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Modi inaugurates Namami Gange Mission for Uttarakhand

indianarrative
Published: September 29, 2020 8:23 pm
3 min read

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated six projects under the Namami Gange Mission for Uttarakhand via a video conference.
"Jal Jeevan Mission aims at providing every rural household in the country with a piped-water connection," the Prime Minister said.
The government has planned to connect all the people of Uttarakhand with organic farming, he said.
Highlighting the importance of keeping the Ganga clean, the Prime Minister said, "Ganga plays a significant role in sustaining the lives of about 50 per cent of the country’s population from its origin in Uttarakhand till West Bengal."
Talking about his government’s achievements on the Namami Gange project, Modi said, "The project cost more than Rs 30,000 crore. It is either in progress or completed. Due to these projects the sewage treatment capacity of Uttarakhand has increased four-times in the last six years."
The Prime Minister listed the efforts taken to close more than 130 drains in Uttarakhand from flowing into the river Ganga. He referred especially to the Chandreshwar Nagar drain which turned as an eyesore to visitors and rafters at Muni Ki Reti, in Rishikesh.

He applauded the closing of the drain and the construction of a four-storied STP at Muni Ki Reti. The STP has been constructed in about 30 per cent of the usual area required for STPs of such capacity.
The Prime Minister said that as Ganga’s cleanliness was seen by the pilgrims at Prayagraj Kumbh, Modi said, adding that the visitors to Haridwar Kumbh would also experience the clean and pure status of the Ganga in Uttarakhand.
He referred to the beautification of the hundreds of ghats at Ganges and the development of a modern riverfront at Haridwar. "The country's first four-storey sewage treatment plant has started here from today. More than 20 such drains have been closed in Haridwar too."
The six projects that Modi inaugurated include a 68 MLD sewage treatment plant (STP), upgrade of the existing 27 MLD STP at Jagjeetpur in Haridwar and construction of an 18 MLD STP at Sarai in Haridwar. The inauguration of the 68 MLD Jagjeetpur project also marks the completion of the first sewerage project taken up on the hybrid annuity model in public-private partnerships.
Meanwhile, in Rishikesh, a 26 MLD STP at Lakkadghat was inaugurated. The Haridwar-Rishikesh zone contributes about 80 per cent wastewater load into the Ganga. Hence the inauguration of these STPs will play a significant role in keeping the river clean.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a 5 MLD STP in Chorpani, and two STPs with capacities of 1 MLD and 0.01 MLD in Badrinath. In all, 30 projects are now complete in Uttarakhand for taking care of pollution in 17 towns near the Ganga river.
The logo of the Jal Jeevan Mission was also unveiled by Modi and the first museum on the Ganga dedicated to showcase the culture and biodiversity was inaugurated..