Approved: Rs.653.67cr for rejuvenation of River Adi Ganga
The 46th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved Rs.2,700 crore worth of 12 projects for the development of sewerage infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Also approved were the Rs.42.80 crore of Afforestation Programmes for the year 2022-23 for Uttarakhand and Bihar. The programmes aim to create an enabling environment for climate resilient and sustainable ecosystem management with community participatory approach.
In West Bengal, a big project for Rejuvenation of River Adi Ganga, tributary of Ganga, in Kolkata, was approved at an estimated cost of Rs.653.67 crore. This approval 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 which one is for the development of sewerage infrastructure in Prayagraj costing Rs.475.19 crore. The Prayagraj project envisages construction of 90 MLD STP along with 20 KLD Faecal Sludge co-treatment facility and effluent station of 90 MLD, interception and diversion works among others.
Two other projects approved in Uttar Pradesh are for the construction of a 50 MLD STP, I&D works etc. at an estimated cost of Rs.264.67 crore at Loniapurva, Lucknow, for River Gomti and 24 MLD STP, Interception & diversion (I&D) works etc. at Hathras town for Rivers Sengar and Karwancosting Rs.128.91 crore.
In Bihar, one project each for Daudnagar and Motihari towns have been approved at estimated costs of Rs.42.25 crore and Rs.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 among others is envisaged.
Four projects of cost enhancement were also approved for Bihar.
The meeting approved construction of 5 STPs of total 192 MLD capacity (18+21+75+60+18), interception & diversion and other works at an estimated cost of Rs.808.33 crore in Dhanbad town, Jharkhand.
Among other approved projects is the pollution abatement project in River Damodar, an important tributary of River Ganga which aims to tap all the drains falling into Damodar from the town and indirectly pollutes River Ganga. With the approval of this project, all projects required for abatement of pollution in River Damodar 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 programs’ was approved by the EC for all the five states.
The project will be implemented in collaboration with Patanjali Research Institute (PRI) & Patanjali Organic Research Institute (PORI) of Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
The project has three components including Plant Biodiversity Exploration: Floral diversity, ethnobotanical, medicinal aspect and their phytochemical profiling for commercial valuation, Training and Skill Development: Stakeholders like farmers, traditional healing practitioners etc. and Advanced Scientific Research & Experimentation: soil & water quality; their impact on floral phytochemical, soil microbe interaction and its effect, medicinal plant varieties &exploration of medicinal properties etc.
The meet was organised under the chairmanship of G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG, on 23 Dec 2022. fiinews.com
