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UP lags behind in Ganga conservation programme
LUCKNOW: UP is the biggest beneficiary of the Central funds for
conservation of the Ganga, but the state is a slow performer when
compared to the works undertaken by other states for saving the national
river.
The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has sanctioned projects worth Rs 2,598.47 crore under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) to UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal.
Though UP has got maximum funds - Rs 1,341.60 crore -- from the Centre's kitty for pollution abatement works on the Ganga, the state's progress is slow on the sanctioned projects. Sewage Treatment Plants of 313 mld capacity have to be set up in UP, which is the maximum capacity among all the beneficiary states.
Contrarily, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttrakhand, which have bagged lesser funds, are making better progress.
The National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) under MoEF revealed the facts and figures on NGRBA in response to a query by an RTI seeker Mahendra Pratap Singh.
NGRBA has been in existence for the past three years. The Centre had set up the authority in September 2009 to give Ganga-conservation the needed impetus. The Centre government released funds to UP, Uttrakhand, Bihar and WB between 2009 and 2011 for the development of sewer networks, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, electric creamtoria, community toilets and river fronts.
In UP, projects have been sanctioned for Allahabad, Varanasi, Garmukteshwar, Kannauj and Moradabad (Ramganga) stretch of the river. The projects include installing sewerage systems and STPs, development of ghats and making community toilet complexes.
The present status of most of the works, however, is 'under implementation'. The state got seven projects sanctioned for Ganga conservation. The state has started work on five projects, but is yet to begin work on two projects. For the development of area under Assi ghat in Varanasi, state twice invited tenders but no response was received.
The other states, however, have made noticeable progress. West Bengal, which got funds released around the same time and for similar projects, has made 75-100% progress on most of the projects. The state was sanctioned 27 projects in 23 towns and has started work on 21 projects while Bihar has started work on all the four sanctioned projects.
These projects are funded on 70:30 cost sharing basis between the Centre and states. The projects, once functional, will have a sewage treatment facility of 465 million litres per day (mld). UP Jal Nigam is an implementing agency in UP.
The industrial pockets in the catchments of Ramganga and Kali rivers and in Kanpur city are significant sources of industrial pollution. The tanneries in Kanpur, distilleries, paper mills and sugar mills in the Kosi, Ramganga and Kali river catchments are also major contributors.
In the Ganga basin, about 12,000 mld sewage is generated, for which presently there is a treatment capacity of only 4,000 mld. A project with World Bank assistance for abatement of pollution in the river at an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore was approved in April 2011. The World Bank approved the project proposal in May 2011. The Centre's share will be Rs 5,100 crore while that of Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and WB will be Rs 1,900 crore.
The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has sanctioned projects worth Rs 2,598.47 crore under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) to UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal.
Though UP has got maximum funds - Rs 1,341.60 crore -- from the Centre's kitty for pollution abatement works on the Ganga, the state's progress is slow on the sanctioned projects. Sewage Treatment Plants of 313 mld capacity have to be set up in UP, which is the maximum capacity among all the beneficiary states.
Contrarily, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttrakhand, which have bagged lesser funds, are making better progress.
The National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) under MoEF revealed the facts and figures on NGRBA in response to a query by an RTI seeker Mahendra Pratap Singh.
NGRBA has been in existence for the past three years. The Centre had set up the authority in September 2009 to give Ganga-conservation the needed impetus. The Centre government released funds to UP, Uttrakhand, Bihar and WB between 2009 and 2011 for the development of sewer networks, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, electric creamtoria, community toilets and river fronts.
In UP, projects have been sanctioned for Allahabad, Varanasi, Garmukteshwar, Kannauj and Moradabad (Ramganga) stretch of the river. The projects include installing sewerage systems and STPs, development of ghats and making community toilet complexes.
The present status of most of the works, however, is 'under implementation'. The state got seven projects sanctioned for Ganga conservation. The state has started work on five projects, but is yet to begin work on two projects. For the development of area under Assi ghat in Varanasi, state twice invited tenders but no response was received.
The other states, however, have made noticeable progress. West Bengal, which got funds released around the same time and for similar projects, has made 75-100% progress on most of the projects. The state was sanctioned 27 projects in 23 towns and has started work on 21 projects while Bihar has started work on all the four sanctioned projects.
These projects are funded on 70:30 cost sharing basis between the Centre and states. The projects, once functional, will have a sewage treatment facility of 465 million litres per day (mld). UP Jal Nigam is an implementing agency in UP.
The industrial pockets in the catchments of Ramganga and Kali rivers and in Kanpur city are significant sources of industrial pollution. The tanneries in Kanpur, distilleries, paper mills and sugar mills in the Kosi, Ramganga and Kali river catchments are also major contributors.
In the Ganga basin, about 12,000 mld sewage is generated, for which presently there is a treatment capacity of only 4,000 mld. A project with World Bank assistance for abatement of pollution in the river at an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore was approved in April 2011. The World Bank approved the project proposal in May 2011. The Centre's share will be Rs 5,100 crore while that of Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and WB will be Rs 1,900 crore.
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