Move to clean India's most sacred rivers
Even after decades of efforts to clean them, India's most sacred rivers, the Ganga and Yamuna, remain the most filthy. The environment minister said a "determined and renewed effort" was required to cleanse these major rivers.
TWO OF India’s most sacred rivers also remain the most filthy even after decades of efforts to clean them. After almost 25 years of promising to clean the Ganga and Yamuna, the government finally admitted failure, in the Lok Sabha on Friday. It said that the two rivers were no cleaner than what they were when the drive began. And this, after spending Rs1700 crores on the projects.
Replying to a motion proposed by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, on checking pollution in rivers and lakes in India, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said, “The question is whether the quality of Ganga and Yamuna has improved. I can always give you figures to prove that it has. We can always find a stretch or two where we can test the water and give you numbers to prove that the water quality has indeed improved. But I myself don’t believe the numbers. Because the true test for the layman is: Do the rivers look cleaner than what they used to 20 years back? I admit with full responsibility that Ganga and Yamuna are no cleaner than what they were 20 years back.”
He said a “determined and renewed effort” was required to cleanse these major rivers. The minister said that the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) had started in 1985, with Rs817 crores being spent on GAP Phases I and II. Similarly, the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) had started in 1996, with Rs680 crores spent in Phase I. The second phase began in December 2004 with a sanction of Rs624 crores, of which Rs190 crores had already been spent.
The minister said that the main problem was with the sewage treatment plants (STPs), which never functioned to their full capacity. "STPs have not run to their full capacity because of the inability of municipal authorities to operate and maintain them properly." He said that the ministry has prepared a proposal and gone before the 13th Finance Commission stating that for the next five years the full cost of operation and maintenance of STPs would be borne by the Centre. "We have to go from a 'town approach' to a 'basin-based approach'. We will go from a sewage treatment plant approach to sewage reuse approach, which would also have measures like afforestation along the river banks."
Referring to the National Ganga River Basin Authority, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said global tenders for project consultants to prepare a basin management plan, had attracted 30 bids so far and that the selection would be finalised in the next two months.
He said a “determined and renewed effort” was required to cleanse these major rivers. The minister said that the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) had started in 1985, with Rs817 crores being spent on GAP Phases I and II. Similarly, the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) had started in 1996, with Rs680 crores spent in Phase I. The second phase began in December 2004 with a sanction of Rs624 crores, of which Rs190 crores had already been spent.
The minister said that the main problem was with the sewage treatment plants (STPs), which never functioned to their full capacity. "STPs have not run to their full capacity because of the inability of municipal authorities to operate and maintain them properly." He said that the ministry has prepared a proposal and gone before the 13th Finance Commission stating that for the next five years the full cost of operation and maintenance of STPs would be borne by the Centre. "We have to go from a 'town approach' to a 'basin-based approach'. We will go from a sewage treatment plant approach to sewage reuse approach, which would also have measures like afforestation along the river banks."
Referring to the National Ganga River Basin Authority, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said global tenders for project consultants to prepare a basin management plan, had attracted 30 bids so far and that the selection would be finalised in the next two months.
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