NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi-led NDA government on Wednesday assured the Supreme Court that the Ganga would be cleaned during this term of the government itself saying that it has set a deadline of 2018 to complete the ambitious project.

The Centre made the assurance after a bench headed by Justice T S Thakur questioned whether the government would be able to complete the task within this term or would it need another term to clean the holy river. The court observed that during the last 30-years nothing substantial has been done to purify the river.

"The project would be completed by 2018 and it won't go to 2019 when term of the government ends," solicitor general Ranjit Kumar told the court. He referred to various steps taken by the Centre to achieve the mission to clean the river.

The SG submitted that government is planning to set up eighty sewage treatment plants in cities situated on the river bank to prevent contaminants going into the river. He said 24 plants are already functioning and construction on 31 plants is going on.

He said that government is targeting 118 towns situated on the river bank and the first objective is to achieve total sanitation including water waste treatment and solid waste management.

"Municipalities of 118 towns have been asked to wake up. Municipal bodies, state government, Centre and National Ganga River Basin Authority are working in tandem to achieve the target," the SG said.

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The bench, also comprising Justices R K Agrawal and A K Goel, directed the government to file an affidavit stating the status of all plants and when they would be operational. It asked the Centre to give a "definite plan of action" in verifiable terms and not in bureaucratic jargon.

"This (cleaning Ganga) is something for which you are so committed. You should be more keen than us," the bench observed.

"File affidavit stating status of 31 ongoing projects and the projects which are at bidding stage. The affidavit shall also indicate the time frame within which the ongoing project would be completed," it said.

Earlier the government had told the court that 118 urban habitations on the banks of the Ganga have been tentatively identified for extending coverage of sewerage infrastructure at an estimated cost of Rs 51,000 crore and also to make 1,649 gram panchayats located by the river free from open defecation.