Action Plan for Ganga Rejuvenation Union Cabinet approved the Namami Gange program on 13th May, 2015 as a comprehensive approach to rejuvenate the river Ganga and all its tributaries under one umbrella. Namami Gange focuses on cleaning of river Ganga in short term as well as a comprehensive vision with 7 main thrust areas that include maintenance of flow, River Front Development, Capacity Building, Research & Monitoring, Biodiversity Conservation and communication & public outreach. A total of Rs. 20,000 crore has been allocated for this project to be spent over the next five years (2019). This includes funds allocated for ongoing projects to clean river Ganga and new initiatives. The major activities under Namami Gange include rehabilitation of existing STPs, creation of new STPs, complete sanitation coverage for gram panchayats, development of model cremation/dhobhi ghats, development of a decision support system in GIS platform for efficient planning and monitoring, creation of an IT-based monitoring center with capabilities of real-time alerts and prediction. The importance of maintenance of flow in the River and afforestation with medicinal and native plant species along river sides is also identified under Namami Gange along with conservation of aquatic species. The Namami Gange programme will be implemented through the respective State Project Monitoring Group (SPMG) offices headed by Project Director in 5 States along the main stem of river Ganga including SPMG for West Bengal. The role of the SPMGs would be to get the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared and submit to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) which would get it examined by Third Party Appraisal (TPA) agencies. Once approved, the funds would be released to the respective SPMGs who would, in turn, release the funds to the Executing Agency (EA). SPMGs would also monitor the progress of implementation of the project and report the same to NMCG for release of further funds. SPMGs are responsible for management and implementation of the projects as per National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) guidelines. This information was given by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today. Samir/jk
