Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal tomorrow for a series of programmes, including chairing the second meeting of the National Ganga Council (NGC).

At around 11:15 am, the PM will reach Howrah Railway Station, where he will flag off Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri. He will also inaugurate the Joka-Taratala stretch of the Purple Line of Kolkata Metro and lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various railway projects.

At noon, Modi will reach INS Netaji Subhas, pay floral tribute at the statue of Netaji Subhas and inaugurate Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee – National Institute of Water and Sanitation (DSPM – NIWAS). He will also lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation multiple sewerage infrastructure projects for West Bengal under the National Mission for Clean Ganga.

In yet another step to boost cooperative federalism in the country, the PM will chair the second meeting of the NGC in Kolkata. The meeting will be attended by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, other Union ministers who are members of the council and the chief ministers of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The NGC has been given the overall responsibility for the superintendence of pollution prevention and rejuvenation of River Ganga and its tributaries.

Modi will also inaugurate seven sewerage infrastructure projects (20 Sewage Treatment Plants and a 612 km network) developed under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) at a cost of more than Rs 990 crores. These projects will benefit the municipalities of Nabadwip, Kacharapra, Halishar, Budge-Budge, Barrackpore, Chandan Nagar, Bansberia, Uttrapara Kotrung, Baidyabati, Bhadreshwar, Naihati, Garulia, Titagarh, and Panihati. These projects will add the Sewage Treatment Capacity of over 200 MLD in West Bengal.

The PM will also lay the foundation stone for five sewerage infrastructure projects (8 Sewage Treatment Plants and 80 Km Network) to be developed under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) at an estimated cost of Rs 1585 crores. These projects will add 190 MLD new STP capacity in West Bengal. These projects will benefit areas of North Barrackpore, Hooghly-Chinsura, Kolkata KMC area- Garden Reach & Adi Ganga (Tolly Nala) and Mahestala town.

He will inaugurate Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee – National Institute of Water and Sanitation (DSPM – NIWAS), which has been developed at Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata at an estimated cost of around Rs 100 Crore. The Institute will serve as an apex body in the country on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the country, serving as a hub of information and knowledge for Central, State and local governments.