Prime Minister Narendra Modiled Government’s flagship Namami Gange Programme (NGP) is aimed at a holistic and multi sectoral approach for the conservation, protection and rejuvenation of the holy river and its tributaries. Apart from improving the sanitation level of the Ganga, it also includes designs to attract tourism and for providing economic livelihoods.
The Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) – the implementing arm of NGP – in its 47th meeting held late last week approved nine projects worth Rs. 1,278 crore.
IN PURSUIT OF DEVELPOMENT
With many novel and bold initiatives undertaken by the Union Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the face of India and the state of Indians are improving. There are many stories of progress and growth – some known, some unknown – that are underway in New India. Beginning this week,BlitzIndia will highlight several such stories through this column. We begin with the PM’s flagship Namami Gange Programme
The NGP was launched in June 2014 for a period up to March 31, 2021, to rejuvenate river Ganga and its tributaries. The programme was subsequently extended up to March 31, 2026.
Budgetary allocation
At the time of launch, the budgetary outlay of NGP was Rs. 20,000 crore for a period of five years. The budgetary allocation for the second phase of the Programme (till 2026) is Rs. 22,500 crores. NMCG became an Authority in October 2016. The elevation empowered it under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 for speedy implementation of NGP.
With the interventions taken up under NGP, the water quality of river Ganga has remarkably improved in recent times. However, the story was different earlier.
The Ganga Action Plan had been the flagship programme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. In 1985, the Ministry of Environment created a large division for the Plan and allotted a huge budget.
Since 1986, and up to 2014, hundreds of crores of rupees had been spent on various schemes across the river basin. The funds were meant for the conservation of the river beginning from the glacier Gangotri, where it commences, to the Sagar Island at the estuary of the river. The results were there for all to see.
A different story today
Today, the story is different. Under NGP, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is carrying out water quality assessment of the river Ganga at several locations across states.
In 2022, the NMCG sanctioned 43 projects at a total cost of Rs. 2,056 crore, bringing the cumulative total to 406 projects sanctioned worth Rs. 32,898 crore. In the same period, the NMCG completed 50 projects which resulted in the completion of a total 224 projects.
The CPCB scans the water quality at 97 manual monitoring locations on fortnightly basis in five main stem states through concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs). The states are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
Meanwhile, the NMCG also organised several public outreach programmes which included Ganga Quest and Ganga Utsav etc., all of which received an overwhelming response. The Ganga Quest 2022, dedicated to the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign, celebrated the declaration of River Ganga as the National River. It saw active participation of over 1.73 Lakh persons from India as well as from over 180 countries.
Longest river cruise
Other novel initiatives are being simultaneously conceived and executed to attract tourism. In what is considered the world’s longest river cruise, the India-made vessel Ganga Vilas was flagged off at Varanasi by Prime Minister Modi on January 13. It will cover a distance of 3,200 km in over 50 days before reaching Dibrugarh. The route lays through Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam.
Meanwhile, in Varanasi, a unique tent city will provide luxury facilities to tourists at the historical ghats. In Patna, the 20.5-km JP Ganga Path is expected to be completed soon. With leisure sports and recreation facilities, the riverfront is also known as Ganga Driveway or ‘Patna’s Marine Drive’. The huge scope of the project can be gauged from the fact that till 2022- end, 409 projects have been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 32,912.40 crore, out of which 232 projects have been completed and made operational.
Sewage infrastructure
Majority of the projects pertain to creation of sewage infrastructure as the untreated domestic and industrial wastewater is the main reason for pollution in the river. Altogether, 177 sewerage infrastructure projects have been taken up with a cost of Rs. 26,673.06 crore for the creation and rehabilitation of 5,269.87 million litres per Day (MLD) of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) capacity and laying of around 5,213.49 km sewerage network. Among these, 99 sewerage projects have been completed resulting in creation and rehabilitation of 2,043.05 MLD of STP capacity and laying of 4,260.95 km sewerage network.
Apart from the main Ganga stem, projects are also taken up in 18 of the tributaries. These are Yamuna, Kosi, Saryu, Ramganga, Kali (West), Kali (East), Gomti, Son, Barakar, Hindon, Burhi Gandak, Banka, Damodar, Rispana-Bindal, Punpun, Harbora, Suswa and Chambal.
