State Education and Water Supply Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani whose discomfiture in the House over teacher-student ratio questions a few days back had embarrassed the State Government once again and the Treasury Bench has stood his ground on Friday when the aggressive Opposition MlAs sought to pillory him, shooting query after query on the emotive issue of Ganga river pollution.
During the Question Hour, MlA Madan Kaushik asked how many sewer lines ended in Gang canals in Haridwar and Rishikesh. "Do you know that Ganga is getting polluted due to sewer lineIJ If yes, please inform us the steps you have taken to check the menaceIJ" he asked.
Naithani replied that 19 projects were running between lakshman Jhula-Rishikesh and Rishikesh-Haridwar. These projects are under progress. He also appreciated the efforts of the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti, who had convened meeting of the secretaries working for Namami Gange Project in Delhi on February 25, 2015.
In course of the meeting, she had asked them to mull projects to check all such small nullahs, flowing into Ganga. She said funds would be sanctioned to execute the plans ahead of Ardha Kumbha-2016. Now, the department had been preparing projects and they will be submitted in three months, the Minister said.
Naithani further said, in Haridwar, to tap three out of 22 nullahs, the Government had prepared an estimate and now work was under progress. In Rishikesh, 13 nullahs are being tapped. Besides, 19, including 15 in Muni Ki Reti and four in Rishikesh, have been identified. "Under this, we have completed work on Bengalinala. However, works on Saraswati and Sai-ghat are yet to be completed, but please rest assured that we will complete them before Ardh Kumbha-2016," he said. However, not satisfied, Rishikesh MlA Premchand Aggrwal said that 10 nullahs are still draining polluted water in the river between Chandrabhaga and Veerbhadra.
Naithani started speaking volumes of the contribution the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to the project of cleansing and saving the holy river Ganga from pollution. Now, Ganga is hogging national limelight, the minister said.
However, the Opposition said despite everything, Ganga was still getting polluted.
Aggrwal said that to clear the Saraswati Nullah, the department had removed a huge amount of sludge through around 200 trolleys. They sold plastics, including bottle and other things, for Rs 10,000. From this, you can imagine how much sludge gets into Ganga, the MlA said.
Naithani said they would hopefully get funds under Centrally sponsored Namami Gange Project. Once we get the funds we would solve the problem permanently.
The leader of the House Harish Rawat intervened to say they would appreciate anyone whosoever who works for the betterment of the state. If you bring money from the Centre we would pass a resolution to thank the Union Government, the CM said.