New Delhi: The Bihar government told Wednesday the National Green Tribunal that 17 towns along the River Ganga in the state have been declared open-defecation free (ODF). Five towns are currently in the process of being declared ODF, it said.
In an affidavit filed before NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, the Bihar government said that the 17 towns are: Barh, Hajipur, Sonepur, Mokama, Bakhtiyarpur, Teghra, Maner, Barhiya, Manihari, Buxar, Naugachia, Danapur, Dighwara, Jamalpur, Munger, Begusarai and Bhagalpur. It said the work was in process in Patna, Chhapra, Sultanganj, Khagariya and Kahalgaon to make it into ODF towns.
With regard to liquid waste management, the state government informed the tribunal that a total 26 sewerage infrastructure projects sanctioned at a cost of Rs 5,089.82 crore which are at different stages of implementation in various towns – Patna (11 projects), Begusarai, Munger, Hajipur, Mokama, Sultanganj, Naugachia, Barh, Bhagalpur, Sonepur, Chhapra, Khagaria, Bakhtiyarpur, Maner, Danapur and Phulwarishariff.
These projects will facilitate in treatment of 616.5 MLD of sewage through creation/rehabilitation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), sewerage network and allied Interception and diversion works, it said.
The affidavit was filed after NGT’s May 29 order directing Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand to monitor Ganga cleaning and file report.
On the issue of plastic ban, the Bihar government said that 100 per cent single use plastic (Plastic Carry Bags) have been banned in all the urban local bodies in state.
“Penalty provisions have been made for involvement in production, distribution, trading, storage, sale of plastic carry bags irrespective of its thickness and sizes in the respective urban local bodies Plastic Waste Management Byelaws, 2018. A total of 38,283 shops or establishment have been raided and fine for Rs 18,99,495 has been collected and 8,085.21 Kg of plastic carry bags were also seized,” the state government said.
Even a drop of pollution in Ganga is a matter of concern and the attitude of all authorities should be stringent to protect the river, the NGT had earlier said while seeking a concrete action plan on the issue.
PTI