Five municipalities get Rs 11 crore from World Bank to clean up Ganga

KOLKATA/HOOGHLY/NADIA: The Hooghly river along some civic areas of Kolkata's outskirts will get a makeover with World Bank sanctioning funds of Rs 11 crore under the National Ganga River Basin Project (NGRBP) to rejuvenate Ganga.
With receiving the World Bank funds, five municipalities, including Garulia in North 24 Parganas, Bhadreswar and Champdani in Hooghly and Chakdah and Shantipur in Nadia, have already initiated works on this NGRBP project.

According to sources, over 80% of the pollution load in the Ganga comes from untreated domestic wastewater from towns and cities along the river and its tributaries. The NGRBP finances sewage networks and treatment plants in select urban areas to help control pollution discharges.
The Garulia civic authorities in Barrackpore subdivision is in the process of engaging a reputable consulting agency that will make a profile of the riverfront development in civic areas to understand various features that could be included and prepare a detailed project report for demonstration investments, including detailed engineering designs and technical specifications, to ensure that the river returns to a pollution-free and ecologically healthy state.
"The project at the estimated cost of Rs 4.4 crore includes the setting up of an FSTP (faecal sludge treatment plant) on Garulia dumping ground, revamp of sewerage system and construction of a new electric crematorium ground at Panighat burning ghat in Ward 11 and beautification of riverfront.
We hope to start work in a month," said Ramen Das, chairman of Garulia municipality. He said surrounding municipalities, including Bhatpara and North Barrackpore, could easily access the FSTP project to dislodge untreated waste materials from septic tanks of their civic areas.
In Hooghly, Bhadreswar civic authorities held a meeting on Tuesday with engineers and experts for preparing a DPR on NGRBP. "We have received Rs 3.1 crore for anti-pollution measures to clean Ganga. We have already visited the sites, including Telinipara and Babughat areas, and marked the drains carrying polluted water to the Hooghly. The entire drainage system will be upgraded," said Pralay Chakraborty, chairman of Bhadreswar Municipality.
Chairman of Champdani Municipality, Suresh Mishra, said the work had already started to rejuvenate Ganga. Civic authorities of Chakdaha and Shantipur municipalities in Nadia are likely to start the work to upgrade the sewerage system and modify crematorium ground. "The project at the estimated cost of Rs 56 lakh will start soon," said Subrata Ghosh, chairman of Shantipur Municipality.
The Chakdaha civic body may get a fund of Rs 1.1 crore for this project. "We will set up a new electric crematorium ground at Natunpara burning ghat under Ward 6," said Amal Das, chairman of Chakdaha Municipality.