Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday gave full marks to the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for implementation Central schemes on Namami Gange and other projects related to water conservation and Swachhata Abhiyan.
“UP is doing good work and it seems that it will set a milestone in the country,” Shekhawat said while admitting that previously, the state was lagging in different projects, including Namami Gange and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
“UP was at the bottom of the ladder in the country on Swachhata Abhiyan. But now it has improved a lot. But more is required and the state government has shown its commitment towards completing the projects on time,” he said.
The Union minister held a long meeting with the Chief Minister in Lucknow in the presence of Central and state officers. He also held a review through video-conferencing with district magistrates of several districts.
Later, at a press conference, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the state had committed to the Union minister to complete all Namami Gange and Swachhata Abhiyan projects within stipulated time.
He said that they would again sit in August to review the progress of the projects, as guidelines to complete them had been framed on Wednesday.
“There are 87 projects of Namami Gange worth over Rs 11,952 crore in UP, including 50 projects of sewerage, and of these 15 had been completed. The rest would be completed within the time frame,” Yogi said.
Announcing that the government has set up Ganga committees in all districts through which the holy river flows, the Chief Minister said that villages along the river banks had already been made open defecation-free (ODF) as toilets had been built on a large scale under the Swachhata Abhiyan.
The Chief Minister claimed that due to Swachhata Abhiyan and its successful projects, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and Japanese Encephalitis cases in UP had come down by 65 per cent, and this was reflected in the decline in the number of people suffering from these diseases this year.
Yogi also attributed the success of Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj early this year to free flow of pollution-free Ganga water in which 24 crore pilgrims bathed at the Sangam between January 5 and March 5.
Speaking on water conservation efforts, the Chief Minister said that rain water harvesting and ground water recharge had been promoted in the state.
“All private and government buildings are being encouraged for arranging ground water recharging facility,” he said.
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of ‘Har Ghar Nal’ (every house to have tap water), Yogi said that a mega project to supply piped drinking water in every village of Bundelkhand was underway and work on it would start in August.
“This Rs 9000-crore project, for which foundation has been laid and detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared, will be completed in the next two years and every house in Bundelkhand region will get clean tap water,” he said.
Mentioning about plantation drive in the state, Yogi claimed that 22 crore saplings would be planted on August 15 while a mega plantation drive would be launched on the banks of several rivers with a target of planting around 35 crore saplings during the monsoon.