Here is an update on various projects on River Ganga and Yamuna

New Delhi, May 30: Ganga Cleaning is not only just a work but a responsibility. This was kept in central government in mind always. After considerable success in sanctioning projects for main stem of river Ganga, the Centre has now shifted focus to the entire Ganga basin. Not only are new projects being taken up on the tributaries of Ganga, the existing approved projects on river Yamuna are also being expedited.

Just five days after the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari along with CM Delhi Arvind Kejriwal took a review meeting of projects on Yamuna in Delhi; two projects were awarded on Tuesday in the Board meeting of the DJB. These projects are laying of pumping mains of 8137 m in Kondli area at an estimated cost of Rs. 59.13 crore and rehabilitation of rising mains in Rithala area at an estimated cost of Rs. 45.40 crore. The work on four other projects under Yamuna Action Plan-III (YAP-III) is already going on.

These projects include rehabilitation of trunk sewer lines of 8498 m in Kondli, rehabilitation of trunk sewer of 7715 m in Kondli, rehabilitation of sewer lines of 5090 m in Rithala and rehabilitation and upgradation of existing 182 MLD in Rithala in Delhi.

In the 12th Executive Committee meeting of NMCG held today, a proposal for interception and diversion of 5 drains (having cumulative flow of 5 MLD) merging into river Saryu in Ayodhya has been approved by the Executive Committee at an estimated cost of Rs. 37.67 crore. It is noteworthy that in Ayodhya a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of 12 MLD already exists and is operational. This project will ensure that the existing STP will be fully utilized as the intercepted drains, which now merge into river Ganga, will be diverted to the STP for treatment and would not be carrying sewage directly into Saryu river.

In West Bengal, one project costing Rs. 68.47 crore has also been approved in which 13 interception and diversion structures will be created, besides two sewage treatment plants (5 MLD in Raghunath Ganj and 8 MLD in Jangipur). A laboratory for effluent testing and online monitoring is part of the proposal. Jangipur comes under the historical Murshidabad district which used to be the capital of West Bengal before Kolkata.