PM: Make Ganga rejuvenationexample of co-op federalism

KANPUR Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday termed the Ganga as the holiest river in the sub-continent and said its rejuvenation should be a shining example

KANPUR Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday termed the Ganga as the holiest river in the sub-continent and said its rejuvenation should be a shining example of cooperative federalism.

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Chairing the first-ever meeting of National Council for Ganga (NCG) in Kanpur’s CS Azad University for Agriculture and Technology, Modi sought a holistic thought process for a sustainable development model, and stressed on focusing on economic activities related to the Ganga.

The meeting was attended by 10 union ministers, chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, deputy chief minister of Bihar and vice chairman of Niti Ayog.

Chief minister of West Bengal did not attend the meeting and Jharkhand CM skipped it because of the assembly elections there.

The Prime Minister was received by chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries at the Chakeri airport.

Reviewing the progress of works under the Namami Gange project, Modi deliberated on various aspects of Ganga cleaning. He said cleaning the Ganga was pending for long and Namami Gange was brought in as a comprehensive initiative.

The project has so far given some encouraging results, such as zero waste creation by paper mills and reduction in pollution from tanneries. “But much is left to be done,” he said.

The Prime Minister emphasised on greater awareness and said public participation was a must for a nirmal (clean) Ganga framework. “Efficiency of district Ganga committees should be improved in all the districts for effective implementation of the project,” he said.

As for building sustainable development model for ‘Arth Ganga’, Modi said farmers should be encouraged to engage in sustainable farming practices, including zero budget farming, planting of fruit trees and setting up of nurseries on the banks of Ganga.

Modi said priority should be given to women self-help groups and former servicemen for such programmes. “In addition, infrastructure for water sports should also be created with camp sites and tracks for cycling and walking etc,” he said.

“This would help in tapping the hybrid tourism potential of the river basin area for both religious and adventure tourism,” he said. The income generated from eco-tourism, Ganga wildlife conservation and cruise tourism would help generate sustainable income for cleaning the Ganga, he said.

The Prime Minister asked officials to set up digital dashboards for monitoring, by Niti Ayog and jal shakti ministry, the data collated in villages and by urban bodies.

He said all the districts bordering the Ganga should be made focus areas for monitoring efforts under Namami Gange.

He also said the National Council for Ganga was responsible for supervising pollution prevention and rejuvenation of the Ganga and its tributaries.

After the meeting, the Prime minister visited Atal Ghat at Ganga Barrage and went on a boat to inspect the successful tapping of 128-year-old Sisamau drain, which used to carry 114 MLD of waste straight into the river.

FUNDING

The central government had made a commitment of Rs 200 million (Rs 20 crore) for 2015-2020 to the five states through which Ganga passes to ensure that uninterrupted water flows in the river.

Rs 7,700 crore have already been spent on construction of new treatment plants. In addition, the government has set up ‘Clean Ganga Fund’ to facilitate contributions from individuals, non-resident Indians and corporates for funding Ganga related projects.