Jal Nigam's efficiency for 'Clean Ganga' questioned

A leading American researcher, known for her extensive work on wastewater management issues, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Clean Ganga' campaign on Wednesday but warned against ineffective implementation agencies such as the Jal Nigam (water utility corporation).

"The fact the prime minister is bringing attention to that is great, but if you are still going through the same institutions such as the Jal Nigam... they haven't proven themselves in the last 20 years to be very effective... so why are you going to throw the money at them," said Kelly D. Ally, a professor of anthropology, at Auburn University, in the US.

Alley has carried out research in northern India for over 20 years, focusing on public culture and environmental issues.

She has authored books such as 'On the Banks of the Ganga: When Wastewater Meets a Sacred River' that explore Hindu interpretations of the sacred river Ganga in the light of environmental problems.

"There hasn't been any institutional change. It's a complicated political issue because the Jal Nigam is a state agency. Many of us are critical of their work," she said.

Some of her other publications include 'Water Wealth and Energy in the Indian Himalayas' and 'The Developments, Policies and Assessments of Hydropower in the Ganga River Basin' among others, a result of her work in the Brahmaputra basin and in Varanasi.

Observing that "the situation is really bad now" in Varanasi, Alley said the use of alternative sources of energy is essential to push waste water management technologies along the Ganges.

"We have to be creative. The new government is talking about solar, so more of these clean energies would be good," she said, adding that scientific expertise is necessary.

"You would have to have a complete different system. There were some media reports about decentralising the waste water management system in Varanasi and some other places also that you would have in some neighbourhoods like some smaller collection and treatment facilities but I haven't seen anything exact about that," she added.