NEW DELHI: The Namami Gange project has run into a sandy patch with the Centre directing the Ministry of Water Resources to approve only need-based projects. This comes after projects worth crores of rupees were sanctioned indiscriminately under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
Instead of building sewage treatment plants to weed out the root cause of pollution in the river, the Uma Bharti-led ministry allocated `4,000 crore—10 times more than the cleared budget of `400 crore—on peripheral works such as construction of ghats and crematoriums, which were not needed.
According to official data, about 185 projects related to building crematoriums and ghats worth `400 crore were sanctioned in 2015. After that, many more such projects were added, hiking the cost to `4,000 crore.
“During the assessment of Ganga-related projects, it was found that ghats and crematorium projects were cleared without any requirement. These were cleared just for public display as nothing has happened when it comes to cleaning the river,” said a Minstry of Water Resources official.
The first set of such projects was launched by Bharti in July last year. The official added that NMCG— the nodal authority for cleaning the Ganga—has now been directed to approve only need-based projects and observe caution, especially in cases of fringe projects such as ghats, toilets and crematoriums.
Eight-two projects worth `6,346.27 crore were sanctioned to create sewage treatment plants (STPs), but the NMCG is still working to finalise the model to be followed for their construction.
“Priority should be given to creating STPs, but nothing much has happened. Many projects have not taken off due to indecisiveness of authorities over the model under which they will be operated,” sources in the NMCG said.
Soon after assuming power in May 2014, the Narendra Modi government had approved Namami Gange as its flagship porgramme with a budget outlay of `20,000 crore to clean and rejuvenate the Ganga.
Frequent changes in NMCG’s leadership has not helped the cause either. Another major issue that has plagued the cleaning is the Centre’s tussle with state governments on the issue. Four of the five states through which the Ganga flows before falling into the Bay of Bengal are ruled by non-BJP governments.