JOIN USGanga's cleansing of utmost importance to govt: Jal Shakti minister
Ganga's cleansing is of utmost importance to the government as the sacred river has been the foundation of India's economic activity and supports the livelihood of about 40 per cent of the country's population, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said on Monday.
The National Clean Ganga Mission has managed to connect the common man with the river, the minister said at the 'Ganga Utsav' being organised here to celebrate rivers.
"We have succeeded in connecting Ganga with the common man and made it a Jan Andolan under the NMCG. There are crores of people who are fulfilling their responsibility in carrying out the process of cleaning Ganga," he said.
"Ganga has been the foundation of India's economic activity and livelihood of 40 per cent of the country's population is dependent upon Ganga which also makes its cleansing of utmost importance for us," he added.
Shekhawat said India is a diverse country and rivers like Ganga bind and unite people. So our commitment towards them is necessary.
"Earlier, the work to clean Ganga was being undertaken in silos and efforts were not made at the desired intensity," he said.
Jal Shakti Secretary Pankaj Kumar said due to NMCG, significant improvement on the ground can already be seen.
"We have already started seeing significant improvements on the ground with the improvement of water quality whether it is in terms of dissolved oxygen or biological oxygen, or fecal coliform and this improvement can be observed at many places," he said.
He further said the government is expanding the cleansing of rivers and going beyond Ganga.
Shekhawat also launched the CLAP (Continuous Learning and Activity Portal) which is an interactive portal that is working towards initiating conversations and action around the rivers in India.
The portal is also a platform to facilitate debates and discussions and express ideas on various issues pertaining to the environment, water, rivers etc.
CLAP for Ganga is based on interactive activities and games to diffuse knowledge with enjoyment and to help people learn while playing, National Mission for Clean Ganga Director General Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said.
"CLAP aims to bring about some positive behavioural change with respect to issues like the environment, water etc," he added.
Shekhawat also released a manual on 'Guide to Safe Rescue and release of Stranded Gangetic Dolphins'
Speaking about it, Mishra said Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is an integral part of the Ganga ecosystem but their population is in danger due to various threats, including stranding in the vast network of irrigation canals or smaller tributaries leading to a reduction in their overall population.
"The document (Guide to Safe Rescue and release of Stranded Gangetic Dolphins is the detailed description of the methods of a safe capture and translocation established to rescue stranded dolphins and return them to their original habitats," he noted.
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