43 projects over Rs 2,400 cr sanctioned to clean Ganga
The Environment Ministry today sanctioned 43 projects worth over Rs 2,400 crore for four states to make river Ganga pollution free and to conserve it under the Mission Clean Ganga project.
"The projects sanctioned in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarakhand for development of sewer networks, sewage treatment plans and sewage pumping stations, electric crematoria, community toilets, development of river fronts, etc.," the Ministry said in a release here.
Projects worth Rs 1,314 crore have been sanctioned for Uttar Pradesh, worth Rs 656 crore for West Bengal, Rs 442 crore for Bihar and Rs 64 crore for Uttarakhand, the ministry said.
"For three years, operation and maintenance costs will be shared between the Centre and the states in the ratio of 70:30 with an option to extend the sharing for another two years," it said.
So far, pollution abatement projects of Rs 2,476 crore have been sanctioned under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
NGRBA was set up by the Government in February 2009 as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga river, to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the national river.
Two meetings of the Authority have been held so far.
"The Authority has taken several measures to improve the implementation of the programme which include constitution of State River Conservation Authorities, independent appraisal of project reports, third party inspection, tripartite memorandum of agreements, etc.," the Ministry said.
A comprehensive River Basin Environmental Management Plan for the Ganga is being prepared by a consortium of seven IITs and will be ready by December 2011, it said.
