30 ports along river, sea plane transport system
There would be no dearth of funds for Ganga conservation. Tourism would increase and youths would get employment from the river conservation project
NITIN GADKARI, Union minister
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and water resources and Ganga rejuvenation minister Uma Bharti assured the people on Sunday that the central government was committed to ensuring a clean Ganga and its uninterrupted flow.
The two ministers were here to attend a conference on the ‘Role of Society in the conservation of Ganga’ organised by Akankshaniruddh Foundation.
While Bharti said her ministry had chalked out a work plan on Ganga rejuvenation and conservation that would be implemented as soon as Cabinet okayed it, Gadkari promised a multimodal hub in Varanasi, 30 water ports and a sea plane transport system on Ganga to boost tourism.
The work plan has been made for four-five years but its impact would be seen for centuries, Bharti said. “Earlier, river conservation work was taken up under JNNURM with the 70:30 ratio centre-state funding. This was one of the reasons it did not yield result in the past 29 years. Now, the conservation work is 100% funded by the centre,” she said, adding that for this a budget of Rs 20,000 crore had been allocated.
“We have also constituted a task force, associating the cabinet secretary and chief secretaries of the states concerned, to monitor the river conservation work,” she said.
“Ganga is related to environment, ecology and faith and 50 crore people of the country are dependent on it for irrigation, livelihood and fairs such as Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh. About 20 crore people bathe in the river in a year. Society has to come forward for its conservation. The government cannot do this alone,” she said.
Offering every possible help to Bharti, Gadkari said: “The condition of the river is pathetic and, as Bharti has decided, the tributaries of the Ganga would be made free of pollution and then conserved,” said Gadkari. “There are about 6.5 lakh villages on the Ganga banks where water would be recycled and for use in respective villages,” he said, adding that beautification of ghats, temples and gardens would also be done. “There would be no dearth of funds for Ganga conservation. Tourism would increase and youths would get employment from the river conservation project,” Gadkari said.
“There would be no barrages in the 1,620 km stretch from Varanasi to Haldia and traffic between Bangladesh, Bhutan and India would be seamless,” he added.