Union Cabinet Approves Flagship Namami Gange Programme

13 May, New Delhi

Cabinet Wednesday approved the flagship Namami Gange Programme which integrates the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga river in a comprehensive manner.

The program has a budgetary outlay of 20,000 crore rupees for the next 5 years. This is a significant four-fold increase over the expenditure in the past 30 years.

To ramp up progress, the Centre will now take over 100 per cent funding of various activities and projects under this program. It also plans to provide for operation and maintenance of the assets for a minimum 10 year period, and adopt a Public Private Partnership and Special Purpose Vehicle approach for pollution hotspots.

In an attempt to bolster enforcement the Centre also plans to establish a 4-battalion Ganga Eco-Task Force, a Territorial Army unit, apart from contemplating on a legislation that aims to check pollution and protect the river.