New Delhi: Cracking the whip on companies deployed under Namami Gange project accused of being callous and lackadaisical in their operations, Yogi government has penalised a Varanasi based firm and warned of stringent action against few others.

Varanasi-based company has been slapped a fine of Rs 3 crore by the Namami Ganga department for callousness in running a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

Teams of Namami Ganga have raided at least 12 places across state, checking the parameters and quality of STPs. To ensure scaling up work on Clean and Flowing Ganga Mission, the Yogi government has scaled up action and monitoring and checking of the parameters and quality of STPs, both government and private. A total of 9 teams have been constituted and they are conducting surprise inspections and investigating sewage disposal.

The first action was taken in Varanasi where Ramana STP was found not to be operating at the fixed parameters. It was also found that the quality of sewage disposal was not up to the mark and after completion of the probe, the Namami Gange department has slapped a fine of Rs 3 crore on the company.

This is the biggest action so far against callousness in disposal of sewage. This drive is underway at many other places in the state. Uttar Pradesh has 104 operational STPs of which 44 STPs are under the purview of Namami Ganga. It is important to note that the state government led by Yogi
Adityanath has rolled out an extensive awareness campaign for people towards cleanliness of Ganga. To ensure that, Ganga ghats are clean and to see to it that drains don’t flow into the river, STPs are being made on a large scale.

Principal Secretary Namami Gange, Anurag Srivastava informed that clean and flowing Ganga was an issue very dear to the government and that it was taking it on top priority. We are moving in that direction only and action will continue to be initiated wherever required to ensure that sewage and pollutants don’t find way into the river, pollution levels are brought to zero and awareness is further spread.