Highlights
- Clean Ganga Fund (CGF) was established in 2014
- CGF aims to contribute to the national effort of cleaning the river Ganga
- It finance activities outlined under the Namami Gange programme
New Delhi: The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has collected around Rs 220 crore till now under the Clean Ganga Fund (CGF), the Lok Sabha was informed by Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Satyapal Singh. However, only Rs 1,09,106 has been spent from the funds available in the CGF, the minister stated. Notably, the Union Cabinet gave its approval for establishment of the Clean Ganga Fund in 2014 to finance the activities which are outlined under the ‘Namami Gange’ programme, along with controlling of non-point pollution from agricultural runoff, human defecation, cattle wallowing, setting up of waste treatment and disposal plants along the river around the cities, ghat redevelopment and conservation of the biotic diversity of the river and other community based activities to reduce polluting human interface with the river, to name a few.
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“The total amount collected/gathered by the National Mission for Clean Ganga from individuals, non-resident Indians or Person of Indian Origins, Public Sector Undertakings till now under CGF is Rs 220.14 crore,” Mr Singh said.
To a separate query, he said an 11-member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of A B Pandya, former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), to address the issue of flood and siltation in Bihar. The committee was constituted on August 24 last year for a period of six months, he said.
Also, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved five projects worth Rs. 295.01 crore. Out of five, three projects pertain to sewage management in West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 278.6 crore, one relates to sewage management in Uttarakhand at an estimated cost of Rs 4.68 crore and one project worth Rs 11.73 crore is related to ghat (set of stairs leading down to a body of water) improvement works in Varanasi. This project aims to strengthen the poor condition of ghats through bolder pitching and stone steps to ensure improved life of ghats apart from avoiding risk and inconvenience to the visitors and pilgrims.
.@cleanganganmcg projects worth Rs. 295 crore approved by NMCGhttps://t.co/KhfP9iwUvD
— MIB India ???????? #AmritMahotsav (@MIB_India) January 4, 2018
With these approvals, all projects related to sewage management in high pollution load towns along river Ganga have been sanctioned, the government stated.
