France’s AFD to finance Nag River front beautification project
   Date :10-Feb-2021

France Ambassador Emmanue
 France Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain discussing Nag River
front beautification project with Municipal Commissioner as
others look on.
 
Staff Reporter :
 
French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain also discusses Plastic Waste Management project proposed by NMC during meeting with Municipal Commissioner and Smart City CEO
 
 
French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain and Council General of France in Mumbai, Sonia Barbry, visited Nagpur Municipal Corporation on Tuesday and discussed Nag River Rehabilitation Project. During discussions with Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B, and Bhubaneswari S, CEO, Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL), French Ambassador offered to provide financial and technical help to NMC for the ambitious project. Civic officials provided information about the city, the future prospects, ongoing development projects and future scenario.
 
The Nag River flowing through the centre of the city and is the glory of the city but over the period of time the water body lost is status. Therefore, NMC has taken initiative for the revival of this signature river for which Central Government and Japan's Financial Institutions, Japan International Co-operation Agency, JIKA. The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 2117.71 crores and Central Government, State Government and Nagpur Municipal Corporation have 60:25:15 share in the project respectively. Central Government will spend 60 per cent or Rs 1323.51 crore, the State Government 25 per cent or Rs 496.38 crore and NMC's 15 per cent or Rs 297.82 crore contributions. NMC supplies 650 MLD of water to city and about 530 MLD of this water is converted into sewage and discharged into the Nag River. Of this, 350 to 360 MLD of water is treated and rest is released the same way ahead of Bhandewadi and it mixes into Wainganga thereby polluting the water in Gosikhurd Irrigation Project.
 
For beautification of Nag river, in first phase is to address the issue of pollution for which sewage treatment plants (STPs) would be constructed at various places to ensure no untreated waste is released into it. In the second phase of the beautification work under the Nag River Rehabilitation Project, NMC will require the major support of Agence France de Development (AFD), the lending agency of France Government. Apart from this, waste is being segregated in the city every day and a project for processing plastic waste will also be implemented. Here to France's technical assistance is required for the disposal of plastic waste in proper way.
 
Nag River Rehabilitation and Plastic Waste Management Project of city is aimed at preserving the environment and for the same AFD agreed to provide financial and technical assistance. Municipal Commissioner also sought appointment of technical consultants for proper execution of the second phase of Nag River Rehabilitation Project. Speaking during the meeting, French Ambassador said that AFD has funded several projects in city and this project will also be considered for co-operation. Also, France will co-operate NMC for its proposal of management of plastic waste. Earlier, Jackie Amprou, Regional Director, South Asia, AFD, and Bruno Bosle, Country Director for India, inspected the Nag River at various places from Ambazari to get an idea of the beautification project. At the beginning of the meeting, Mohammed Israel, Technical Advisor, Nag River Rehabilitation Project, presented the details of the project from its inception. Shweta Banerjee, Superintending Engineer, NSSCDCL, Mahesh Morone, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, NSSCDCL, Rajesh Dufare, General Manager, Dr Praneeta Umredkar, General Manager, Dr Parag Armal, Dr Sandeep Naranware, Dr Manas Badge were present during the meeting.