NMCG clears major research push, key pollution-control projects at 67th EC meeting

New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The National Mission for Clean Ganga said on Monday that it has approved a series of major research and infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening scientific river management and accelerating pollution abatement efforts across the Ganga basin.

The decisions were taken at the 67th executive committee (EC) meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) chaired by its Director General Rajeev Kumar Mital, with a strong focus on data-driven planning, climate resilience and rejuvenation of both the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.

Senior officials from the Department of Water Resources and states participating in the mission attended the meeting, which placed emphasis on research-led interventions.

The EC cleared several studies that will deepen scientific understanding of the Ganga basin, from monitoring Himalayan glaciers and creating a Digital Twin of the Ganga, to SONAR-based riverbed surveys, managed aquifer recharge through paleochannels, and digitisation of historic geospatial maps, an official statement said.

Officials said the projects mark a shift toward integrating advanced modelling, artificial intelligence (AI) tools and high-resolution datasets into long-term river restoration.

As part of the major pollution-abatement measures, the committee approved a Rs 361.86 crore project to intercept and divert drains and construct new sewage treatment plants (STPs) for cleaning the Mahananda River in Siliguri, West Bengal.

The project, which includes 25 interception and diversion (I and D) structures, two STPs with capacities of 27 MLD and 22 MLD, and an extensive network of rising mains and pumping stations, will be implemented under a hybrid annuity-based public-private partnership (PPP) model.

To support Yamuna rejuvenation in Delhi, the EC also cleared the conveyance of treated sewage from the coronation pillar STP to the river.

The plan involves tapping untreated flows from the Jahangirpuri drain, building new pumping stations, laying rising mains and RCC channels, and installing truss bridges for drain crossings to ensure safe discharge of treated effluent, the statement said.

Among the key research approvals, the EC sanctioned a Rs 3.98 crore study by the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, on glacier retreat and melt-runoff changes in the Upper Ganga Basin, including risks linked to flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods.

It also approved a high-resolution SONAR-based bathymetric survey covering 1,100 km of the Ganga from Bijnor to Ballia, aimed at improving sediment management and environmental-flow assessments.

A Rs 242.56 lakh project on managed aquifer recharge along paleochannels in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab region was cleared to enhance groundwater security between Kaushambi and Kanpur.

The committee additionally approved Rs 3.31 crore for developing a Digital Twin and Water Cycle Atlas for the Ganga basin, and Rs 2.62 crore for creating a geospatial database of historical maps to track long-term changes in river morphology and floodplains.

Looking to expand public outreach, the EC sanctioned the 'Youth for Ganga, Youth for Yamuna' initiative to engage over 2.5 lakh students across 200 Delhi-NCR schools. PTI UZM ARI