231 projects to boost 'Namami Gange' programme

In order to give a major boost to "Namami Gange" programme, as many as 231 projects will be inaugurated at various locations in Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana and Delhi on Thursday.

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti announced here on Wednesday that these projects will involve modernisation and redevelopment of "Ghats" and crematoriums, development of sewage infrastructure and treatment, afforestation, pilot drain project, interceptor drain project, trash skimmers and conservation of biodiversity across the country.

Referring to "Ganga Gram Yojana", she said 400 villages along the Ganga will be developed as Ganga Gram in phase-I. Thirteen IITs have adopted five villages each for development as Ganga Grams.

At least 47 such projects will be inaugurated at various locations in Dehradun, Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Haridwar and Chamoli districts of Uttrakhand.

The main function to this effect will be held in Haridwar which will be attended by Uttrakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Choudhary Birender Singh, Mahesh Sharma and Uma Bharti.

"Namami Gange" is a Union Government Project which integrates the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga river.

--IANS

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