Gadkari asks officials to complete STP projects soon

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari, who chaired a review meeting of the ongoing Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) Projects in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018, with senior officials of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and contractors, directed them to complete all the sanctioned projects in these states at the earliest.

Bihar has 20 sanctioned STP projects in ten towns including 11 in Patna, and one each in Buxar, Barh, Mokama, Naugachia, Sultanganj, Hajipur, Begusaria, Munger and Bhagalpur. The state has a projected sewage generation of 606 MLD by 2035. The existing sewage treatment capacity is 124 MLD. The sanctioned projects will add 538 MLD of  sewage treatment capacity . Projects of 216 MLD capacity are ongoing while projects worth capacity of 322 MLD are at various stages of tendering, according to a PIB release.

At Patna, the 11 STP projects worth Rs 3,237.69 crore will create total of 350 MLD sewage treatment capacity and lay down 1,140.26 km of sewerage lines. The expected sewage load for the city by 2035 is 320 MLD. Once these projects are completed, no sewage water from Patna will flow into river Ganga. These projects will ensure that no untreated water goes into Ganga at Patna and sewer lines reach every household in the town. STP projects will also be taken up in  Danapur, Phulwarisharif, Sonepur, Chhapra, Fatuha, Bakhtiyarpur, Barauni and Kahalgaon in the current year.

West Bengal has 13 sanctioned STP projects in Gayespur, Kalyani, Halishahar, Bhatpara, Barrackpore, Budge-Budge, Berhampore, Nabadwip, Kamarhatim, Baranagar, Howrah, Bally and Kolkata. The state has a projected sewage generation of 1638 MLD by 2035. The existing sewage treatment capacity is 548 MLD. The sanctioned projects will add 295 MLD of  sewage treatment capacity.  Projects worth 80 MLD capacity are ongoing and projects worth  215 MLD are at various stages of tendering.

Jharkhand has two sanctioned STP projects at Sahibganj and Rajmahal. The state has a projected sewage generation of 16 MLD by 2035. The ongoing project of Sahibganj has a capacity to treat 12 MLD while the project of Rajmahal with a capacity of 3.5 MLD is under tendering process.

The progress of 39 Ghats and Crematoria projects on the bank of Ganga were also reviewed and officials have been asked  to finish all projects by October 2018. In addition, the status of 37 polluting industrial units in Bihar and 41 industrial units in West Bengal situated on the banks of Ganga were also reviewed. While 40 industrial units in the two states have complied with the norms, 9 of these  units have been closed.  Closure notice has been issued to 10 units and show cause notice to 19 units.

Gadkari, along with Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Dr Satya Pal Singh, also released the February-March, 2018 issue of monthly magazine ‘Namami Gange’ and expressed the hope that all the stakeholders will put up in their best efforts to realize the dream of the Prime Minister and our Government of making Ganga ‘Aviral and Nirmal.’