State Government will take necessary steps to keep Ganga flowing, clean and conserve it: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow, April 8, 2017: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mr.Yogi Adityanath has said that the state government would initiate all steps to make the Ganga river clean, flowing and for conserving it. The largest stretch of the river passes through Uttar Pradesh and hence it has the maximum responsibility to keep the river clean, the Chief Minister pointed out while underlining that for success of the 'Namami Gange' project, it is necessary that its tributaries are also cleaned up.
The entire machinery of the state will now have to work on a war footing for this purpose, Mr Yogi said. The Chief Minister expressed these views during a meeting with the Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Conservation Ms Uma Bharati.
He further stated that there should have been efforts to link the 'Gomti Riverfront project' with the 'Namami Gange' project and said that work should now be initiated on the Ganga with an eye of the 'Ardh Kumbh' scheduled for 2019 at Prayag. This would ensure that the pilgrims and visitors during this religious congregation get pure, flowing and pollution free water in the holy river, the Chief Minister said.
Mr Yogi also stressed on the need of holding meetings of heads of the development blocks, members of the local Panchayats, village heads of districts on the banks of the river so that the cleaning up of the Ganga is take up in a mission mode. The Chief Minister also expressed hope that under the guidance of the Union Minister Ms Uma Bharati, other rivers flowing in the state would also be cleaned and made pollution free.
During the meeting, the Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Conservation Ms Uma Bharati said that in absence of support and cooperation in the past, the 'Namami Gange' project was not achieving the desired results but now that the present government is headed by a dedicated saint like Mr Yogi, she was sure that the Ganga cleaning would be a success.
Mr Amarjeet Singh, the Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Conservation Secretary said at the meeting that under the 'Namami Gange' project, 19 projects worth Rs. 2900 crore were being implemented in Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Gadhmukteshwar, Kannauj, Bulandshahr and Vrindavan through which capacity to purify 391 MLD of water would be created.
Of the 19 projects, four projects in Allahabad have been completed while work is underway on the rest. Other than this, works worth Rs. 4,348 crore are proposed in the state, he informed while suggesting that the proposed works be completed on priority basis. Following this, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure completion of these projects within the fixed timelines by strengthening the infrastructure and arranging for necessary facilities.
He also said that the concerned district magistrates should also be involved so that there are no hurdles in the works. The Secretary, Government of India, also apprised that because of the leather industrial units in Kanpur, Unnao and Banthar, there was a lot of pollution and added that they should be treated as a cluster and pollution controlled at these places.
On this, the Chief Minister informed him that a decision has already been taken by the state government to shift out leather industry units out of Kanpur and Kannauj in a phased manner, which will contribute in a big way towards the success of clean Ganga mission.
The GoI secretary also apprised the Chief Minister and others about the ongoing drive in the rural areas on the banks of the river Ganga for rural cleanliness, the ghats on Ganga and the crematoriums there.
Deliberations were also held on the four big irrigation projects in the state - Baan Sagar project, Arjun Sagar project in Bundelkhand, Madhya Ganga project and Saryu canal project after which the Chief Minister directed for an early completion of these long pending projects by using modern technology.
He also said that officials should ensure that DPR's are not overestimated and that all such projects are completed in phased and timely manner and ways are found for de-silting. Concerned officials of the UP government have been asked to sit with their central government counterparts to make an action plan and to ensure that there are no delays.
The Union Minister Ms Uma Bharati praised the progress on irrigation sector in Maharashtra where without land acquisition, through affordable means of laying pipelines, irrigation projects have been completed. The Chief Minister thereafter directed the Principal Secretary (irrigation) to use such innovative and modern techniques to complete state's irrigation schemes.
He also asked officials to study the pipeline projects of Maharashtra, in a time bound manner and assimilate the report in the presentation of the Irrigation Department, which is scheduled for April 13, 2017. Also present during the meeting were many Members of the State Cabinet, Chief Secretary, officials of the state government and Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Conservation Ministry.