Union Minister for Water Resources with special charge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet ‘Clean Ganga Mission’ Uma Bharti’s Jharkhand trip is all set to streamline projects related to the river pollution by nudging departments such as Drinking Water and Sanitation, Water Resources and the State pollution board. The Minister reached here in the evening and is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting with the State Government officials on Tuesday.
Sources privy to the developments said that talks about inclusion of all the panchayats falling along the holy river in Sahibgunj district of Jharkhand would figure into the discussion. “The Centre had called a meeting with top officials of Drinking Water and Sanitation Department and those associated with the ‘Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan’ through video conferencing. One of the main agenda was to define the role of panchayats in dealing with the rampant river pollution. Sahibgunj district had been included in its endeavour to make the river Ganga pollution-free,” said a senior official of the DW&SD.
Jharkhand in order to expand the coverage of, what is being projected as the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ‘clean Ganga Mission’ here as well had approached the Centre with a formal request considering drainage area of the river passing through the district. At least four blocks—Sahibganj, Rajmahal, Udhwa and Barharwa—are close to the river. The initiative to focus on panchayats is aimed to check the supply of effluents coming into river untreated in the form of solid and liquid waste.
“Director in the Water Resources Ministry had contacted us and sought for the list of village panchayats situated along the river Ganga in Sahibgunj district. We have shared the names of about 32 such panchayats which have been attached with it. Also roles the anganwadis and gram panchayats have been underlined in managing solid and liquid wastes generating over there,” said Swetabh Kumar of Project Management Unit (PMU) that is looking after Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan. This apart, an extensive drainage treatment plant in the district has been planned for which tender has also been issued.
Besides, the Union Minister would also discuss ways to deal with river pollution caused by industries related to power, cement etc situated along the Ganga and its tributaries mainly Damodar and Subarnarekha. “Those industries have come under direct supervision of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and includes names like DVC, TVNl and several others,” said an official of Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board.
The NGT had directed through Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to the JSPCB to present status report on the effluents going out untreated to the holy river directly or indirectly. “The issue may figure into the discussion. Status report of industries releasing effluents would be presented before her, if sought,” said a senior official of the JSPCB. The pollution board had named over 100 units from the State categorising those under the ‘Seriously Polluting Industries’ in November last year.
Nevertheless, JSPCB’s initiative to appoint a consultant to suggest ways to lessen the quantum of untreated effluents left free into the rivers has been rocked. Just one firm has responded to the Expression of Interest published. “It is a single bid and we are finding ways how to go ahead,” said JSPCB Chairman AK Mishra. Stretch of Ganga in Jharkhand is just 32 km but both the Damodar and Subarnarekha share significantly into the stream.
Irrigation projects like Kanhar, Subarnarekha and Koyal-Karo are hanging fire for long in the want to land. “Some of the projects are inter-state and Centre’s role comes into picture here. We will raise the issues before the Minister,” said an official of Water Resources Department.