• As urgency grows to show results for its Clean Ganga mission, the Centre is turning to bacterial bioremediation techniques to cut down the time lag in commissioning of sewage treatment plants( STPs).

• While STPs typically take two to three years to come up, large-scale application of bio remediation using `sewage eating microbes’ quickens the process of improvement in the quality of river water, though only to an extent.

• Under bio remediation technique, the activated microbes eat up contaminants such as oil and organic matter.

• The bacteria play a vital role in treatment of sewage without causing any release of foul odour.

• The process thus also reduces stench from raw sewage. During the process of treatment, pollutants like heavy metals and toxic chemicals are reduced.

• Bio remediation technique can be used to prevent polluted water from flowing directly into the Ganga.

Source:TOI