National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has tasked the IIT Roorkee to identify critical soil erosion prone areas and explore best management practices to prevent soil erosion around Ganga basin.

The Executive Committee of NMCG has asked the IIT Roorkee to identify the critical soil erosion prone areas in the NMCG project and explore best management practices to conserve soil and water, said a senior officer of the Jal Shakti Ministry here on Friday.

According to a rough estimate, about 5334 million Metric tonnes of soil was being detached annually with an annual soil erosion rate of about 16.40 Mg ha-1 year-1. The IIT Roorkee also presented a proposal on ‘Identification of Critical Soil Erosion Prone Areas and Preparation of Catchment Area Treatment Plan’ to the committee.

The Committee further asked IIT Roorkee to carry out oil and water conservation in the catchment area of the Upper Ganga River (Haridwar-Narora stretch) located in western Uttar Pradesh has been selected as the study area.

The Executive Committee also sanctioned a series of major projects in West Bengal, Uttarkhand and Bihar for Sewage Treatment Plants (STP). In the first case, the Committee evaluated and sanctioned a Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Interception and Diversion network for existing drains falling in river Ganga including sewage treatment plant (STP), North Barrackpore municipality, in West Bengal.

Once the project was completed, all the drains would discharge no sewage without treatment into Ganga river. This project will include development of 2 STPs (30 MLD in Babanpore area and 8 MLD in Manirampore area).

Similar projects for Interception and Diversion work and 3 new STPs in Dehri-on-Sone, Bihar were also evaluated and approved at the meeting. This project would include Development of 3 STPs (one 11 MLD near Shiv Mandir, One 7 MLD near Dalmia Nagar and one 3 MLD near the Islam Ganj) including necessary ancillary infrastructures, UV disinfection, SCADA and online monitoring system, the officer said.

Another infrastructure development project for Development of Mata Balkumari Bathing Ghat and Crematorium at Village Ajeetpur, Haridwar, Uttarakhand was also proposed by SPMG-Uttrakhand at the meeting. Mata Balkumari Temple has religious importance as a place where pilgrims gather all the year round. The aim of this project is to develop infrastructure with a holistic approach to create basic infrastructure facilities for the general public for performing religious rituals.