The Government will soon bring forth a legislation to punish those who pollute River Ganga, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti said on Monday.
She was responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on whether the industries polluting Ganga have been punished. To this, she informed the House that there are 764 industries on the banks of Ganga, which are polluting the river, "We have taken action against some, and our Government is committed to taking most stringent action." She said that decision in this regard would be taken after consulting the State Governments.
"Poor people go to jail even for stealing beedi, but those polluting Ganga do not go to jail," she pointed out.
In response to yet another question on whether releasing offerings of prayers like flowers in the river was also polluting it, the Minister said, "Ganga is not polluted because of prayer offerings, it is because of industrial effluents, sewage and plastic, which obstructs the flow." But, when the prayer offerings get stuck in the stagnant water it causes some pollution, she added.
The Minister also said that the river is pious, but not chemically pure.
"Ganga is always pious. Sadly, if we test the water in a lab, from the perspective of the chemical content, it is not clean but from the point of view of respect, it is pious," she said.