NRCP stands for National River Conservation Plan. Ganga Action Plan Phase- I was taken up for controlling the pollution of river Ganga and improving its water quality in 1985. This action plan was further extended to other rivers of India and divides into two segments- Ganga Action Plan Phase-II and National River Conservation Plan. In 1995, action plans for other rivers got approved under NRCP. The Ganga Action Plan Phase-II was merged with NRCP in December 1996. In 2009, National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), a collaborative institution of central and state governments was established to lead the vision of improving the water quality of the major rivers through the implementation of pollution abatement Schemes. It covered pollution abatement works in 46 towns along the polluted stretches of 18 rivers spread over 10 States. The activities which include under NRCP are a diversion of raw sewage flowing into the river and diverting them into sewage treatment plants, establishing new sewage treatment plants, low-cost toilets establishment to prevent open defecation on riverbanks etc.
