The Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Satya Pal Singh asked the people to desist from immersing the ashes of their deceased near ones in the Ganga, citing the pollution such ritual cause in the holy river. He said this while laying the foundation stones of 32 projects worth around `140 crore under the Namami Gange programme on Tuesday.
He further said that the Centre and, particularly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi are serious about the success of this programme, launched with the mission of cleaning the holy river to help it get back its normal, pristine flow. He also dedicated to the people two projects already completed a sewerage project in Gangotri Dham and a sewage treatment plant of 0.26 MlDs capacity at Badrinath pilgrimage centre-on the occasion.
lauding Uttarakhand as Devbhumi — the abode of the gods — he said that all must see to it that the river is pure and pristine in the State from where it originates.
Taking a serious note of the Ganga being polluted by the ash immersion custom accompanied by its ritualistic paraphernalia, the Minister said that it is one of the principal causes behind the pollution of the revered river. “No scripture sanctions such ritual which ultimately pollutes the river. It is a sin to pollute it in the name of religion,” he said.
He further said that funds pumped by the government do not suffice to free the river from the pollutants. “It is possible only when we approach her as the mother with the true devotion in the heart,” Singh said and exhorted the religious fraternity to help the message sink deep in the collective mind of the people.
The Minister also said that the officials tasked with the execution of the project should take weekly review meeting to take stock of the progress being made in its implementation.
While expressing satisfaction over many of the industrialists coming forward to contribute to the mission of clean Ganga, he said that a stringent law is on the cards to stop people from littering the holy river.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the state Government was determined to complete the Namami Gange programme at the earliest. Earlier, Haridwar MP Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said that thousands of youth had got involved in the project through ‘Sparsh Ganga’ and ‘Ganga Vichar Manch’.
The State drinking water and sanitation Minister Prakash Pant said that the execution of the programme would gain further pace in the coming days.
