New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved a proposal for carrying out the second phase of Ganga Action Plan worth Rs 496.90 crore with Japanese assistance at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
The proposal by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be under the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) programme.
The central government will bear 85 percent (Rs.427.73 crore) of the project cost while the rest (Rs 69.17 crore) will be shared by the Uttar Pradesh government.
"The project will have direct beneficial impact in terms of reduction of pollution load in the river Ganga in the region besides collateral benefits like irrigation by effluents from sewage treatment plant (STP) and employment opportunities particularly at the construction stage," the cabinet said.
According to the CCEA, biogas (methane) from STP will be used to generate electricity and will help in reducing green house gas emissions.
IANS
