Tracking the Clean Ganga Project – Showcasing Clean Ganga at Pravasi Divas

Ganga river

Ganga riverThe NDA Government at the Centre is going to present its new programmes at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. This includes projects such as Make in India, Clean Ganga and other reforms that are aimed at improving the economic condition of the country. This event – an yearly affair, where the country rekindles its connections with its overseas diaspora – is expected to be held at Gandhinagar during January 2015. The main aim of the programme is to draw investors. The event will be held for three days and will start on January 7. This is the 13th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

Clean Ganga Project to be showcased at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The event has some added importance this year because it will be a 100th commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s comeback from South Africa. Narendra Modi is supposed to address the gathering on January 8 and on the next day President Pranab Mukherjee will present overseas Indians Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards. The event is being organized together by Gujarat State Government and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. It is likely to be attended by 3,000 Indians living overseas in several countries.

Uma Bharti and Akhilesh Yadav to meet for Clean Ganga project

Uma Bharti is supposed to meet the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh with the aim that the saints and other religious people get clean water from Ganga at Allahabad when the Magh Mela is held there. She is also supposed to talk about the Ken-Betwa project. Incidentally, the Centre had provided INR 10,000 crore after the Supreme Court gave its consent to a canal to connect Ken and Betwa. The river Ken covers 427 km in all and approximately 84 km of this stretch falls in Uttar Pradesh. Out of this 51 km is regarded as the boundary between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh the river passes through the districts of Hamirpur and Banda.

A certain part – 358 km – of Betwa passes through Uttar Pradesh and the remaining 232 km passes through Madhya Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, Betwa passes through the districts such as Hamirpur, Jhansi, Jalaun and Banda. Bharti, the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, has stated that Ganga would be cleaned in three years. She has, however, stated that she is concerned over the rate of pollution in Allahabad, which shows no signs of abating.

IIT professor says eco-technology can help in cleaning Ganga

Dr CSP Ojha, who is a professor of civil engineering at IIT Roorkee, has stated using eco-technology could help clean Ganga in just 50% of the budget that has been allocated for the project.

While speaking at Hydro 2014, an international conference, being organised at the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, he said that there are a number of economic options, which if taken, would help improve the condition of the river. He has pointed out to the media that till February 2014 the Indian Government has spent INR 939 crore in the project.

According to Ojha, the main obstacle in cleaning the river lies in disposal of sewage into the river. He has stated in the areas through which the river passes it acts as the dumping ground of sewage, almost 66% of the total sewage generated. He feels that there are a number of water treatment plans, which are really effective and can help clean the river properly. He feels that the river needs to be treated well first so that it can be restored to something approaching its perfect form.