Clean and pure Ganga is our priority: Gadkari outlines revival plan for river

Four dredgers and new river ports are a part of revival plans to clean the holy river.

Representational image

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that clean and pure Ganga is his top priority. Gadkari stated that he will be making necessary arrangements to clean the river before Kumbh Mela starts early in 2019. 

According to ANI, Gadkari said that he will provide funds to the Uttar Pradesh government to clean the drains leading up to the river and will send four dredgers from Allahabad to Varanasi for cleaning purposes.

Gadkari says that an amount of Rs. 1700 crore will be provided in the dredging of the Ganga and four river ports will be constructed in Allahabad. He said, "We are investing Rs 1700 crore in the dredging of Ganga, four river ports will be constructed in Allahabad."

Airboat services with a capacity of carrying 40 people will also be launched by the month of November. "By November end we will launch Airboat services with a capacity of 40 people," Gadkari added.

Earlier on July 28, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had expressed its displeasure over the quality of water in Ganga. NGT had said that "If cigarette packets can carry injurious to health warning, why not river Ganga?"  

The NGT had directed National Mission for Clean Ganga to place display boards at every 100 kilometres along the river with information about the quality of water at that location.