A clean, free-flowing Ganga by 2020: Govt

The Centre has expressed confidence that the polluted river Ganga, will be clean by 2020. An estimated of Rs 15000 crore is to be spent on the project with the World Bank contributing nearly one billion dollars to help with the project according to the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

The Centre has expressed confidence that by 2020 the polluted river Ganga will be cleaned. A budget of Rs 15,000 crore will be spent on the project.

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"The Union Government is confident that the cleaning of the holy Ganga river will be over by 2020 and Rs 15,000 crore will be spent for this purpose under the river development fund," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said here.

The Centre plans to save the river by making it 'nirmal' (clean) and 'aviral' (free flowing), he told reporters yesterday. "We will not only ensure 'aviral dhara' (continuous flow of the river stream), as being demanded by several NGOs, but also ensure 'nirmal dhara' (clean and pollution free flow) , the minister said.

Ramesh said the World Bank has also promised India at least one billion dollars as assistance for cleaning up the heavily polluted Ganga in the first phase.

The clean-up involves building a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant, revamping drains and other measures to improve the quality of the river, which has been badly polluted by industrial chemicals, farm pesticides and other sewage.

"This is a project of enormous national importance and I am pleased that the World Bank has come forward to assist us," stated the minister, adding that the initial assistance of one billion dollars would be provided over the next four-five years.