Ahmedabad, 27 November 2014

Union Government’s National River Conservation Director has granted Rs.444.44-crore for the phase-2 of the Sabarmati River Conservation Project, thanks to relentless follow-up process by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

The project is for the purification of the Sabarmati River. As per the approval, 70 per cent of the cost (Rs.311.72-crore) would be borne by the Government of India (GOI), and the remaining 30 per cent (Rs132.72-crore) jointly by Government of Gujarat (GOG) and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

According to AMC Chief Engineer, GOI had earlier granted Rs.90-crore for the phase-1 of the project under which was to be constructed 22-km of sewage network, two terminal pumping stations and two sewage treatment plants, besides two crematoria and five toilets.

The phase-2 includes: Rs.176-crore for Pirana, Vasna and Chandrabhaga drains and Cantonment Sewage Treatment Plant; Rs.115-crore for new sewer lines for Meghaninagar, Chiloda, Hathijan, Vasna and Nikol, Rs.42-crore for a new pumping plant at Vastral, and Rs.70-crore for repairing the old sewer lines.

The project would be executed as per the provisions of Central Public Health Engineering Environment Organization’s Revised Guidelines.

After the completion of phase-2 of the River Conservation Project, no untreated or half-treated gutter water could be released into the Sabarmati. Similarly, industrial waste waters could also be released into the sewage line only after primary treatment as per the provisions.

Meanwhile, GOG and AMC have jointly appealed to the people to cooperate with the government efforts in maintaining the cleanliness of the Sabarmati. No river conservation project of this nature could be implemented without the awareness of the people and compliance of the regulations.