New plan: Ganga water to be poured into dying Hindon to revive river

The administration wants to popularise Hindon Kanwar on the lines of traditional Kanwar Yatra in which devotees bring Ganga water to temples in their areas.

Meerut divisional commissioner Dr Prabhat Kumar has decided to start a campaign under which public will bring Ganga water from the Upper Ganga Canal and pour it into river Hindon. The campaign, ‘Hindon Kanwar’, hopes to mobilise the public in reviving the river.

NThe project is aimed at reviving the Hindon that now mostly carries sewage from the six districts through which it flows.(Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The Hindon was earlier the lifeline of West Uttar Pradesh cities including Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida.

The administration will rope in social groups, government bodies and interested individuals, including villagers, in the event. The administration wants to popularise Hindon Kanwar on the lines of traditional Kanwar Yatra in which devotees bring Ganga water to temples in their areas.

The administration wants to rejuvenate the 400km river, which is all but dead and now mostly carries sewage from the six districts through which it flows.

The Hindon originates from Pur Ka Tanda village in Saharanpur and confluences with the Yamuna near Momnathal in Sector 151, Noida. In its journey to reach Momnathal, the river passes through Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad.

“We will appeal to the public to start the Hindon Kanwar in the first week of November. Hindon Kanwar is a campaign to make people aware about the direct need to revive the river. We will appeal to the public that they carry Ganga water from Upper Ganga Canal and pour it into the Hindon,” said the divisional commissioner.

The Upper Ganga Canal originates from Haridwar and passes through Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad and Bulandshahr. It supplies Ganga water for drinking purposes to Ghaziabad and Noida.

“I want people in villages and cities, including Ghaziabad and Noida, to go to the Upper Ganga Canal nearby to bring water for the Hindon. The objective is to sensitise people about the Hindon. Hindon Kanwar will spread a message that everyone will have to do his bit to rejuvenate the Hindon,” Kumar said.

The date for the Hindon Kanwar is yet to be decided.

“Hindon Kanwar event will be held in the first week of November. People will have to realize the fact that how important it is to protect rivers,” said Kumar.

In a bid to revive river Hindon, the divisional commissioner had ordered for a pollution audit of industries that are suspected to be discharging effluents into the river.

Kumar said the UP pollution board officers have been asked to conduct an audit of industries that are close to the river banks and even those a little further away. The audit is expected to be completed within one month and officials have been asked to submit a report.

“These industries are, directly or indirectly, discharging effluents into the river. In case any of the industries are violating norms, officials have been asked to take appropriate action. In case an industry cannot be acted upon, in terms of polluting river Hindon, it should be closed,” Dr Kumar said.

According to official estimates, the stretch of river Hindon in seven districts comprises nearly 400 industries. In various instances, the industries are either discharging effluents directly or have laid pipelines or a system of long drains that finally culminate in the river.