The National Mission for Clean Ganges (NMCG) organized the 45th Executive Committee meeting under the Chairmanship of Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG. The meeting approved 14 projects related to sewage management, abatement of industrial pollution, biodiversity conservation, afforestation, waterfront development and decentralized sewage treatment at a total estimated cost of about Rs. 1145 million crores.
These are eight sewerage management projects in the five major tribal states of the Ganges basin – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. In the area of sewerage management, four projects have been approved in Uttar Pradesh, including tapping of Assi drain in Varanasi by construction of 55 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and other works at a cost of Rs. 308.09 million crowns. The project was approved to achieve zero untreated discharge from three drains – Assi, Sanme ghat and Nakhha. Other projects include construction of 13 MLD STP, renovation of existing structures etc. in Vrindavan at a cost of ₹100,000. 77.70 crore, construction of 12 MLD STP, laying of interception and diversion (I&D) network etc. at Kosi Kalan town in Mathura district at a cost of Rs. 66.59 crores and 6 VTP MLD, laying of I&D network etc. in Chhata town of Mathura district.
The above projects in Mathura-Vrindavan envisage the interception and diversion of 2, 1 and 11 sewers which have their outlet into the Kosi drain which ultimately flows into the Yamuna river at Mathura. All the above projects include Operation and Maintenance of the property for a period of 15 years. One Sewerage Management Project has also been sanctioned for Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand including construction of 2 STPs (17 MLD and 23 MLD) including necessary ancillary infrastructures, SCADA and online monitoring system etc. at Ramgarh city, Jharkhand at a cost of Rs. 284.80 crore, construction of 50 MLD STP, renovation of existing structures etc. at Keorapukur, West Bengal at a cost of Rs. 67.06 million crowns.
Bihar project with an estimated cost of 47.39 crore
The Bihar project with an estimated cost of 47.39 crore consists of 2 STPs (2.5 MLD on Harbora River and 4.5 MLD on Belwa Sathi Canal), I&D networks, suction wells etc. The construction project of 13 MLD STP and other works was also approved at Sapera Basti, Dehradun, Uttarakhand at a cost of Rs. 74.38 million crowns. This project will stop the flow of untreated sewage into the Sushwa River.
A major project was also approved to set up four biodiversity parks in four districts of Uttar Pradesh – Hapur, Bulandshahar, Badaun and Mirzapur – at an estimated cost of Rs. 24.97 million crowns. All four sites are located along the Ganges floodplain. The proposed parks are part of the forest reserves along the Gangetic floodplains and will play a key role in river restoration and biodiversity conservation. The details of biodiversity parks are Mohanpur Biodiversity Park in Mirzapur, Ramghat Biodiversity Park in Bulandshahar, Alamgirpur Biodiversity Park in Hapur and Ujhani Biodiversity Park in Budaun.
These sites are rich in floral and faunal diversity and have heterogeneous habitats. Restoration would further enrich biodiversity, flow regime, climate resilience and improve livelihoods in the Ganga River Basin. Biodiversity parks will also provide a unique wilderness landscape with an assemblage of native plant and animal species that form self-sustaining biological communities recreated in the region and serve both in-situ and ex-situ conservation of the region’s biodiversity, gene pool and ecosystem services. natural and agricultural landscape. The overall outcome of the Ganga Biodiversity Parks would help preserve ecosystem services, biodiversity and rejuvenation of the Ganga River at the basin scale.
Sustainable land and ecosystem management
Under the Afforestation component, a project with an estimated cost of Rs. 1.56 crore has been approved for the state of Jharkhand. Interventions seek to improve forest cover, increased forest diversity and productivity, biodiversity conservation and sustainable land and ecosystem management for better flow of ecosystem services, sustainable livelihoods and overall protection of the Ganges landscape. This project is part of the Annual Plan of Operation (APO) prepared by the Jharkhand Forest Department on the basis of the DPR prepared by the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun to create an enabling environment for a climate-resilient and sustainable ecosystem management approach that adopts a community-based participatory approach in forest interventions and conservation activities in various landscapes and strengthening the capacity of the Forestry and Line Department to extend and mainstream best practices developed for riverine landscape management.
A ghat development project in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh has also been approved for River Front Development at an estimated cost of Rs. 5.07 million crowns. The location of the project is an important pilgrimage site which attracts a lot of people during festive seasons for holy bathing in the river Gomti, a tributary of river Ganga. The project includes construction of 4 m wide pedestrian promenade connecting Hanuman Ghat with Sadbhavna Bridge, ghat steps, landscaping, toilet blocks etc. Another project for construction of electric crematorium at Kaliganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal costing Rs. 4.14 billion crowns were also approved.
Project aims to reduce water consumption
A project on “Pollution Prevention and Effective Waste Management in Panipat Textile Cluster to Optimize Business Potential” was also approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 18.95 crore at the EC meeting. The main objective of the project is to improve the water quality of both the Ganges and the Yamuna Rivers by preventing the discharge of untreated sewage into the Ganga/Yamuna River by preventing the discharge of textile cluster effluents.
The project aims to reduce water consumption (up to 30%) by adopting Best Management Practice, reduce wastewater discharge (pollution load) through the demonstration of green technologies and by developing its own chemical management system (reduce chemical consumption by 25%), support the efficient operation of treatment plants of wastewater, to improve the quality of treated wastewater. The project also seeks to provide in-depth training and create internal teams to develop own systems for quality, environmental aspects, employee skill development, conservation of natural resources, etc. for continuous improvement.
The EC also approved indicative funds of Rs 45 crore for installation of decentralized sewage treatment systems in major tribal states of the Ganga basin. The breakdown of the fund is Rs 10 crore each for Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal and Rs. 5 crore for Jharkhand. For decentralized wastewater treatment, projects can be taken up under any proven technology working in the country, such as natural solutions, Johkasou, etc. Advantages of decentralized wastewater treatment include better monitoring of industrial waste, easier expansion of systems, new treatment centers can be added without routing more and more flows to the existing center, lower investment in sewage pipes, etc.
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