PM to chair National Ganga Council meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here to chair the first meeting of the National Ganga Council and review the ambitious ''Namami Gange'' project.

The prime minister, who is attending the meeting at Chandra Shekhar Azad Agriculture University, was received at the Chakeri airport by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries.

The Prime Minister's Office had said on Friday that Modi will chair the first meeting of National Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga Council (National Ganga Council) in Kanpur. He will review progress of work done and deliberate on aspects of cleaning the Ganga, the PMO said.

A senior district official had said on Friday that PM Modi will hold the Ganga Council meeting with Union ministers, chief ministers of UP, Uttarakhand and Bihar and secretaries of various central departments.

Chief Ministers of two Gangetic states -- West Bengal and Jharkhand -- may not attend the meeting, the official said.

Apart from holding the meeting, the PM will visit Atal Ghat, where he will take the steamer for the journey through the river, the official added.