UP fines Varanasi company Rs 3 crore for poor performance of Ganga sewage plant
The Uttar Pradesh Government has slapped a hefty fine of Rs 3 crore on a private concessionaire for showing callousness in running a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Varanasi, which led to pollution in the Ganga River even as it has floated tenders for construction of STPs in Rae Bareilly.
A team from the Namami Ganga department had recently raided 12 places across the state to check the parameters and quality of effluents discharged from the STPs. The exercise was done to ensure scaling up of work on the Namami Gange programme, said an official.
The team found Ramana STP in Varanasi not operating at the fixed parameters and also the quality of sewage disposal was not meeting the agreed standards. Though state government officials were reluctant to share the name of the company, it is learnt that Varanasi STP Project Private Limited (VSPPL) was awarded the concession to construct a 50 million litre per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant in Ramana, Varanasi, and also restore allied facilities under the hybrid annuity model (HAM) in early 2019.
VSPPL is 74 per cent owned by Essel Infraprojects (EIPL), a Zee Group company.
The recent strict action shows that the state Government is taking up the Ganga rejuvenation and pollution abatement initiative very seriously, said the official.
Principal Secretary (Namami Gange) Anurag Srivastava said the state government has made its intention clear and action will continue to be initiated wherever required to ensure that sewage and pollutants don’t spill into the Ganga.
“Till the pollution level is brought to zero, action against the defaulters will continue,” Srivastava said.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam has floated tender for construction of three sewage treatment plants in Rae Bareilly.
The scope of work involves design, build, finance, operate and transfer sewage treatment plants of capacities as set out below along with associate infrastructure with operation and maintenance period of 15 years through hybrid annuity model (HAM) based PPP basis under Namami Ganga programme.
The sewage treatment plants will be have a capacity of 42 MLD near Bisalpur road, 20 MLD near Chaubari drain and 1 MLD near Airforce drain.
The project also envisages construction of associated infrastructure like three main pumping stations of 42 MLD, 20 MLD and 1 MLD, construction of one lifting station of 12.52 MLD, construction of interception and diversion works – 15 nos, laying of 16,391 meter sewer line and laying 120 meter of rising main.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 155.04 crore.
