'Comprehensive law for rejuvenation of river Ganga under

Government is considering the need to draft a "comprehensive" legislation for rejuvenation of river Ganga, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti shared the information responding to questions including ones on status of the Namami Gange programme and whether the Government proposes to enact a law to make the scheme successful.
"The need for a comprehensive legislation for rejuvenation of river Ganga is under consideration of the Ministry Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation," Bharti said in a written reply in the Upper House.
The Minister said that an inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) was earlier constituted for framing draft legislation on the National River Ganga to strengthen efforts to make the revered river pollution-free and ensure its continuous flow was established when the programme was under Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

"Consequent upon transfer of the work to Water Resources Ministry, the IMC has been reconstituted and dialogue with the states has also been initiated," she added.
The Minister also said the government has until now sanctioned funds worth Rs 6,191.54 crore, while Rs 1,501.32 crore have been released to five states namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal from where Ganga passes through.

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Bharti said those found responsible for dumping
industrial waste into the Ganga will be sent to jail.
She said that Namami Gange will achieve its objective by 2018 but its effects will begin to be visible by the end of this year.

Gadkari said by launching 231 projects worth Rs 1,500 crore, Bharti has proved her commitment towards the Ganga, adding that work on 60 sewage treatment plants and 50 other big projects under the mission will commence this year.
The Uttarakhand Chief Minister said the Ganga originates from the state and promised total cooperation to the Centre in achieving the objectives of Namami Gange.
"We will do in right earnest whatever task is assigned to us to keep the Ganga clean and its flow uninterrupted," he said, adding that Uttarakhand is the first state to give a bonus for tree plantation which is crucial to the success of the programme.

On his government's water conservation efforts, Rawat said
clean Ganga water will soon be available in Haridwar as in Uttarkashi and put emphasis on a "holistic approach" to cleanse the river.
Claiming that the practice of opendefecation has been brought to an end at 45 per cent of the places in the state, Rawat said efforts are on to make the rest of the state, especially villages on the banks of the Ganga and its tributaries, open defecation-free zones.