The project for controlling and treating sewage pollutants that flow into River Ganga may face more delays under the Central government's Clean Ganga project. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is in the process of identifying the most polluted stretches along the river's 2,525 km length. This exercise, NMCG officials said, would help narrow down the pollution problem to help targeted setting up of sewage treatment plants. But the effort of narrowing down most polluted stretches may turn into a headache as they pass through several districts and most importantly, each district administration has to carry out ground truthing exercises.
The project for controlling and treating sewage pollutants that flow into River Ganga may face more delays under the Central government's Clean Ganga project. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is in the process of identifying the most polluted stretches along the river's 2,525 km length. This exercise, NMCG officials said, would help narrow down the pollution problem to help targeted setting up of sewage treatment plants. But the effort of narrowing down most polluted stretches may turn into a headache as they pass through several districts and most importantly, each district administration has to carry out ground truthing exercises.
According to NMCG sources, nearly 50 stretches have been identified along Ganga with the help of Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping and the process is near completion. The real task though will begin when the satellite mapped stretches have to be demarcated on ground.
"Shifting of utilities, land acquisition and ironing inter-district issues are all time consuming activities while we move towards setting up of sewage treatment plants," said an NMCG official on condition of anonymity. Along the Ganga, Kannauj to Varanasi is the most critically polluted stretch as more than 400 tanneries and equal number of industries discharge more than 3,000 million litres of effluents per day. This stretch also draws excessive water from the river for irrigation, power generation and drinking water. Apart from this stretch, in West Bengal, the Dakshineshwar, Garden Reach, Diamond Harbour and Uluberia areas also witness high pollution levels where more than 1,700 million litres of effluents is discharged per day.
NMCG said that the identification of critical stretches was important to also make the project cost-effective as sewage treatment plants are capital intensive. "Treating one MLD (million-litres per day) of sewage would roughly cost around Rs 4 - 5 crore. Earlier we were trying to focus on the entire sewerage network in urban areas, but we have realised that addressing pollution control will be more effective." The NMCG is now awaiting for cabinet approval for Namami Gange, the flagship programme under the larger Clean Ganga project. The approval is expected in the coming days, sources said.
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