Patna: A team from the World Bank has expressed satisfaction with the progress of sewage treatment and water management projects under the Namami Gange initiative being implemented by the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO), following a five-day inspection across Bihar.
The assessment, carried out between April 13 and 17, covered sewage treatment plants (STPs) and water treatment facilities in Bhagalpur, Munger, Begusarai and Patna. The visiting team reviewed operational efficiency, treatment quality, reuse systems, and digital monitoring infrastructure as part of its technical evaluation.
During the visit, officials examined the quality of treated water, plant capacities and maintenance systems, while also assessing the extent to which water reuse practices have been implemented. The team also reviewed real-time online monitoring mechanisms and centralized control systems being used to supervise operations across multiple sites.
Following field inspections, the delegation held discussions with BUIDCO managing director Animesh Kumar Parashar. According to officials present, the team described the condition of the STPs as better than anticipated and praised the deployment of online monitoring systems and water reuse initiatives, while also offering suggestions to further improve performance standards.
Parashar said the department was working on expanding the use of treated wastewater beyond discharge into rivers and drains. He said plans were being developed to channel treated water for irrigation in parks and government premises, supply it to industries at regulated rates, and use it for non-potable purposes such as road cleaning and construction.
Officials said the approach was intended to reduce dependence on groundwater while simultaneously improving urban greenery and ensuring a more reliable supply of water for industrial use.
BUIDCO also plans to strengthen its SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system, which will link all STPs to a central control room. The integrated system is expected to enable real-time monitoring of water quality, flow levels and plant operations, while generating automatic alerts in case of technical faults or irregularities.
Officials from BUIDCO, including senior engineers and members of the Namami Gange team, were present during the review meetings and site inspections.
