<p>Senior BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi created a flutter on Friday when he said that the Ganga cannot be cleaned even in the next 50 years if the project is implemented at the present rate.<br /><br /></p>.<p>He also questioned the manner in which the Narendra Modi government was talking about inter-linking of rivers and creating waterways.<br /><br />In reaction, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said she would speak to Joshi about the government’s programme and clear his “doubts”. <br /><br />Only a day ago, Uma had said the Ganga would show first signs of being pollution-free by October next year and the first project on inter-linking of rivers (Ken-Betwa) will take off within a year.<br /><br />She had said the “Namami Gange” project had been “delayed” as the Centre decided to bear the entire funding, instead of asking the states to give a matching grant, and thus had to re-work its financial plans and approvals. A sum of Rs 12,000 crore has been set aside for the project. <br /><br /></p>
<p>Senior BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi created a flutter on Friday when he said that the Ganga cannot be cleaned even in the next 50 years if the project is implemented at the present rate.<br /><br /></p>.<p>He also questioned the manner in which the Narendra Modi government was talking about inter-linking of rivers and creating waterways.<br /><br />In reaction, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said she would speak to Joshi about the government’s programme and clear his “doubts”. <br /><br />Only a day ago, Uma had said the Ganga would show first signs of being pollution-free by October next year and the first project on inter-linking of rivers (Ken-Betwa) will take off within a year.<br /><br />She had said the “Namami Gange” project had been “delayed” as the Centre decided to bear the entire funding, instead of asking the states to give a matching grant, and thus had to re-work its financial plans and approvals. A sum of Rs 12,000 crore has been set aside for the project. <br /><br /></p>
