Can’t let rivers die, will do all to clean them: Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: India can’t let its rivers die and the government will do all within its power to clean them, the country’s new water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation minister Nitin Gadkari told ET.

Gadkari, who is also the Union road transport, highways and shipping minister, said cleaning up the Ganga is a “Herculean” task.

“Ganga rejuvenation is a Herculean task, but the government will do everything to clean the river at the earliest,” he said soon after his additional portfolio was announced.

Gadkari said the government will put in all its resources to save the country’s rivers. “We can’t let our rivers die and everything would be done to make them clean,” he said. “We will put in all our resources and seek participation from citizens as well. My predecessor, Uma Bharti, did a good job and we will take her work ahead.”

Gadkari said his priority will also be to make waterways a popular mode of freight transportation in India, as it will help the country keep vehicular pollution under check.

“Waterways will have to be made navigable. It will be environment friendly and cheaper to transport goods,” Gadkari said.

He said the government wants to make over 100 rivers navigable so that freight can be transported through rivers wherever possible.

“The cost comes down 80% if you use waterways for transportation. We have the potential in India. I have already approved setting up of minor ports on our rivers. That work would now be fast tracked,” he said. The shipping ministry gets about Rs 2,000 crore from fuel cess for development of inland waterways.

When the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, it launched the ‘Namami Gange’ programme with much fanfare. But very little was achieved when it came to cleaning the Ganga.

“It’s my destiny to serve Maa Ganga,” Modi had said while filing nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in 2014.

His government later launched the Namami Gange project and allocated Rs 20,000 crore for the project. But only Rs 1,900 crore of it has been spent so far.