Varanasi/Patna, June, 2025:
In a major push towards the cleaning and rejuvenation of the Ganga River, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated six sewage treatment plants (STPs) under the ambitious Namami Gange Mission. The newly inaugurated plants aim to significantly reduce the flow of untreated wastewater into the Ganga, a river of immense cultural and ecological significance.

The inauguration took place virtually as part of a broader development agenda during the PM’s recent visit to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, regions through which the Ganga flows and where water pollution remains a critical concern.

🔹 Project Details:

The six STPs, spread across key towns and cities along the Ganga basin, have a combined treatment capacity of over 200 million litres per day (MLD). The facilities are located in:

• Patna (Bihar)
• Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
• Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
• Munger (Bihar)
• Sultanganj (Bihar)
• Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh)

These plants will treat both domestic and industrial sewage, preventing the direct discharge of pollutants into the river and ensuring improved water quality for millions of people dependent on the Ganga for daily use.

🔹 Namami Gange: Mission Overview

Launched in 2014, the Namami Gange Programme is a flagship initiative of the Government of India to rejuvenate the Ganga. It includes projects focused on:

• Sewage treatment
• River surface cleaning
• Industrial effluent monitoring
• Biodiversity conservation
• Public awareness campaigns

With a budget exceeding ₹30,000 crore, the mission has been extended until 2026 under "Namami Gange 2.0" to continue long-term ecological restoration.

🔹 Prime Minister's Address

During the launch, PM Modi stated:

"The health of our rivers reflects the health of our civilization. With these sewage plants, we are taking a strong step toward ensuring a cleaner, healthier Ganga, not just for today, but for future generations."

He also emphasized the importance of public participation in keeping rivers clean and spoke about how clean water is essential for economic development, tourism, and agriculture in the region.

🔹 Environmental and Social Impact

• Cleaner water for over 50 million people
• Reduction in waterborne diseases in urban and rural Ganga belt
• Improved aquatic biodiversity, especially for species like the Ganges dolphin
• Boost to ecotourism and pilgrimage routes in Varanasi, Patna, and Haridwar

🔹 Future Roadmap

Officials from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) stated that over 150 STPs have been commissioned so far, and several others are under construction. The government is also working with local bodies to ensure proper maintenance, real-time monitoring, and community engagement.

🔹 PM Modi’s Recent Initiative

At the Siwan rally, PM Modi inaugurated six new STPs under Namami Gange in Bihar — part of a larger infrastructure push including water, sanitation, and sewage works totaling over ₹4,800 cr across dozens of towns

🔹 State-Wide Infrastructure Snapshot

• So far, 32 STP projects cumulatively offering 740 MLD capacity have been sanctioned across 12 Bihar districts, with central funding ~₹4,866 cr
• In Patna, four STPs (Beur, Karmalichak, Saidpur, Pahari Zone IV) are completed. Two others (Digha and Kankarbagh) are nearing completion, each using SBR tech to treat and repurpose water
• Major upgrades in towns like Munger include a 30 MLD STP and extensive 174 km sewerage network, finished ahead of time.

🔹 Expansion Across Bihar’s Ganga Belt

• STP and sewer networks are underway in Danapur, Barh, Mokama, Phulwari Sharif, Sonepur, Chhapra, Sultanganj, and Begusarai — totaling around ₹7,500 cr in investment
• In Motihari, ₹150 cr has been allocated for four STPs to clean Motijheel Lake
• Earlier, Rs 280 cr was approved for STPs in Motihari, Jamui, and Daudnagar to protect tributaries joining the Ganga
• Across 27 Ganga-adjacent towns, 37 STP projects were sanctioned — with eight near completion (over 90%) in areas like Mokama and Chhapra

⚠ Ongoing Issues & Environmental Oversight

Despite the upgrades:

• Only 7 of 13 previously funded Bihar STPs are operational; many still face issues like missing pipelines, power connections, and non-functional sampling protocols.
• The NGT flagged that many completed STPs haven't begun functioning or met discharge standards; faecal coliform remains above safe levels at most statewide locations
• The World Bank also criticized slow progress in Digha (47.6 %) and Kankarbagh (45.8 %) STP projects during inspections

✅ Summary of Bihar's Namami Gange Status

🔧 What This Means for Bihar

• 🚀 The state is witnessing a massive scale-up in sewage infrastructure under Namami Gange.
• But there's a mixed record on functionality and environmental compliance.
• Central agencies and judicial bodies are keeping a watchful eye, signaling that completion must go hand-in-hand with operational effectiveness and pollution control.