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WHAT HAPPENS IN THE PROJECT NAMAMI GANGA?
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RESEARCH APPROACHES IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY SUBJECTS, VOLUME - 2
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE PROJECT NAMAMI GANGA?
Prasanta Mujrai
Department Of Geography
Research Scholar Of Shri Jagdish Prasad Jhabarmal Tibrewala University,
Vidyanagari, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan
Abstract:
The government has launched the Integrated Ganga Rejuvenation Mission "Namami Gange." The
cities with the greatest microplastics are Varanasi and Kanpur, followed by Haridwar. A Clean Ganga
Fund has been formed, and we may all help clean up the Ganga by donating money. Swachh Bharat
and Namami Gange's progress is being questioned. By 2019-20, the Union Cabinet has approved a
proposed action plan for river remediation costs 20,000 crores.
Keywords: Rejuvenation; Clean Ganga; Swachh Bharat; action plan; remediation
❖ Introduction:
The Ganga may have seen far too many phases of Indian culture for it to keep track of them
all. As a result, it has become a significant source of pollution in recent decades. The largest religious
fair on earth recently held in India, Kumbh, drew tens of thousands of pilgrims to the Ganges
throughout the event. Since its inception, the Kumbh Mela has been a gathering place for a wide range
of ideas, practices, philosophies, and ideologies. The Ganges and its tributaries have become
increasingly polluted due to population growth, uncontrolled development, and unsustainable
agricultural methods.
❖ The Reason for the Pollution of River Ganga:
1. Urbanization: Due to India's rapid urbanization in the last few decades, many environmental issues
have arisen, including water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, and trash disposal. Many
cities and towns on the banks of the Ganga River have not given much thought to the issue of
wastewater, sewerage, and other garbage being discharged from the city.
2. Industry: The Ganga's water quality has been compromised due to the uncontrolled and unplanned
discharge of sewerage and industrial effluents. All species that drink river water are harmed by the
industrial contaminants that have been dissolved. Paper mills, steel plants, textile mills, and sugar mills
produce a lot of effluents that flow into waterways. Water pollution caused by agricultural runoff and
inefficient farming methods: Toxins of farm practices such as excessive use of fertilizers can be found
in nearby waterways, along with rainwater, as a result.
3. Drainage System: A study of the minimum flows in the Ganges found that the quality of the river's
water is directly impacted by the amount of treated or untreated effluent discharged into it. The volume
of water in the Ganges river reduces, and its minimal flow is impeded when it approaches the plains.
For example, the lower streams of the Ganges have nearly dried up because of the Upper Ganga Canal
and the Lower Ganga Canal.
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4. Religious and Social Practices: Cultural norms and religious traditions also contribute to the
Ganges River's rising pollution. Many people bathe in rivers during religious celebrations, which are
hazardous to the environment because of the burial of dead bodies along riverbanks and the dumping
of partially burned remains into waterways. These activities degrade the river's quality by introducing
pollutants. NGO researchers have discovered evidence of microplastics in the Ganges River in
Varanasi and Kanpur, followed by Haridwar, which is disheartening but not surprising. Microbeads
have been found in two areas of the data set; their composition indicates both industrial and secondary
plastics that have been degraded by regular use. Ranges from tyres to garments to food packaging to
bags to garland covers. Significant concentrations of microscopic particles smaller than 300
micrometers to 5 millimeters have been found in the country's holiest river, raising questions about the
NDA government's progress on two high priority and well-founded missions: Swachh Bharat, which
deals with solid waste, and Namami Gange, which seeks to clean up the river.
❖ What is Namami Ganga Project?
In 2014, the Namami Ganga project, an initiative of the Indian government, got its start. As a
result of this project, the river Ganga has been cleaned up and revived. The Union Ministry of Water
Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation is implementing the plan. The 'Namami
Gange Project' has recently received a $ 400 billion grant from the World Bank. The World Bank has
authorized this five-year, 45 billion rupee loan. The first phase of the Namami Gange/National Mission
for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has already received 4,535 crores ($ 600 million) from the World Bank, due
by December 2021. The World Bank has approved 313 projects totaling 25,000 million dollars as part
of the goal. The money from the World Bank loan will be put to good use, developing and improving
infrastructure and cleaning up the river basin's sewage system and other waste streams. Three new
hybrid annuity projects on Ganges tributaries in Meerut, Agra, and Saharanpur will receive 11.34
billion of this financing. The DBOT (Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer) projects in Buxar, Munger,
and Begusarai have been sanctioned for 1,209 crores ($160 million).
❖ How did the Namami Gange Project Start?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared after being elected to Parliament in Uttar Pradesh's
Varanasi in May 2014: "It is my destiny to serve Mother Ganga." The river Ganga has cultural and
spiritual significance, yet 40% of the country's population relies on it. India's Prime Minister Narendra
Modi remarked in 2014 that "cleaning the Ganga is also an economic goal" as he addressed the Indian
community at Madison Square Garden in New York.
For this ambition to fruition, the government established the 'Namami Gange' Integrated Ganga
Rejuvenation Mission to clean up the river. An action plan to spend 20,000 crores on river cleaning by
2019-20 by quadrupling its budget and making it a central scheme with a 100% meaningful share has
been approved by the Union Cabinet. Since Ganga Rejuvenation is a multi-sector, multi-pronged
challenge requiring the participation of many different stakeholders, efforts are being made to improve
coordination between various ministries and between the Centre-States and increase participation of
all in the preparation of action plans. Improvements have been made to the central and state-level
monitoring mechanisms. Early-stage activities (those that it must do right away), medium-term actions
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(those that must be implemented within five years after the deadline), and long-term activities (those
that must be implemented within 10 years) are all part of the program's execution.
There is a wide range of initial tasks, from cleaning the river's surface to dealing with floating
solid waste to cleaning rural areas and constructing toilets in rural communities. Crematoriums are
being renovated, modernized, and built to prevent the discharge of half-burnt or partially burned bodies
into the river. Modernize ghats as well, to enhance the bond between people and water.
Municipal and industrial garbage will be the primary focus of short- and medium-term efforts
to clean up the river. In the next five years, 2500 MLD of additional treatment capacity will be created
due to municipal garbage problem-solving. For the program's long-term viability, major financial
adjustments are being implemented. There are current plans to deploy the Cabinet Hybrid Annuity-
based Public-Private Partnership model. When the particular purpose vehicle (SPV) is approved, it will
administer the concessions in all major cities, create a market for recycled water, and assure the long-
term viability of the assets.
To combat industrial pollution, efforts are being undertaken to increase compliance through
greater enforcement. Reducing or eliminating dirty water has been mandated for polluting companies
on Ganga's banks. The Pollution Control Board has already created an action plan for putting these
directives into practice, and specific deadlines and deliberations have been provided to all industries.
All companies will require monitoring centers for the flow of polluted water.
In addition to these initiatives, efforts are being made to conserve biodiversity, plant
afforestation, and monitor water quality under this programme. For example, conservation efforts for
endangered species like the Golden Mahseer, the dolphin and otters, and the turtle have already begun.
Under 'Nammi Gange,' they want to grow woods on 30 thousand acres to enhance the aquifer level and
minimize erosion while improving the river's ecological state.
E-flow estimations, improved water efficiency, and increased surface irrigation potential will
maintain enough river flow in the long run.
❖ Benefits of Namami Gange Yojana:
1. It’s worth noting that 20 of Namami Gange's 32 projects are focused on sewage treatment and
infrastructure development in Uttarakhand.
2. In Haridwar, they plan to carry out six initiatives. Due to this plan, it will build two STPs, one
each at Jagjitpur and Sarai. Projects in Haridwar cost $414.20 million in total.
3. After all the projects are completed, the water from all of Uttarakhand's major cities, including
Haridwar and Rishikesh, will be treated before being discharged into the Ganges.
4. Foundation stones were also set for sewage treatment projects in the Hindu pilgrimage sites of
Uttarkashi, Muni ki Re, Kirti Na, Srinagar, Rudra Prayag, Badrinath, Joshim, Chamoli, Nand
Prayag, and Karn Prayag, as well as other locations throughout the Himalayas.
5. Ghat development projects in Tehri Garhwal, Rudra Prayag, and Chamoli were started with
laying foundation stones.
6. Quite unexpectedly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's backing for river clean-up efforts.
Although it was supposed to go into effect by 2020, the budgetary shortfalls remain. According
to official data, a total of 97 Ganga municipalities may be dumping approximately 750 million
liters of untreated sewage into the river each day. Mr. Modi's response to environmental
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RESEARCH APPROACHES IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY SUBJECTS, VOLUME - 2
campaigner Gurudas Agrawal's letter following his death in 2018 did not affect the situation
Since microplastic has been found in places like Mount Everest, the Arctic tundra, Icelandic
glaciers, and the depths of the Marina Trench in recent years, it poses a threat as plastic
manufacturing outpaces the government's ability to collect and manage waste, which is a
problem for the environment. The implementation of waste management guidelines imposed by
successive administrations has been lacking. The center has recently tightened the Plastic Waste
Management Rules, and a draught of those rules was just released. Cities have not implemented
solid Waste Management Rules on reducing single-use plastics, and manufacturers have not been
held accountable for their waste. As a result, governments will be unable to keep up with the
ever-increasing volume of plastic waste because recycling has its limits.
7. Keeping garbage hidden behind expensive dumping contracts is not enough for Swachh Bharat;
it must also mean drastically reducing waste creation and segregating and recycling it
completely. The global plastic trash crisis threatens the food chain, necessitating a new
international convention based on the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Accord. India needs to
show that it is serious about cleaning up its act at home before the rest of the world does. It is
important to note that the cleaning of the Ganga River is challenging due to the river's social,
economic, and cultural significance and the numerous ways in which it is exploited. It's never
been done before, and it requires the cooperation of everyone in the country. Everyone can help
clean the river Ganga in a variety of ways.
❖ Contribution of Funds: They must spend an enormous amount of money on improving the
condition of the Ganga, which is both comprehensive and lengthy. Despite quadrupling the budget, the
government will not be able to meet the needs. All of you are invited to contribute to the Clean Ganga
Fund, established to help clean up the river.
❖ Reduce, Reuse and Recovery: Generally, most people are unaware that if we don't properly
dispose of the waste that we generate, it will eventually find its way into rivers. The government is
already constructing drain infrastructure, but citizens may help by reducing their trash and water use.
Recovery and re-use of spent water, organic waste, and plastics can substantially positively impact the
programme.
❖ CAG Report:
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has issued a new report stating that the endeavor
to clean the Ganga fails. The conclusions of the auditor are alarming. Government spending on the
main initiative fell short of the $ 1.05 billion allocated between April 2015 and March 2017. An endless
list of issues plagued these projects—new finances, lack of long-term planning, and delays in taking
meaningful action. No, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Several well-funded
efforts to reduce pollution have been implemented in the past. None of the past attempts, however,
have been successful. The Supreme Court's judgment affecting individual polluters was the only
significant development during this period.
India's water policy is flawed because of the political, economic, and social settings in which
decisions are made. It must be taken into consideration. The electoral democracy in India does not
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allow for environmental policy. Pollution has never been a significant issue in the election. Employing
people, improving the economy, and reducing poverty is vital. Because they serve as vote banks,
elected officials have little motivation to take action against large polluters or small businesses. An
environmental initiative, generally with a global organization like the White Elephant, is launched soon
before the election by the familiar politician rather than a new challenge to the established quo. It
doesn't fit the bill.
The poor water flow in the country's rivers is another problem. For example, the Ganges River's
summer flow is reduced due to the significant amounts of water diverted for irrigation and hydropower
projects. According to a study, an estimated 75% of the water used for irrigation in India is thrown
away. A lack of water conservation incentives is a significant problem for farmers who receive their
electricity. When water is stolen from one side of the river and sewage is thrown into it, there is no use
in talking about cleaning the river.
❖ Conclusion:
Environmental programmes in India need to be re-examined from the ground up. To find a
lasting solution, the state and its residents must take responsibility for each other. Data should be made
more widely available and analyzed at the local level. It's also essential to raise awareness about the
adverse health effects of pollution. Cleanup operations would surely assist, but will further measures
be taken to prevent agricultural and industrial pollution from entering the river? It's also time to
examine the connections between various policies, such as subsidies, electricity usage patterns,
industrial development, and city planning. To accomplish this, you'll need outstanding leadership and
the ability to think beyond the box. Millions of Indians rely on the Ganga for their food, electricity,
and spiritual needs, and the river's cleansing relies on their support. We must unite to defend our
national river, which symbolizes our civilization and history.
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