Santragachhi Jheel sewage plant & drain may be ready by Aug 31: State

Kolkata: The state govt informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that work on the long-pending sewage treatment plant (STP) and garland drain around Santragachhi Jheel in Howrah is on progress and the overall project is expected to be completed by Aug 31.According to the affidavit, about 22% of the project work has been done.
According to the affidavit, the project—titled Pollution Abatement at Santragachhi Jheel, including interception and diversion network, pumping station and STP — is being implemented by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) at an approved cost of Rs 28.8 crore. In an affidavit filed before the Eastern Bench of the NGT, Bengal chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty detailed the status of pollution abatement works at the ecologically sensitive wetland, in compliance with the tribunal's order dated Feb 14, 2025. The affidavit outlines construction progress, inter-departmental coordination, and steps taken by civic and district authorities to protect the jheel, a major habitat for migratory birds. This was in response to a case filed by green crusader Subhas Datta on irreversible pollution of the jheel by constant inflow of both municipal and railway sewage. The work order for the project was issued on Aug 12, 2024, with a tentative completion period of 2 years. Site cleaning and topographical surveys began on Aug 23, 2024. Access to the STP site was provided by South Eastern Railway (SER) on Nov 25 in the same year, following which construction activities commenced. Till Jan 2 this year, around 350 m of the planned 2,046 m gravity pipeline of the STP was laid, along with the construction of 13 manholes. Construction of the waste stabilisation pond-type STP is currently in progress, alongside road restoration works and the building of gully pits. Revised drawings for the gravity pipeline and the STP design were submitted by the project consultant, DS Consortium, and are being vetted by Jadavpur University.However, delays were reported in obtaining permissions from the SER for laying sections of the garland drain on the northern side of the jheel. Reminder letters were issued to the railway authorities, and KMDA was asked to escalate the issue to higher levels of the railway administration to resolve the bottleneck. The Howrah district administration has been monitoring the project to ensure coordination among stakeholders. A coordination meeting chaired by the District Magistrate on Dec 15, 2025, resolved to intensify monitoring of the STP and drain works and to address issues slowing down the execution of the project. The Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), in its action taken report to the NGT, said it was carrying out regular cleaning of municipal solid waste in and around Santragachhi Jheel. Large blue bins were installed at regular intervals, roads were being swept routinely, and awareness campaigns were being conducted. HMC also approached the West Bengal Biodiversity Board to undertake vegetation management of the jheel to ensure suitable conditions for migratory birds during the winter season. In Dec 2025, the Biodiversity Board sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 9.43 lakh for the "Vegetation Management of Santragachi Jheel" project, to be implemented through Nature Mates–Nature Club. The affidavit also highlights an initiative by the District Rural Development Cell, Howrah, which engaged an NGO, Samajik Pahal Foundation, to explore the use of water hyacinth removed from the jheel for making handicrafts through several self-help groups (SHGs) under the Anandadhara scheme. The NGT disposed of the related miscellaneous application after taking note of affidavits filed by the chief secretary, KMDA, the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department, the HMC and SER. However, the tribunal directed all stakeholders to ensure timely completion of the works and sustained measures to prevent pollution.