India, Feb. 1 -- Budget 2026-27 allocates Rs 3,100 crore to the Ganga Mission, below earlier projections

Spending priorities show a continued focus on sewage treatment and wastewater infrastructure

Externally aided projects backed by foreign agencies see increased allocations

Ecological measures such as river flow, floodplains and livelihoods receive little direct funding

The government's commitment to rejuvenating the Ganga remains strong on paper, but the Union Budget for 2026-27 tabled by FInance Minister Nirmala Sitharam on February 1, 2026 suggested the mission is increasingly being treated as an infrastructure-led exercise rather than an ecological one.

An examination of allocations under the Department of Water Resources, Rive...