Dainik Nation News Portal
The latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in Parliament has revealed shortcomings in the execution of Namami Gange project in Uttarakhand and said that untreated sewage still flow into the holy river and its tributaries. The report stated that there are three STPs in Haridwar and one STP in Rishikesh with a capacity to treat 107.2 million litres per day (MLD) and 16 MLD respectively against which 63 MLD and six MLD respectively are being treated at present. The balance sewage of 44.2 MLD and 10 MLD respectively are discharged into the river without treatment.
The CAG report also stated that 111 drains (nullahs) discharge 56.871 MLD of sewage into the Ganga and its tributaries such as the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. Of these 111 drains, 47 having a discharge of 30.579 MLD have been tapped till the date of the audit while 26.292 MLD is still being discharged into the river and its tributaries without any treatment. On the position of STPs in 21 hydropower projects located in the mainstream of the Ganga, CAG stated that only six projects have not constructed STPs.
The report also mentions the tardy progress in setting up of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and building of toilets in Haridwar. While scrutinizing the records of the initiatives in Haridwar, the CAG noticed that of the 53 toilet complexes and 12 bio-digester complexes that were proposed to be built by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) under the corporate social responsibility (CSR), only 6 bio-digester complexes are in working condition. Construction of five such complexes has been completed and location for one was yet to be identified, said the CAG report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
