The first meeting of Inter-Ministerial Group on Friday kickstarted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project of cleaning the polluted Ganges. The brainstorming session decided that four Ministries — Surface Transport, Shipping, Tourism and Water Resources — would work in coordination to clean up the holy river and make it a hub of spiritual tourism.
The meeting was presided by Minister for Surface Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari. The members agreed that a detailed project report on cleaning the river will be ready in a month before the next parliamentary session in July. A note outlining the roadmap of the proposed project will be in the meantime prepared and moved to the Union Cabinet for its approval.
After the meeting of the Ministries, Minister of Water Resources Uma Bharti said that a committee comprising the Secretaries of the four Ministries will be set up for evaluation of the Ganga cleaning project. The Secretary of Water Resources will head the Group of Secretaries. The meeting decided on the proposal to undertake dredging activities of up to 45 metres of the river from Varanasi to Hooghly. The Ministry of Environment & Forest will evaluate the ecological impact of this proposal. “Technical evaluation of barrages planned to be set up at a distance of every 100 km for connectivity is already underway. These barrages will also facilitate goods and passenger transportation,” said Gadkari.
Gadkari further informed that a technical committee will also be formed to examine the barrages that have been built along the length of river Ganga.. “They will also study whether more hydel power can be generated,” he added. The potentials of the river will further be explored to improve means of transport fisheries development and power generation, he said.
The Ministry of Tourism will work towards promotion of the heritage site, said Bharati adding that the Ministry of Human Resources Development will work towards setting up a research institute on the subject. The Ministry of Tourism will also find ways to increase employment in the process of Ganga Cleaning and Promotion, he added.
Gadkari further said waste water from industries in Kanpur and Allahabad and other cities will be recycled and treated. The ministers insisted that their focus would however not be restricted to the Ganga river. “Season, site and rainfall-specific plans for different rivers will be worked out. A Group of Secretaries will work out a detailed plan for each river,” said the ministers.