NMCGExecutive Committee Approves Projects Worth Around Rs. 2700 Crore For Developing Sewerage Infrastructure In The Ganga Basin

Newdelhi:26/12/22:The 46^th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was organised under the chairmanship of Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG on 23^rd December 2022. Out of the approved projects, 12pertain to development of sewerage infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, worth more than Rs. 2700 crore.Afforestation Programmes for the year 2022-23 for Uttarakhand and Bihar were also approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 42.80 crore that aims 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 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, total 3 projects were approved, out which one project pertains to development of sewerage infrastructure in Prayagrajcosting 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 etc. Two other projects approved in Uttar Pradesh includes 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, 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 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, 4 projects of cost enhancement were also approved.

A major project in Jharkhand was approved in the 46^th EC meeting. The project includes 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. This project is for pollution abatement in River Damodar, an important tributary of River Ganga and aims to tap all the drains falling into Damodar from the town, which 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 in the EC for all the five states. The project will be implemented in collaboration with Patanjali Research Institute (PRI) & Patanjali Organic Research Institute (PORI), Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The projects has three components including Plant Biodiversity Exploration: Floral diversity, ethnobotanical, medicinal aspect and their phytochemical profiling forcommercial 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 & its effect, medicinal plant varieties &exploration of medicinal properties etc.

Shri Himansu Badoni, Executive Director (Projects), NMCG, Shri D.P. Mathuria, Executive Director (Finance), NMCG, Shri S.P. Vashishtha, Executive Director, (Admin), NMCG, Shri Bhaskar Dasgupta, Executive Director (Finance), NMCG, Mrs. Richa Misra, Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, representation from states and senior officials of NMCG were also present during the meeting.