‘Save Our Ganga Now’: Varanasi Citizens Request PM Modi

Even after four years of government formation, results of any government schemes are not visible.

Ganga’s existence is at risk now.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

This is Ganga, the picture of a river flowing on the banks of Kashi (Varanasi). However, this is also a picture of false promises.

In order to clean Ganga, the government set up an exclusive ministry for it. Even after four years of Modi government, none of the government schemes have been implemented to save the Ganga. Now the water levels have receded to the lowest ever recorded.

From ministers to businessmen, everybody has peddled on these banks. Many schemes were announced to ensure the river is cleaned, but none of it materialised because of a complex web of politics.

Water was released in the river when french president Macron visited the banks of Kashi but even that has dried up now. The district magistrate has also written a letter to the authorities for the same.

People bathe, take their boats into the river. The government needs to release more water. They can release it from dams in Kanpur or Haridwar.

Yogeshwar ram Mishra, DM, Varanasi

The ‘Clean Ganga’ campaign started 3 decades ago but the pollution level of the water has not reduced. In fact, the pollution has only worsened. Ganga’s existence is at risk now.

Dr BD Tripathi, Chairman of Mahamana Malaviya Research Centre for Ganga at BHU says, “three sewage treatment plants were set up in 1986. Thirty years back, there was 200 MLD of sewage discharge, now its 350 MLD.”

(This story was originally published on Quint Hindi and has been translated by Srishti Tyagi.)