Page 34 - NIS English November 1-15

Namami Gange
Rejuvenating Ganga

ABOUT THE MISSION AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

l Namami Gange was launched in June l To ensure effective abatement of pollution and
2014 with a budget outlay of Rs 20,000 rejuvenation of Ganga River by adopting a river basin
Crore approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for

lThe scheme commenced on July 10, comprehensive planning and management
2014 l To maintain the minimum ecological flow in Ganga

l Five states – Uttarakhand, Uttar River so as to ensure water quality and environmentally
Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West sustainable development
Bengal – are included in the scheme FOUR-PRONGED STRATEGY FOR GANGA’S

l The Programme is to be completed in REJUVENATION
18 years l Started building a network of STPs to prevent the
waste water from flowing into Ganga River
l The World Bank sanctioned around Rs l STPs have been designed keeping in mind the needs
2,800 Crore ($400 million) for Namami for the next 10-15 years
Gange on July 7, 2020 l Nearly one hundred big towns/cities and 5,000 villages
l Earlier, 15 Crore litre of sewage was along Ganga River now free from Open Defecation
being discharged into the river between l Making an all-out effort to stop pollution in the
Kanpur and Varanasi every day tributaries of Ganga River

'Aviral'. Ganga River begins made the River Ganga return Kumbh will be replicated
its journey from Gangotri Gla- to life. “Had the old methods at the Haridwar Kumbh as
cier in Uttarakhand. The Ha- been adopted, the situation well.
ridwar-Rishikesh zone dumps would have been equally bad Not just rejuvenation, but
about 80 per cent wastewa- today. Old methods lacked the beautification of hundreds
ter load into River Ganga. The public participation and fore- of ghats along Ganga River is
Prime Minister launched sev- sight,” the Prime Minister said. also going on simultaneous-
eral sewage treatment plants Sewage treatment capacity of ly; the riverfront at Haridwar is
(STPs) to check this pollution, Uttarakhand alone has in- being given a modern look. An-
including building a 68 MLD creased four times in the other integral part of the Nama-
STP, upgrading the existing 27 past six years. More than 130 mi Gange Programme is the de-
MLD STP at Jagjeetpur in Ha- drains in Uttarakhand were velopment of the economy and
ridwar and building an 18 MLD stopped from flowing into the environment of the entire Gan-
STP at Sarai in Haridwar. He Ganga River. The Prime Min- getic belt. The Government has
also inaugurated a 26 MLD STP ister referred specially to the made comprehensive plans to
at Lakkadghat in Rishikesh. Chandreshwar Nagar drain, an promote organic farming and
The Prime Minister termed eyesore to visitors and rafters Ayurvedic farming as well. The
the Namami Gange Pro- at Muni Ki Reti, in Rishikesh. Prime Minister highlighted the
gramme as the largest inte- He applauded the closing of importance of keeping the Gan-
grated river conservation mis- the drain and the construction ga River clean as it plays a sig-
sion which not only aims at the of a four-storied STP at Muni nificant role in sustaining the
cleanliness of Ganga River but Ki Reti. The Prime Minister lives of about 50 per cent of the
also focuses on its compre- said that cleanliness and hy- country’s population -- from its
hensive upkeep. gienic ambience experienced origin in Uttarakhand till West
This new approach had by pilgrims at the Prayagraj Bengal.

32 New India Samachar