Uma to go on 'padyatra' to check Namami Gange progress

Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti will set out on a 'padyatra' from Gangotri to Gangasagar in October to check the implementation of the 'Namami Gange' programme.
The move, however, has raised eyebrows in political circles with many alleging that the yatra is being planned with an eye on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due next year.
"The minister will go on a padyatra and feels that it should not be linked with politics. Politics will only hamper the works related to cleaning of Ganga," a source close to Bharti said.
The padyatra will start in October form Gangasagar, the source said.

Bharti will, however, take permission from Prime Minister Narendra Modi before embarking on the journey, the source added.
Last month, around 250 programmes were launched by the Centre in several states on the banks of the Ganga river.
The Centre's ambitious 'Namami Gange' programme aims at cleaning the river and ensuring its unfettered flow.
The entry-level project activities include ghat and crematoria construction/repair, river front beautification, installation and repair of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and others work will be launched simultaneously from over 104 locations initially in all five basin states of Ganga.