The Environment Ministry today sanctioned 43 projects worth over Rs 2,400 crore for four States to make the Ganga river pollution-free and to conserve it under the Mission Clean Ganga project.

“The projects sanctioned in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarakhand for development of sewer networks, sewage treatment plans and sewage pumping stations, electric crematoria, community toilets, development of river fronts etc,” the Ministry said in a release here.

Projects worth Rs 1,314 crore have been sanctioned for Uttar Pradesh, Rs 656 crore for West Bengal, Rs 442 crore for Bihar and Rs 64 crore for Uttarakhand, the Ministry said.

Cost sharing

“For three years, operation and maintenance costs will be shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 70:30 with an option to extend the sharing for another two years,” it said.

So far, pollution abatement projects of Rs 2,476 crore have been sanctioned under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).

NGRBA was set up by the government in February 2009 as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga river, to ensure effective control of pollution and conservation of the national river.

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