'Government not concerned about protecting Ganga'

The Ganga river is more polluted now than what it was in 1985, when the Ganga Action Plan was launched, and the construction of dams, barrages, canals continuously pose a threat to it, Acharya Jeetendra of the Ganga Mahasabha said Monday.

"The entire Ganga issue has been made a political issue and political parties, both at state level and at the centre, are doing politics in the sake of cleaning up the Ganga river to gain the votes of the communities concerned for the river," he said, addressing the media in the capital.

He said though the UPA government last year formed a committee constituting academicians from seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to find out ways to protect the river, the government has not yet implemented the committee's recommendations.

"It is very important that the government implements the findings of the report, so that the river can be protected from getting polluted and meeting the consequences that the Yamuna river has suffered in the national capital because of the pollutants released by industries into the river," he added.

"Various NGOs and groups across the country will stage a protest here Feb 22 demanding the central government to take initiatives against the posing threats to the Ganga river," Acharya Jeetendra said.