The 67th Executive Committee (EC) meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), chaired by Director General Rajeev Kumar Mital, approved several major research and infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening scientific river management and rejuvenation of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, NMCG and state project management groups from Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal participated in the meeting.
The EC placed strong emphasis on science-backed river restoration, approving research initiatives focused on glacier monitoring in the upper Ganga basin, development of a Digital Twin for the Ganga, SONAR-based riverbed surveys, managed aquifer recharge on paleochannels, and digitisation of historic Ganga basin maps. These projects aim to support climate resilience, sediment management, groundwater recharge, and real-time hydrological modelling.
As part of pollution abatement efforts in West Bengal, the EC cleared a ?361.86-crore project for intercepting and diverting drains and building STPs to reduce pollution in the Mahananda River in Siliguri. The project will be implemented on a Hybrid Annuity PPP model.
In Delhi, the committee approved a project for the safe conveyance of treated sewage from the Coronation Pillar STP to the Yamuna, including new pumping stations, rising mains, truss bridges and channels to ensure improved water quality.
Key research approvals include:
Rs 3.98 crore glacier melt and runoff study for the upper Ganga basin by the National Institute of Hydrology
SONAR-based bathymetric survey over 1,100 km from Bijnor to Ballia
Rs 2.42 crore Managed Aquifer Recharge project in the Ganga–Yamuna Doab
Rs 3.31 crore Digital Twin and Water Cycle Atlas for the Ganga basin
Rs 2.62 crore digitisation of historic Ganga basin maps
The EC also approved the ‘Youth for Ganga, Youth for Yamuna’ initiative worth Rs 39.37 lakh, aimed at sensitising 2.5 lakh school students in Delhi–NCR and establishing River Youth Clubs to promote conservation awareness.
These approvals strengthen NMCG’s strategy to integrate cutting-edge science, modern modelling tools, and improved infrastructure into long-term river basin management and pollution control.