The urban development department of UP have roped in a Noida-based company for drawing up the detailed project report (DPR) for the Hindon rejuvenation plan.
According to officials, the DPR will involve taking up various measures to abet pollution of river Hindon, which originates from Saharanpur and passes through Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Ghaziabad before merging with the Yamuna in Bulandshahr district.
The 300km river has a total industrial and sewage discharge of about 674.033 MLD (million litres per day) of which Ghaziabad district accounts for about 399.693 MLD.
“We have requested the inclusion of several points in the DPR. They are: intercepting of all major and minor drains, treatment of intercepted waste water, channelling profile, course correction and strengthening of riverbanks, riverbanks beautification with development of walkways, cycle tracks, tree avenues, and landscaping, and a comprehensive solid waste and sewage sludge management in Ghaziabad and Noida,” Ghaziabad district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said.
The entire river stretch from Saharanpur to Ghaziabad has 31 drains emptying into the river and 29 of these are untapped while only two are partially untapped.
The nine drains in Ghaziabad that empty into the Hindon are located in Sahibabad, Karhera, Dasna, Pratap Vihar, Indirapuram, Arthala, Meerut-Road to Kaila Bhatta, Hindon Vihar and Jawli.
The district magistrate has also nominated additional district magistrate (administration) to be part of the rejuvenation plan and has asked him to provide details related to vacant government land in buffer zone of 1km of the river, revenue maps of identified villages, right of way of the river and master development plan.
{{/usCountry}}The district magistrate has also nominated additional district magistrate (administration) to be part of the rejuvenation plan and has asked him to provide details related to vacant government land in buffer zone of 1km of the river, revenue maps of identified villages, right of way of the river and master development plan.
{{/usCountry}}Environmentalists, however, said plans have been prepared time and again for the rejuvenation of the river.
“But these plans failed to materialise. It would be better if a holistic plan is taken up in the upstream areas of the river as industrial effluents, untreated drains are flowing uninterrupted into the river. Apart from that, the tributaries of Hindon— Krishni and Kali— also need rejuvenation,” Vikrant Sharma, environmentalist and lawyer, said.