Toxics Alert: Rs 315-crore UP project to clean Ganga of effluents

With an aim to upgrade the sewage system of Allahabad, the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has sanctioned over Rs 315 crore project for this holy city. "The Empowered Steering Committee of the NGRBA, that met recently, has sanctioned a Rs 315.30 crore project," Urban Development Secretary Alok R anjan said here on Feb 18, 2010. The project would be implemented on a 70:30 ratio between the Centre and the state. "The Union Government would spend Rs 213.74 crore while the state government's share would be Rs 91.60 crore," the Principal Secretary said, and added that the Central Government has even sanc- tioned its first lot of Rs 10 crore for this fiscal. The Sewage Treatment Plant has a capacity to treat just 39 per cent of sewage while the rest goes into the river untreated."This ambitious scheme targets to clean the remaining 61 per cent of the sewage so that what goes into the Ganga is `treated' effluent. The scheme is planned in such a way that by the time of the next Kumbh in 2013 we will have a system to treat every bit of sewage generated in this city," Ranjan said. The plan entails laying of new sewer lines in the city and renovating the old ones, besides setting up three STPs at different areas. Three new dhobi ghats and 143 public lavatories would also be set up. "The capacity of the STP at Naini would be increased from the existing 60 mld to 80 mld," he said.

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Rs 315-crore UP project to clean Ganga of effluents

Source: The Pioneer, New Delhi, Date: , 2010