While sharing his view of his Thursday’s meeting with three Union Cabinet Ministers on the occasion of Namami Gange, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said on Friday that he has publically asked them to utilise the State Government’s agency in this project. “They should remember that we are working on 15 sewerage treatment plants (STP). Besides, we have drafted for 68 such projects,” he said.
Stressing on cleaning the tributaries of Ganga while doing the same to the main river, he said, he had laid emphasis on this point.
Pitching for making Uttarakhand an open defecation free State in conjunction with the Centre, he said the process was still continuing in the areas located near the rivers.
He also pitched for including, Ramganga in Namami Gange project. “We want to ensure that the people of Kannauj do not receive polluted water. We have submitted a package and if they accept our project under Namami Gange we would be able to provide clean water in Haridwar as well,” he said.
“We are working on interceptor canal between Muni ki Reti and Haridwar because we want to ensure flow of treated water through the canal so that it will get soil treatment as well. later, it will merge in Ganga so that the treated water would get natural treatment. Unless and until we increase the flow of water we would not be able to achieve our target. This is why we are working on water harvesting. The Centre should join us taking things as joint venture,” CM said.
He also said despite the State Government having submitted a plan for Mega Tourist Circuit, the DPR has been pending before the Union Ministry. “We have also sought money to build the holy path connecting Rishikesh with Haridwar,” he said.
CM appreciated the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s decision to approve construction of tunnels and alternate roads. He said he had invited the PM as well as Gadkari to come and lay the foundation stone.