Prayagraj (UP): The huge influx of devotees to Prayagraj, popular among pilgrims for Triveni Sangam, is a huge responsibility and a challenge for the people looking after the health of the river, especially dealing with the management of sewage and solid waste.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in collaboration with the state government has been endeavouring to treat sewage generated every day, to prevent the river and the Triveni Sangam (the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythic Saraswati) from getting polluted.
As of today, around 80 per cent of Prayagraj's sewage is being treated.
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Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General of National Mission for Clean Ganga said, "Prayagraj is one city where we have set up comprehensive sewerage treatment plants as well as network. So, now the entire city has a sewerage system. And, because of Kumbh, a good momentum was generated last year in 2018 to complete this project. So, Prayagraj, you have got a total of eight projects which have been completed and two new projects have been taken up. They are based on one city, one operator module."
"80 MLD of the old Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) will be rehabilitated and maintained by one city one operator. The main Prayagraj has a complete sewerage system, but you need some extra capacity in Naini. So, that we are building up now," Mishra added.
P. K. Agrawal, General Manager of Ganga Pollution Control Unit, Prayagraj said, "At Prayagraj, we have 268 MLD treatment capacity for which we have constructed 8 STPs at 6 locations. Out of 2 STPs, one at Naini 20 MLD and one at Salori 14 MLD, these were exclusively constructed under the Namami Gange project".
The projects are on hybrid annuity-based PPP mode that includes operation and maintenance of the entire sewerage infrastructure for 15 years.
Agrawal said, "We had four running schemes under which 600 km of the sewer line was proposed to be laid in the city and another 32 km was proposed to be laid at Phaphamau. So, we have completed almost all the programs or they are near completion. Now, one more activity has been sanctioned by NMCG that is the last milestone activity under any sewerage system...which is the connection of houses. Earlier, house connection was not a part of the project".
The construction, operation, and enhancement of STP capacity have become essential for the city which is attracting more people by the day and is urbanising rapidly.
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