Digha-Kankarbagh projects to boost Bihar's sewerage treatment capacity

In a bid to boost Bihar's sewerage treatment capacity, a sustainable wastewater infrastructure will be constructed in the state under the Namami Gange Programme.

An agreement was signed between the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Bihar Urban Development Ministry, and DK Sewage Project Private Limited for the Digha-Kankarbagh projects.

The NMCG has also sanctioned Rs 1,269.77 crore for the Digha-Kankarbagh project under the Namami Gange Programme.

Out of this amount, Rs 1,187.86 crore will be used for the construction of 100 million litres per day (MLD) capacity sewage treatment plant (STP) in Digha, construction of 303 kilometre-long sewage network and 50 MLD STP in Kankarbagh.

National Mission for Clean Ganga Executive Director G Asok Kumar said that Bihar will have a sewage treatment capacity of 650 MLD once the projects under construction are completed.

"Patna alone will have a sewage treatment capacity of 350 MLD. We are keeping in view the population projection of city by the year 2035 and building plants to completely treat the sewage of that time," Kumar said.

The NMCG has sanctioned 50 projects in Bihar, which are at different stages of implementation.

A sum of Rs 5,776.77 crore was also sanctioned for the sewerage management, ghats and crematoria works, riverfront development works, afforestation, bio-remediation, rural sanitation and river surface cleaning work in the state.