West Bengal: Pollution abatement projects to prevent sewage flow into Ganga

Jan 21, 2020

Kolkota (West Bengal), Jan 21 (ANI): The Hooghly or Kati-Ganga flows south for about 260 km into the Bay of Bengal, through a heavy industrialised area with more than half of West Bengal’s population. Household wastewater and industrial effluents flowing directly into the river are the major causes of its pollution. Tolly Nullah, a British-era canal, discharges a large quantity of sewage waste into the river. Under the pollution abatement and rehabilitation works, three sewage treatment plants will be set up with funds from the Namami Gange to stop the flow of sewage from Tolly Nullah into the Hooghly. A few kilometres from Kolkota is Barrackpur, the site of the first cantonment of British East India Company. Located on the banks of Hooghly, Barrackpur is now a densely populated city. It lacks sewage treatment plants, and consequently its wastewater flows directly into the river. Under the Namami Gange programme, work on 150 km long sewage network is going on at a rapid pace. It will connect over 35,000 households. The city’s household wastewater will be diverted to sewage treatment plants with capacities of 18 MLD and 6 MLD, which are under construction. The sewage treatment plants are expected to be operational by early 2020. As part of its pollution abatement initiatives, the National Mission for Clean Ganga has also constructed and renovated old Ganga ghats in Barrackpur and its adjoining areas.