In a push to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious ‘Clean Ganga’ plan, the Union Government will start making efforts this week to implement The Namami Gange project is fully funded by the Indian Government for which it has okayed Rs 20,000 crore.
Under this scheme, intensive river surface cleaning will be taken up in 10 identified cities along the banks of the holy river. Floating debris will be collected and cleaned off the Ganga river surface to see a visible difference in the cleanliness levels of the river waters.
It will also cover ghat cleaning and drain-river confluence for ten priority locations is being prepared by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
River surface cleaning boats, trash skimmer machines and trash booms will be pressed into service to collect floating material.
The Modi government will invite global tenders this week for river surface cleaning. The ten identified cities are Haridwar, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Mathura and Vrindavan, Garhmukteshwar, Patna, Kolkata, Sahibgunj and Nabadwip.
Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation told Economic Times that aerators will be plied into action at river ghats to keep the gathering moss away.
ET reported that the ministry wrote to the Central Pollution Control Board to install real-time monitors at 118 locations on Ganga where a nallah meets the river (drain-river confluence) to ensure that the cleaning is actually taking place and water quality is maintained. Ten of these have already been started on pilot basis.
Moreover, the project will be backed by a mobile application- Bhuvan Ganga, which will enable people to see the difference at the surface of the river.
This ISRO-backed India specific GIS tool will ensure real-time, public monitoring of pollution at the river bed on ground situations. The government is set to launch a Bhuvan Ganga app whereby real-time images of the Ganga can be captured by the public through smartphones and uploaded right away to check for any river surface pollution.
This will bring in public participation as well as officials will be held accountable, if any laxity pointed out.
Another public participation initiative- Ganga Volunteer Corps – which is yet to be launched initiative would channelise public volunteer services for cleaning of ghats and generating awareness.
The Nirmal Ganga Bhagidaari project will see NGOs being involved in Ganga cleaning.
(Image: Reuters)