The Times of India              22.04.2013

NAGPUR: The Nagpur municipal corporation (NMC) is all set to kick-off historic 15-day Save Nag River campaign from May 1. Seven teams comprising 31 top officials have been constituted to monitor the works on the theme of VIBGYOR (seven colours of a spectrum). It has also drawn up plans to establish micro-sewage treatment plants (STP) with 1 million litres per day (MLD) capacity along with existing proposal of mini-plants with 5 MLD capacity.

Mayor Anil Sole and municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane have planned the campaign from May 1 to 15 for cleaning the city's iconic river and also spreading awareness among the citizens about importance of the river. Wardhane constituted five-member core group (colour code: violet) that includes deputy director (health) Dr Milind Ganvir, superintending engineer Prakash Urade, health officer (sanitation) Dr Ashok Urkude, special officer for lakes and rivers Mohammed Israil and garden superintendent Nareshchandra Shrikhande.

For smooth implementation of works, the river has been divided into six stretches- Ambazari lake overflow point to Panchsheel square (indigo), up to Baidyanath square (blue), up to Juni Shukrawari (green), up to KDK college (yellow), up to Pardi bridge (orange), thence up to confluence with Pilli river beyond Bharatwada (red). The responsibility of each stretch is given to a team of 4-5 officials including assistant commissioners, deputy engineers etc.

In his circular about administrative set up for campaign, Urade set six types of responsibilities to each group. They have been asked to identify and suggest sites along Nag river for establishing micro STPs. "Groups should also identify sites for establishing public toilets to prevent open defecation near the river. The number of encroachments and proposed action should also be identified. Groups should enlist the government and private bodies interested in helping the campaign. Technical works like assessment of silt and soil, locations from where machines may enter the riverbed, plan to arrest sewage flowing into the river, spots where solid waste is dumped etc also have to be done," he said.

Meanwhile, Sole is chalking out programmes to be undertaken during the campaign and how corporators and NGOs could be involved. The micro-STPs are a new step. Already, NMC has issued work orders to construct mini-STPs with installed capacity of 5 MLD each. Besides, NMC is operating one 80 MLD plant at Bhandewadi and has proposed to augment it to 200 MLD. Another big plant with 130 MLD capacity is under construction at Bhandewadi under JNNURM.

NMC has proposed to construct three more STPs with 5 MLD capacity in Nag river's rejuvenation plan. Proposal has been submitted to build three big STPs with total capacity of 350 MLD and laying of 1,747.38km sewage line at the cost of Rs 1,328.88 crore under JNNURM phase-II. If all these plans come to fruition, Nag River will have clean water flowing through it. Besides Kanhan and Vainganga rivers too may be rid of city's pollution.