New Delhi: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 24000 crore for Sewage Treatment Plant (STPs) to achieve its Clean Ganga Mission.
"In the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), we have achieved lots of success in last two to three years," said Ashok Kumar, NMCG executive director while talking to ETV Bharat.
"Out of the Rs 29000 crore sanctioned for the NMCG project, Rs 24000 crore were sanctioned for STPs. From a total of 151 STPs, 46 have already been completed and others are on the verge of completion," said Kumar.
He further said that the STPs will ensure that good and treated water is flown into the river.
The NMCG under the Union Jal Shakti ministry has in the last three years awarded close to a dozen projects to private players for developing STPs in states through which the 2,525-km river flows.
States like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh are getting importance for Clean Ganga Mission.
Read: NMCG conserves wetlands in Ganga basin
Tycoons in the industry like Adani, Shapoorji among others have also been awarded clean Ganga projects.
Sources said that Adani group has been awarded two projects. Project worth Rs 1,671 crore sewage treatment work has been awarded in Uttar Pradesh. The Adani Group has also bid for a third project worth Rs 254 crore in Bihar.
Similarly, other private players like Shapoorji Pallonji Private Limited, Essel Infraprojects Limited, Triveni Engineering & Industries Limited have also been awarded STP projects worth crore of rupees.
"Clean Ganga is, of course, a continuous process. But, we are trying to get the involvement of all stakeholders especially citizens," said Kumar.
"We had carried an expedition from Prayagraj to Ganga Sagar and we have found total rejuvenation. We could see an increase in the number of Dolphins which itself shows that the Ganga is getting cleaned," said Kumar.
He, however, said that a drastic change in people's mindset is very necessary.
"We face problems in getting people into it. We need to change the mindset," Kumar added.
It was in 2014 after the Modi Government came to the power Ganga became one of the key focus and a department named NMCG was set up.
Also Read: Ganga being polluted in search of salvation
