CM Yogi reviews progress of implementation of Namami Gange project
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that with the resolve to make Ganga and its tributaries uninterrupted and clean, very satisfactory results have been seen in the ‘Namami Gange’ project, which is being run under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People’s cooperation is also being received in the efforts of the Central and State Government in this campaign to clean Ganga and its tributaries. Today, dolphins have returned to the river Ganga. Rivers are being made clean by using technology.
The Chief Minister was reviewing the implementation of ‘Namami Gange’ project at a high-level meeting held at Lok Bhawan . Giving necessary guidelines on this occasion, he said that the first meeting of the National Ganga Council was held in Kanpur in the year 2019 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. The second meeting of the National Ganga Council is proposed on 30th December. Necessary preparations for this should be completed well in time.
The Chief Minister said that the Namami Gange project is for the river Ganga as well as for its tributaries. Unprecedented work has been done here under the guidance of the Prime Minister. Effective efforts have been made to stop the dirty water falling from the Jajmau and Sisamau drains of Kanpur district from falling into the river Ganga. Today it has become a selfie point. More efforts should be made for urban solid waste management to ensure uninterrupted and cleanness of all the rivers including Ganga.
The Chief Minister said that Mother Ganga is a unique gift given by nature to Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has the maximum area of the river Ganges. It is the focal point of our faith and also the mainstay of the economy. Before the start of Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025, the resolve to make Ganga unstoppable will have to be fulfilled. The process of setting up STPs should be expedited to save the rivers from sewage contamination and water from becoming toxic.
The Chief Minister said that Mother Ganga has been the center of our faith since time immemorial. Along with faith, under the guidance of the Prime Minister, it is also becoming the basis of the economy. The maximum benefit of ‘Earth Ganga Abhiyan’ will be to those crores of people, whose livelihood depends on the river Ganga. We will have to make concerted efforts to achieve the target of contributing 03 percent to the Gross Domestic Product from the Ganges. Efforts should be made to develop it as a model with the help of experts.
The Chief Minister said that with the aim of increasing the income of farmers and promoting non-toxic farming, the state government is encouraging natural farming up to 05-05 kilometers on both the banks of river Ganga. Good results have been seen from this. 27 districts of the state are connected with the river Ganga. Apart from this, a special campaign has been started for natural farming in 07 districts of Bundelkhand. At present, natural farming is being done on about 85 thousand hectares of land. This time the production here has been good.
The Chief Minister said that farmers should be made aware with the comparative report of the good results of natural farming with zero budget. State Level Natural Farming Board has been constituted. More and more farmers should be linked to the campaign of natural farming. So far, 66,180 hectare area has been brought under organic farming in the state. More than one lakh farmers are getting benefited from organic farming. All the farmers should be linked to the organic farming portal of the Government of India. To identify and ensure quality of organic products, laboratories should be set up at all divisional headquarters. Similarly, outlets of organic products should also be set up in all agricultural markets.
The Chief Minister said that every ghat of Maa Ganga is holy. There are many pilgrimage areas, places of historical and cultural importance and immense natural beauty along its banks. New possibilities of tourism should be promoted in these areas. There is immense potential for adventure tourism and water sport tourism here. Due to the efforts of the Prime Minister, inspiring efforts have been made in this direction in Varanasi. River cruise tourism, water sport/camping facilities with wildlife tourism model should be developed.
The Chief Minister said that the Prime Minister has told the need for new thinking for river cities. Learning from the experiences of Namami Gange, there is a need for new river-centric thinking in planning cities situated on the banks of rivers. It should be a part of the master plan of the city. Necessary action should be taken in this regard with the technical support of IIT Kanpur. Efforts should be made to develop Ganga nursery with the help of women self-help groups, ex-servicemen etc. The complete value chain from nursery to processing of fruits should be made here. These ‘Ganga products’ can become a permanent source of income for the people on the banks of the Ganga.
The Chief Minister said that there is a need to increase widespread awareness about river culture. Children should also be associated with the campaign of water conservation, cleanliness of rivers, river revival and cleanliness. This subject should be included in the curriculum of secondary classes. Efforts should be made to make the society aware through Yuvak Mangal Dal/Mahila Mangal Dal.
On this occasion, Water Power Minister Mr. Swatantra Dev Singh, Agriculture Production Commissioner Mr. Manoj Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture Mr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Additional Chief Secretary Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry Dr. Rajneesh Dubey, Additional Chief Secretary Sports Mr. Navneet Sehgal, Additional Chief Secretary Chief Minister Mr. S.P. Goyal, Principal Secretary Tourism, Mr. Mukesh Meshram,Principal Secretary Namami Gange Mr. Anurag Srivastava, Principal Secretary Revenue Mr. Sudhir Garg, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Information and Home Mr. Sanjay Prasad and other senior officers were present.
