The Centre has approved a Rs.497-crore project for Varanasi under Mission Clean Ganga.

The project, which comes under the National Ganga River Basin Authority, will set up a plant to treat 140 million litres of sewage a day, lay 34 km of sewers and rehabilitate existing systems, construct three new pumping stations, build community toilets, renovate 26 ghats and develop seven dhobi ghats and build capacity to involve the public.

This is based on the demands that the system will face in 2025-30, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said.

The project, to be completed over the next five years, will receive 85 per cent of funding from the Centre, and the rest from the State government. The money is being raised through a soft loan from Japan.