Nripendra Mishra, the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference to assess the progress of Ganga cleaning efforts in the State. The Uttarakhand chief secretary S Ramaswamy informed him that a state level Ganga committee and district level Ganga Swachchhta committee had been formed. The progress is also being monitored regularly by senior level officials. A law has also been enacted for implementing a ban on the use of plastic in the State.
Under this law, a provision has also been kept for penalty for the usage of the banned plastic. Notices have also been issued for closure of factors known to cause contamination of the Ganga river. Some of such factories have also been shut down so far. The chief secretary further informed that 13 projects of the National Ganga River Basin Authority have been completed in the State.
The entire Gangotri sewerage project will be provided with electricity connection by October 15 this year. Similarly, under the Namami Gange programme, 11 projects amounting to `216.31 crore are expected to be completed by October this year.
Two projecs costing about `238.46 crore are expected to be completed by November this year.
Further, six projects amounting to `396 crore and two projects costing about `24.23 crore are also expected to be completed by September 2017. Ramaswamy also stated that under the river front development programme, the development of Chandi Ghat in Haridwar and construction of 26 ghats will also be undertaken.
Along with these works, the irrigation department will also be undertaking the construction of 35 ghats. The state’s potable water secretary Arvind Singh Hyanki, Namami Gange programme director Raghav langer and other officials concerned were also among those present in the meeting.