Sewage discharge into Ganga need to be checked: Uma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun July 3

Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti today said the Central government would approve projects under the Namami Gange project only if the Uttarakhand government agrees to ensure that sewage treatment plants (STPs) that will come up along the Ganga will not discharge sewage into the river.

Asked why the Central government had not approved any project presented by the state under the Namami Gange project, Uma said, “The state has to mention in its detailed project report (DPR) that all STPs being set up will not discharge waste into the river. We have to ensure the Ganga remains clean,” she said while speaking with reporters today.

Uma said save Ganga activists were not against dams but were keen to ensure an uninterrupted flow of the river. The Namami Ganga project had been “delayed” as the Centre decided to bear the entire funds instead of asking the states to make a matching contribution, and thus rework its financial plans and approvals. She said Rs 12,000 crore had been set aside for the project.