India Gives Green Light for Ganges Clean-Up

India has cleared a proposal worth Rs4,970m ($106m) to carry out the second phase of the Ganges River clean-up.

The project includes setting up a 140 million litres a day sewage treatment plant at Varanasi, laying 34km of sewers, rehabilitating the existing sewage systems and setting up three pumping stations.

Money for the project was raised through soft loans from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Indian Government will bear 85%, Rs4,270 ($91m), of the project cost while the remaining amount will be borne by the state government of Uttar Pradesh.

The project will reduce pollution in the river and will be completed in five years, according hindu.com