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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Ganga to be cleaned via PPP route
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Ganga to be cleaned via PPP route

A project report based on the suggestions and discussions is likely to be presented to the cabinet soon

The cleaning up of the Ganga is a priority for the government that took office in late May, and which has a ministry specially dedicated to doing just this. Photo: MintPremium
The cleaning up of the Ganga is a priority for the government that took office in late May, and which has a ministry specially dedicated to doing just this. Photo: Mint

New Delhi: It could cost the government Rs80,000 crore to clean the Ganga, and around Rs56,000 crore of that will have to come from the private sector, a senior minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) said.

The cleaning up of the river, considered holy by Hindus, is a priority for the government that took office in late May, and which has a ministry specially dedicated to doing just this.

The government will provide 25-30% of the money required, Nitin Gadkari, minister for road transport, highways and shipping said at an event organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga, part of the environment ministry. The meeting was attended by representatives of several ministries, activists, and religious leaders.

Gadkari added that the rest of the money would come from private companies through a public private partnership model.

Topics discussed at the meeting ranged from encouraging organic farming near the river (to prevent flow-off of pesticides and fertilizers) to the use of bio toilets to the absence of data.

“We have had a series of discussions with various stakeholders on the issue and will soon arrive on some positive outcome," said Uma Bharti, minister for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation.

A project report based on the suggestions and discussions is likely to be presented to the cabinet soon. These will apply to “all rivers in the Ganga basin" Bharti added.

The government plans to dredge the river to provide a width of 45 meters and 5 meters deep so as to enable navigation of small ships from Varanasi to Hoogly. A note on this project, costing Rs4,000 crore has been sent to the World Bank for the development of the Allahabad-Haldia corridor.

The government will also try and develop tourism spots all along the river’s banks, tourism and culture minister, Shripada Naik said.

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Published: 08 Jul 2014, 12:21 AM IST
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