New projects to clean up and rejuvenate six polluted stretches across Kumaon region in Uttarakhand, were announced on July 16 by Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, director general, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), at an executive committee meeting. The six rivers under the scheme are Bhela, Dhela, Kichha, Kosi, Nandhore, Pilakhar and Kashipur.

According to a government press release, nine sewage treatment plants (STPs) will be constructed and 17 nalas will be intercepted and diverted to these STPs that will have the capacity of treating 30.30 million litres a day (MLD).

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The state mission of Uttarakhand had sent in proposals to clean up stretches of these rivers and the decision to do so was finalised at the executive committee meeting. The project will be carried out under the Namami Gange Programme, at a cost of Rs 199.36 crores (Rs 1,993.6 million).

According to reports by the Central Pollution Control Board, other than the six river-stretches to be rejuvenated in the Kumaon region, there are three other polluted stretches being rejuvenated. 

Two of those are in the Rispana-Bindal and Suswa, which are being covered in the Interception and Diversion Rispana-Bindal project which is underway and the third, on the main Ganges river, in Jagjeetpur Haridwar, that is already covered by the Jagjeetpur STP project, under the Namame Gange scheme.

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With the project being taken up of the six rivers in Kumaon region, all the polluted stretches in Uttarakhand have been covered under pollution abatement projects, said the government statement. The project will ensure comprehensive sludge-management and co-treat septage at all the STPs, it added.

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The central monitoring committee will periodically review the action plan and execution of the projects, at the various locations. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union minister for Jal Shakti, also recently reviewed these projects.

Sewerage projects for towns on the banks of the Ganges in the state have already been completed for pollution abatement under the Namami Gange program. The focus is now on rejuvenating tributaries of the Ganges and cleaning up the polluted stretches.

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The NMCG meeting was attended by its executive directors Ashok Kumar Singh (projects), Rozy Aggrawal (finance) and DP Mathuria (technical). Uday Raj Singh, project director, State Mission for Clean Ganga was also present at the meeting.

Read the story in Hindi.