Government preparing compact plan to rejuvenate Ganga

NEW DELHI: The Government is in the process of preparing a compact plan to rejuvenate river Ganga and the same parameters will be implemented to clean up other rivers in the country, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said today.

"River Ganga is a leader of other rivers like Narendra Modi is the leader of the nation. We will be implementing the parameters adopted to rejuvenate Ganga for other rivers, as well. What was lacking was a compact planning, which the Prime Minister has said it will be done. We are in the process of preparing a compact plan. The secretaries are also working in this regard," she told reporters here.

Bharti was speaking on the sidelines of a national conference on preserving rivers.

Asked about her perception about the new Government on the eve of completing 30 days, she said that the Prime Minister, his council of ministers and all ministries were working in perfect coordination.

She also exuded confidence that people would give an overwhelming mandate in favour of BJP in 2019 also.

"We have got the mandate in 2014. Similarly, we will also get a better mandate in 2019," she said.

Earlier, addressing the gathering on the occasion, she recalled the projects of previous Governments, which had failed to clean up river Ganga.

"When former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi launched the Ganga Action Plan, it did not have such a vigour.... I had visited several sites when the Ganga Action Plan was under implementation and observed that there was a mismatch between what is being done on the ground level and what was actually planned by authorities."

On the other hand, Bharti said, a meeting of technocrats, saints, environmentalists and NGOs has been called on July 5 for consultations on Ganga Rejuvenation Programme.

She further said that there was no paucity of funds for the programme, adding that the private sector has also offered help in this task and collaborations from other countries will also be considered.

The Water Resources Minister also clarified that her ministry was not opposed to power projects on rivers, but at the same time it has to be ensured that the main river is never dry at any point of the year.