Nitin Gadkari lays the foundation stones of six Namami Gange projects

AGRA: Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, on January 23, 2019, laid the foundation stones of six Namami Gange projects in Agra and Mathura.

Gadkari said that completion of these projects will be beneficial to lakhs of people. The government is working fast on the cleaning of Ganga, its 40 tributaries, and major drains. Government is also concerned about maintaining the ‘aviralta’ of the river Ganga and has made the e-flow notification for its monitoring.

Gadkari claimed, “I take a pledge to ensure drinkable Yamuna water within 15 months to residents of Mathura.” He also said, by February 15 an airboat service would start from Delhi to Praygraj.

According to an official, the four projects in Mathura would be completed at cost of Rs 511.74 crore. These include two sewerage projects – an integrated sewerage infrastructure for the city on Hybrid Annuity Mode with ‘One-City-One-Operator’ approach and reuse of treated sewage water in Mathura refinery at a sanctioned cost of Rs 460.45 crore, and the other for rehabilitation of sewerage infrastructure and augmentation/upgradation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) at Vrindavan at a sanctioned cost of Rs 33.82 crore.

Government sanctioned a cost of Rs 3.60 crore for cleaning 27 ghats. For abatement of Industrial Pollution, there will be a project for upgradation of infrastructure of existing Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at the Mathura Industrial Area at a sanctioned cost of Rs 13.87 crore for Textile Printing units.

The project also includes comprehensive Sewerage Scheme for the Agra city with ‘One-City-One-Operator’ approach on Hybrid Annuity Mode for creating new STPs of 176 MLD, upgradation, rehabilitation of old plants and operations and maintenance at a sanctioned cost of Rs 857.26 crore for 15 years and construction of Sewerage Network in Western Zone, for laying of 251 km sewer lines.