The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), on Tuesday, gave a green signal to a conservation project for Nathmalpur Bhagad, a vital wetland in Bihar’s Bhojpur district, advancing its efforts to restore ecosystems across the Ganga basin.
Under the Namami Gange Project (NGP), Nathmalpur Bhagad is the fifth such wetland that has received the attention of NMCG officials with an estimated budget of ₹3.51 crore.
The announcement came at the 62nd Executive Committee (EC) Meeting of NMCG, chaired by its Director-General, Rajeev Kumar Mital.
The project focuses on integrating biodiversity and ecosystem service values into river basin conservation and developmental planning. In addition to taking steps for rejuvenation at the confluence of rivers Ghaghara, Gomti, and Sone (a sub-basin), interventions will be directed at the wetland site.
Wetland delineation, hydrological regime enhancement, species and habitat conservation, ecological assessment, risk evaluation, capacity building, communication and outreach, and monitoring mechanisms are some of the key activities planned under this initiative.
Besides Nathmalpur Bhagad, the four other wetlands that have already been sanctioned under NGP include: Kalewada Jheel, Muzaffarnagar, UP, Namiya Dah Jheel, Prayagraj, UP, Reoti Dah Wetland, Ballia, UP, and Udhwa Lake (Ramsar Site) Sahibganj, Jharkhand.
Additionally, the committee also deliberated on plans to promote the reuse of treated wastewater through city-specific reuse plans. A fund of ₹34.50 lakh was approved by the EC for the project, “Capacity Building Initiatives for making water-sensitive cities in the Ganga Basin.”
The money sanctioned will be dedicated to preparing city plans and imparting training on the reuse of treated wastewater for Agra and Prayagraj Districts in Uttar Pradesh.
Conservationists hailed the decision as a positive step and called for such action nation-wide.