Saving river Ganga should be a people's movement: Uma Bharti

Asserting that the mission to save the Ganga river should be a national movement, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti Thursday said the government will soon hold a meeting with different stake holders to brain-storm on the issue.

Talking to reporters here, Uma Bharti said a meeting - "Ganga manthan" - will be called tentatively July 1.

It will involve different stake holders, including environmentalists, saints and religious personalities associated with the saving Ganga mission, scientists and government officials, to discuss the road map for saving Ganga, Yamuna and other rivers across the country.

"As the prime minister said, development should be made a people's movement, similarly, Ganga can be saved only when it becomes a national movement," Uma Bharti said.

"Ganga is not a monument that we keep guards for it. Nothing can be done without community participation," said the minister.

She said the date of the meeting is tentative and can be changed, but will be held before second week of July.

She, however, rejected reports of imposing a fine for spitting into river Ganga, adding that such reports reduced the seriousness of the issue.

The minister also said a web site will be designed to invite suggestions from all over the world for saving Ganga.

A separate ministry has been formed for rejuvenation of Ganga, which is headed by Uma Bharti.

She also said that a group has been formed with secretaries of ministries of water resource, tourism, shipping and environment to chalk out a plan for the river Ganga.