as on 31st March, 2010 is Rs.10.90 crores.

Thirty six projects, both tangible and intangible, have been undertaken by NCF through funding from PSUs/Corporate Sector etc. out of which ten projects have been completed.

It is a continuous process through which Government has been making efforts to enthuse the different Ministries/Departments to encourage the PSUs/Corporate under their control to contribute to NCF’s cause through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Mandate.

Recently a publicity drive Show was organized in Bengaluru with, the corporate sector (especially Confederation of Indian Industries) for the purpose of couraging corporate sector to contribute to NCF.

National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)

The Centrally sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) is being implemented by the central Government jointly with the State Government on a cost-sharing basis. The pollution abatement works under NRCP presently cover identified polluted stretches of 39 major rivers in 185 towns spread over 20 States in the country. The sanctioned cost of the projects under NRCP is Rs . 8100.48 crore (including Rs.433 crore incurred under GAP-I). A sewage treatment capacity of 4417 mld has been created under River Action Plans.

Pollution Abatement Works  So far

The following pollution abatement works are taken up:

(i)                 Interception and Diversion works to capture the raw sewage flowing into the river through open drains and divert them for treatment . (I&D)

(ii)               Sewage Treatment Plants for treating the diverted sewage. (STP)

(iii)             Low Cost Sanitation works to prevent open defecation on river banks . (LCS)

(iv)             Electric Crematoria and Improved Wood Crematoria and Improved Wood Crematoria to conserve the use of wood and help in ensuring proper cremation of bodies brought to the buring ghats. (EC&IWC)

(v)               River Front Development works such as improvement of bathing ghats etc. (RED)

(vi)             Other Measures like plantation, public awareness etc.

Funding Pattern for NRCP

The funding pattern for the river cleaning programme has undergone several changes over the years. The GAP Phase I which started in 1985 was a 100% Centrally funded scheme. The funding pattern has changed to 50:50 between the Central Government and the State Governments in 1993. This was revised again to 100% GOI funding w.e.f. 01.04.1997. The funding pattern is 70:30 between Centre and States with effect from 01.04.2001. The Yamuna Action Plan is being implemented with a funding pattern of 85:15 between the Central Government and the State Governments.

Fund Outlay for NRCP in  XI Plan

An amount of Rs. 2065 crore has been provided in the XI Plan (2007-2012) for works under NRCP against the estimated requirement of Rs. 8303 crores, as assessed in the Report by the Working Group on Rivers, Lakes and Aquifers constituted by the Planning Commission.

Shortcomings in Implementation

A town approach adopted instead of a holistic river basin approach before constitution of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).

(i)                 Increasing gap between requirement of Sewage treatment infrastructure and actual pollution load being tackled due to continuous increase in population in towns along the river banks, inadequate financial resources invested in river cleaning.

(ii)               Delays in completion of schemes due to lack of inter-agency coordination at field level, delays in acquisition of land for STPs & Pumping stations, contractual problems, court cases, etc. leading to cost overruns.

(iii)             Shortage of Skilled manpower and regular staff and inadequate provision of funds by the States and ULBs for O&M of the sewage treatment infrastructure.

(iv)             Erratic/ non-availability of power supply for operation of operation of assets, under – utilization of STPs, in some cases , due to non-conveyance of sewage generated in the absence of upstream systems such as branch sewers & house connections.

(v)                Lack of involvement of civil society in the programme.