The 63rd Executive Committee meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), held on 21 May 2025, marked a significant step towards the holistic rejuvenation of the Ganga River and its tributaries. With a focus on sustainability and innovation, the meeting aligned with the mission’s broader goals of improving water quality, enabling sustainable urban water management, and restoring the ecological health of the Ganga basin.
Key approvals included a major sewerage infrastructure project in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, with a budget of ₹126.41 crore. The project involves the construction of 40 interception and diversion structures, 21.20 km of sewer lines, 8 pumping stations, and trash screens across 5 major drains to prevent pollutants from entering water bodies. Designed under the Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) model, it offers a long-term and technically robust solution for urban wastewater management.
To advance scientific understanding of river ecosystems, the committee approved two important projects on environmental flow assessments: one for the Kosi, Gandak, and Mahananda rivers (₹6 crore), and another for the Ghaghara and Gomti basins (₹8 crore). These studies will inform the development of sustainable and adaptive river flow regimes over the next three years.
Another notable initiative includes a project to evaluate Johkasou and compact plug-and-play sewage treatment technologies, aimed at enhancing decentralized wastewater management systems across the country.
Additionally, the committee sanctioned a ₹2.47 crore project for the conservation and management of the Ramsar-listed Asan Wetland in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The project will focus on biodiversity restoration, the creation of a wetland inventory, and the implementation of scientific monitoring and conservation measures over a two-year period.
Described as more than a routine administrative event, the meeting symbolized a renewed journey blending traditional ecological wisdom with modern scientific approaches. It emphasized public participation and inter-agency collaboration as essential to achieving the goals of the Namami Gange Mission, while also setting an example for sustainable river management across the nation.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Rajeev Kumar Mital (Director General NMCG), Mahavir Prasad (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power), and key technical and administrative heads from both central and state agencies
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
