Centre needs to expedite process of cleaning Ganga: Shivpal Yadav

Concerned over rising pollution in river Ganga, Senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav urged the Union government to expedite its efforts to clean the river.

Yadav, along with the founder of Ganga Action Pariwar Swami Chidanand Saraswati, was addressing a function here yesterday on occasion of Dev Deepawali, the festival of Kartik Poornima celebrated in Varanasi.

The duo urged the Union government to expedite efforts of cleaning the river, to save it from pollution and further drying.

They stressed on the need to spread awareness among people about keeping the river clean and urged people to come forward and help it from getting polluted.

The UP Cabinet Minister said that for the beautification and development of 84 ghats in Varanasi, the state government has come up with 'Vision Kashi' project worth Rs 428 crore.

The state government was serious about cleaning the rivers and was ready to extend its support to the Union government wherever it needed and the Centre need to fasten its efforts in cleaning of the river, the PWD minister said.

Chidanand, who is also president of Parmarth Niketan, had recently announced to set up the world's first ever toilet college in Rishikesh. It would be made operational from march next.

He appealed people to avoid open defecation and specially along the banks of the river.

Speaking on the intolerant issue, Chidanand said, "Indian tradition possess distinctive qualities of tolerance, where people belonging to various religious faiths lives in peace and harmony with each other.