NEW DELHI: Projects worth about Rs 2,700 for the development of sewerage infrastructure in Ganga basin have been approved at a meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
The 46th meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga was held under the chairmanship of NMCG Director General G Asok Kumar on Friday.
Out of the approved projects, 12 pertain to the development of sewerage infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal worth more than Rs. 2700 crore, a Ministry of Jal Shakti release said.
Afforestation programmes for 2022-23 for Uttarakhand and Bihar were also approved at an estimated cost of Rs 42.80 crore that aim to create an enabling environment for climate resilient and sustainable ecosystem management with community participatory approach, the release said.
In West Bengal, a big project for the Rejuvenation of River Adi Ganga, a tributary of Ganga, in Kolkata was approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 653.67 crore that includes construction of 3 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of 10 Million Litres per Day (MLD), 11.60 MLD and 3.5 MLD capacities.
In Uttar Pradesh, three projects were approved, out of which one project pertains to the development of sewerage infrastructure in Prayagraj costing Rs 475.19 crore.
The Prayagraj project envisages the construction of 90 MLD STP along with 20 KLD faecal sludge co-treatment facility and effluent station of 90 MLD and interception and diversion works.
Two other projects approved in Uttar Pradesh include the construction of a 50 MLD STP and I&D works at an estimated cost of Rs. 264.67 crore at Loniapurva, Lucknow for River Gomti and works including 24 MLD STP, I&D works at Hathras town for Sengar and Karwan rivers costing Rs 128.91 crore.
In Bihar, one project each for Daudnagar and Motihari towns have been approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 42.25 and 149.15 crore respectively.
For Daudnagar, construction of a 10.50 MLD STP along with I&D works and for Motihari, 4 STPs of 4.6, 6.3, 5.8, 6.3 MLD capacities and I&D works etc. is envisaged.
In Bihar, four projects of cost enhancement were also approved.
A major project in Jharkhand was approved in the meeting. The project includes the construction of 5 STPs of total 192 MLD capacity (18+21+75+60+18), interception and diversion and other works at an estimated cost of Rs. 808.33 crore in Dhanbad town.
This project is for pollution abatement in Damodar river, an important tributary of the Ganga and aims to tap all the drains falling into Damodar from the town, which indirectly pollutes Ganga.
With the approval of this project, all projects required for the abatement of pollution in the Damodar river in Jharkhand have been approved.
Another project titled ‘Scientific exploration of floral diversity near the Ganga river banks for ethnobotanical purposes along with their conservation and economic development of the region via skill development programmes’ was approved in all five states.
The project will be implemented in collaboration with Patanjali Research Institute (PRI) and Patanjali Organic Research Institute (PORI), Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and has three components. (ANI)