lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan chaired an important meeting on rejuvenation and cleaning of Indore's Saraswati-Chandrabhaga (Khan) rivers in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The meeting discussed to prepare detailed project report in 2 parts. First part may be completed before Simhastha and in the second part the project will completed.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan presented at the meeting a project costing `2719 crore to rejuvenate both rivers. He informed that the Government was committed to ensure that devotees get clean water for holy dip during Simhastha to be held in year 2016. The first phase of the project is proposed to be completed before December 2015. Sewer treatment works will be undertaken during this phase.
Under the second phase, planning for next 5 years will be done.
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Santosh Gangwar, Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari and Minister of State for Forests & Environment Prakash Javadekar and Madhya Pradesh's Urban Administration and Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and senior officers attended the meeting.
The meeting discussed to ensure prevention of inflow of effluents, running of sewerage treatment plant with full capacity, re-settlement of population from river banks and ensure continuous flow of clean water in the rivers. Discussions were also held to ensure better environment in Indore and Ujjain, availability of clean water and facilities to devotees during Simhastha-2016.
Mahajan said that it should be introduced as pilot project. Mahajan said that Kshipra and other rivers will also become clean after these rivers of Indore in Ganga Basin are cleaned and rejuvenated. She said that the project should be implemented by forming a committee headed by the Chief Minister.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that PPP mode should also be used for mobilising funds. He said that officers from Indore should visit Nagpur to study the use of treated waste water in industries. He suggested that possibility should also be explored to use Khan river as a waterway. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu also spoke on the occasion.
Union Minister Uma Bharti said that her ministry will work for these rivers of Ganga Basin.
Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Dube informed that the river is 78 km long which flows for 33 km in urban areas. The two rivers have also become polluted due to temporary and permanent encroachments. He informed that there are 33 slums in the river areas. About 10 thousand families need to be re-settled for the project. Roads leading to the river, footpaths and green belt will have to be developed.