Supplementary report to 2nd quarterly report on behalf of the National Mission for Clean Ganga with respect to revised quarterly progress report submitted by state of Bihar in the matter of Original Application No. 200 of 2014 in the matter of M. C. Mehta Vs Union of India & Others.

The report is on the status of various projects for sewage treatment plant (STPs)/sewerage infrastructure in the state of Bihar as on July 2020.

The report stated that few STPs/sewerage infrastructure projects continued to be delayed in Bihar for want of finalization of tenders (projects in Danapur, Phulwari, Sahriff, Hajipur, Fatuha and Munger). This is despite providing all necessary support, directions and repeated reminders by NMCG/Ministry of Jal Shakti to the state in this regard. With regard to prevention of discharge of untreated industrial waste and sewage in tributaries of river Ganga in Bihar was concerned, it was submitted that the major tributaries selected for this purpose was Punpun, Ramrekha, Sikrahana, Sirsia, Parmar, Sone, Burhi Gandak, Gandak, Bagmati, Kosi, Mahananda and Kiul rivers respectively.

While a project comprising I&D and STP of 7 MLD capacity had been approved for Rs. 35.49 crore for river Punpun, the projects for rest of the tributaries are under DPR preparation stage. The state has said that these projects are expected to be completed by June 2021. This may not happen as the state had yet to prepare DRP for the projects before initiating process for its sanction and implementation.

With regard to maintenance of e-flow in river Ganga, the state submitted that no control structure exists over the stretch of river Ganga in the state, thus no action was required to be taken by the state. However, Bihar informed the Central Government to issue order on e-flow release for lower reaches of river Ganga and contribution of Upper Riparian States should be fixed towards e-flow as well as requirement for honoring the 'Indo-Bangladesh Treaty, 1996'. Government of India had already issued notification towards release of e- flow at last control structure on Ganga in Kanpur.

With regard to development of biodiversity parks in the floodplain area of river, Bihar was in the process of devising suitable arrangement between Departments of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Water Resources, Revenue and Land Reforms and district administration for selection and transfer of suitable land area in floodplain of river for development of biodiversity parks.