Centre to hold 'Ganga Manthan' before finalizing its river rejuvenation blueprint

NEW DELHI: Religious leaders — sadhus and saints — will also be consulted by the Centre before making a blue print of its Ganga rejuvenation programmes.

The government will hold ‘ Ganga Manthan’ here in the national Capital early next month to take their views along with suggestions of environmentalists, water conservationists, NGOs and local elected representatives.

Their views\suggestions will subsequently be shared with a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) who have been working on a comprehensive plan to develop the river.

"Idea of the ‘Ganga Manthan' is to bring all concerned citizens, including 'sadhus' and 'saints', at one platform where they can exchange their views and suggest ways and means to rejuvenate the river,” said water resources minister Uma Bharti.

She said though this programme would be called 'Ganga Manthan’, it will include discussions over Yamuna and other important rivers of the country which need to be cleaned and developed on priority basis.

Emphasizing that the river cannot remain clean unless every citizen cooperates, she said her ministry would approach the issue by making the Ganga rejuvenation plan a 'Jan Andolan' (people’s movement).



PM Narendra Modi perform the 'Ganga Puja' religious ritual on the banks of the river Ganga in Varanasi.

The ministry will soon launch a website on the river Ganga. "Suggestion for cleaning Ganga will be invited from all over the world through this website," said the minister.

She said her ministry would not only get inspiration from how river Thames in London was kept clean but also from how people in some remote Rajasthan villages maintained river bank.

"I think modernization without westernization is possible," she said.


A devotee lights a lamp during 'Ganga Puja' at river Ganga in Kolkata.