Rs 3000 cr to be spent for sewage plants in Bihar towns

Patna, Jan 12 (PTI) Union Minister for Forest andEnvironment Jairam Ramesh today said Rs 3000 crore would bespent for setting up sewage treatment plants in 19 Bihar townsunder National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in the nextfive to six years.

Patna would have the biggest plant for which about Rs1500 crore would be spent, Ramesh told reporters after healong with World Bank Chairman Robert B Zollieck undertook aboat ride in the Ganga to see the Dolphin ConservationProject.

Besides, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 450 crore for fourtowns in Bihar for work under NGRBA and most of the amountwould be earmarked for setting up the sewage treatment plants,he said adding he had a detailed discussion with ChiefMinister Nitish Kumar on the implementation of its MissionClean Ganga.

''''The Centre has sought World Bank''s support for 19 otherstates for having sewage treatment plants'''' he said.

NGRBA has launched the Mission Clean Ganga in UttarPradesh, Uttrakhand, West Bengal and Bihar which would ensuredevelopment of areas on the riverbank and set up sewagetreatment plants.

Ramesh said Bihar government had submitted project of Rs150 crore for the development of the Ganga river front inPatna three weeks ago and the Centre had raised certainqueries.

Initially, the river front in a stretch of five to sixkm would be developed and he had held talks with Kumar on it.

Referring to the boating project, he said Kumar hadraised the issue during his meeting with Prime MinisterManmohan Singh and the Union Shipping Ministry was activelyconsidering the project.

Efforts are on to preserve the endangered Ganga riverdolphins, who are threatened by pollution. NGRBA with aid fromWorld Bank would implement the action plan under Prof R KSinha of Patna University to protect the dolphins, he added.