Centre approves 26 projects worth Rs 2,154.28 crore under Namami Gange project

The NMCG had set up sewage treatment for plants (STPs) and developed sewage network in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi.

Mumbai, April, 9: The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) had allocated Rs 2,154.28 for 26 projects under the Namami Ganga programme to set u 13 new sewage treatment for plants. Earlier, the NMCG had set up sewage treatment for plants (STPs) and developed sewage network in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi.

For setting up 13 new STPs, 188 million litres daily (MLD) capacity will be created for sewage treatment. According to the Tribune News report, the centre has allocated Rs 875 crore for sewage treatment plant construction and upgradations of old plants, Rs 260 crore for cremation hats, Rs 50 crore for the river front development project, Rs 22 crore for rural cleanliness and Rs 35 crore foe sapling plantation. The authority had decided sewage network for 145.05 in length through five projects in Delhi, Haridwar and Bihar.

A division bench of Justices Alok Singh and Rajiv Sharma noted that the Ganga and Yamuna rivers are losing their value as spiritual rivers. The order passed by Uttrakhand high court will have effects that are not only limited to humans but will also impact the habitat.

For the first time, the Uttrakhand High Court on March 21 ruled out that the Ganga and Yamuna are legal and living bodies. The ruling means that the Ganga and Yamuna rivers will be treated as humans and if anyone is found polluting the rivers, it would be equivalent to harming humans.  The court said that the move was to ensure the “preservation and conservation of the two rivers and to protect the recognition and faith of society”.

“All the Hindus have deep ‘astha’ in the Ganga and the Yamuna and they collectively connect with these rivers.The rivers are central to the existence of half of the Indian population and their health and well-being. They have provided both physical and spiritual sustenance to all of us from time immemorial,” the judges said.

The court named the director of Namami Gange, who also serves as the chief secretary of Uttarakhand and the advocate general of the state, as parents of the rivers. The duo will deal with all the legal formalities and functions related to the Ganga and Yamuna.