Bharti to meet experts to set parameters for River Ganga's rejuvenation

Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti will meet experts, including technocrats, environmentalists and representatives of NGOs on July 5 to discuss and set the parameters for the rejuvenation of the River Ganga.

Speaking as the chief guest at a National Conference on Preserving Rivers in India here today, Bharti said parameters set for the River Ganga would also be applicable to other major rivers of the country.

She said, "There won't be any compromise on the free flow and purity of the rivers. We will take people along in this initiative." She was of the opinion that Ganga Rejuvenation Programme of India will set an example for other countries to follow. Ms. Bharti said "In India faith and development can go together."

She further said there won't be any shortage of funds for Ganga Rejuvenation Programme.

"The private sector has also offered its help in this task. Collaborations from other countries will also be considered," she added.

Referring to doubts expressed by a section of the environmentalists on the inter-linking of rivers, an official statement quoted Bharti, as saying, "We will ensure that only those rivers are inter-linked which will not harm our eco-system."

She also said that her ministry is not opposed to power projects on rivers, but at the same time, it has to be ensured that main river is never dry during any point of the year.

She said that she was hopeful that the group of secretaries set up to draw an action plan for Ganga will come out with its report very soon.