The Centre has formed a committee comprising the secretaries of three ministries to expedite the implementation of its ambitious Namami Gange Project, under which it plans to free the Ganga river of waste by next year.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti announced formation of the committee while chairing the first meeting of the Empowered Task Force on Ganga on 8 February, an official statement said.
The delay in the cleaning has resulted in a lot of problems for the locals. As the water dries down in the summers, the river turns into a drain. The smell and pollution have kept tourists away from the ghats in Kanpur. This has resulted in low incomes of the shopkeepers.
This problem will have a significant political impact as well. While many are angry with the BJP, a few tend to miss Mayawati’s rule in UP.
Producer: Abhilash Mallick
Editor: Purnendu Pritam
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)