Bharat SainiLast Updated on February 20, 2017 by Bharat Saini
Namami Gange is an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission for development and rejuvenation of river Ganga with an aim to clean Ganga and its tributaries in a comprehensive manner.It also aims to set up various biodiversity centres, crematoria and modernize of Ghats along the banks of river Ganga, that include developments of Ghats and beautification of River Fronts at Kedarnath, Haridwar, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna and Delhi. The interventions at Ghats and River fronts will facilitate better citizen connect and set the tone for river centric urban planning process. With the construction of new sewage treatment plants and launch of River surface cleaning projects, Namami Gange focuses on abatement of pollution with a radical approach to ensure pure water quality and sustainable development with an estimated budget of
Rs. 20000 crore by 2018-19.
It is worthmentioning that the task of cleaning river Ganga is highly complex and challenging because the river besides having cultural and spiritual significance, in not just the geographical entitybut also carries huge socio-economic value as it host more than 40% of India’s population. Namami Gange is as such a unique project which requires participation and cooperation and contribution of citizens, agencies and governmental departments.
The project while consolidating the existing ongoing efforts approaches the problem from entirely a different perspective. Recognizing the multi-sector, multi-dimension and multi-stakeholder nature of the Ganga Rejuvenation challenge, efforts have been made to improve the inter-ministerial and Centre-state coordination with increased involvement in preparation of action plan and increased monitoring at central and state levels. The key Ministries comprising of (a) Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, (b) Environment, Forests & Climate Change, (c) Shipping, (d) Tourism, (e) Urban Development, (f) Drinking Water and Sanitation and Rural Development have been working together since June, 2014 to arrive at an action plan.
| Rejuvenation implies restoring the wholesomeness of Ganga that include:
Ø Nirmal Dhara: Ensuring sustainable municipal sewage management in Urban Areas, managing sewage from Rural Areas and managing Industrial discharge. Ø Aviral Dhara: Enforcing River regulatory zones on Ganga banks, rational agricultural practices, efficient irrigation methods and Restoration & conservation of wetlands. Ø Ensuring ecological rejuvenation by conservation of aquatic life and biodiversity. Ø Promotion of Tourism and Shipping in a rational and sustainable manner. Ø Knowledge Management on Ganga through Ganga Knowledge Centre The program implementation is to take place at three levels as under : Ø Entry-level activities, for immediate visible impact, that include river surface cleaning to address the floating solid wastes; rural sanitation to arrest the solid & liquid pollution entering through rural sewage drains and construction of toilets; renovation, modernization, & construction of crematoria that prevents the disposal of un-burnt/ partially burnt bodies in the river; repair, modernization & construction of Ghats to improvise the human-river connect. Ø Medium term activities, to be implemented within 5 years of time frame, will focus on arresting the municipal and industrial pollution entering into the river. To address the pollution through municipal sewage, 2500 MLD additional treatment capacity is to be created in next 5 years. Ø Long-term activities, to be implemented within 10 years, major financial reforms are underway to make the program efficient, accountable, and sustainable in the long term. The goal is to provide adequate flow to the river through determination of e-flow, increase water-use efficiency and improve efficiency of surface irrigation. The long-term vision is being prepared by the Consortium of 7 IITs under the Ganga River Basin Management Plan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his election from Varanasi in May 2014 had said, “It’s my destiny to serve Maa Ganga”. To translate this vision, the Government has launched this integrated Ganga conservation mission called ‘Namami Gange’ to arrest the pollution of Ganga River and revive the river. |
