The TrickyScribe: National Mission for Clean Ganga okayed ten projects in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh worth over Rs 2,033 crore. All the projects will be funded 100 per cent by the Central Government.
Clean Ganga, Credit: PMindia.gov.in
Eight of the projects pertain to sewage infrastructure and treatment. Of the remaining two projects, one each is dedicated to the development of adjoining ghats and Ganga Knowledge Centre. These projects were approved in the 5th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga.
Bihar
Three major sewage infrastructure projects with total estimated cost of Rs 1461 crore in Barh, Kankarbagh and Digha have been approved in Bihar. The projects will create additional sewage treatment capacity of 161 MLD (100 MLD in Digha, 50 MLD in Kankarbagh and 11 MLD in Barh).
There is no STP operational in Kankarbagh and Digha sewerage zones of Patna. It may be recalled that under Namami Gange programme creation of 200 MLD sewage treatment capacities has already been sanctioned in remaining four sewerage zones in Patna – Beur, Saidpur, Karmalichak and Pahari.
Increasing use of riverbanks damaging Gharial habitat
West Bengal
Three projects at an estimated cost of Rs 495.47 crore have been approved in West Bengal. Of these, two pertain to sewage infrastructure while the third one is for ghat development.
Pollution abatement and rehabilitation works for river Ganga in Howrah and Tolly’s Nullah (popularly known as Adi Ganga), a tributary of Ganga in Kolkata have been sanctioned with total estimated cost of Rs 492.34 crore.
Together these projects will create additional sewage treatment capacity of 91 MLD in Kolkata. A detailed project report (DPR) for renovation of Boral ferry and Boral bathing ghats in Nabadwip town of West Bengal has also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 3.13 crore which would include river bank protection work, construction of waiting rooms, stairs, seating arrangements etc.
Three more STPs dedicated to Bengaluru
Uttar Pradesh
Sewage infrastructure work in Chunar, district Mirzapur, has also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 27.98 crore under which an STP of 2 MLD capacity will be created apart from interception and diversion of drains in Uttar Pradesh.
It is also noteworthy that the projects in Kankarbagh and Digha in Bihar and Howrah and Kolkata in West Bengal will be taken up under Hybrid Annuity based PPP model in which 60 per cent of capital cost will be paid to the contractor over a period of 15 years.
Another project to establish Ganga Monitoring Centres in five states along river Ganga has also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 46.69 crore.
Some of the objectives of identifying and establishing GMCs are efficient monitoring of wholesomeness of river including pollution levels, flow levels, point and non-point sources of pollution, periodic reporting of monitored parameters to NMCG/SPMG/District Ganga Committee, remedial actions by NMCG on its basis and collation of data sets.
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