The 7th edition of Ganga Utsav was recently organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga in New Delhi.
About NMCG
NMCG, listed as a society as per the Societies Registration Act, 1860, was the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986.
- Later, the NGRBA was discontinued (2016) and replaced by the National Council for Rejuvenation, Conservation and Management of River Ganga under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
The primary objective of NMCG is to abate pollution and rejuvenate the Ganga by adopting a river basin approach through programs like Namami Gange.
NMCG is placed under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and has a two-tier management structure, both headed by the Director General of NMCG-
- Governing Council
- Executive Committee
Programs under NMCG
- Ganga Praharis have taken initiatives to train and empower local communities as guardians of the river.
- The Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan aims to promote adventure tourism and ecological awareness along the river.
- Ganga Utsav to celebrate the cultural and spiritual significance of the river.
- Ganga Quest is an online quiz competition to educate students about the river.
- To prepare the Ganga River Basin Management Plan with inputs from experts and stakeholders.
List of initiatives on Ganga
- Namami Gange Program
- Ganga Action Plan
- National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA)
- Clean Ganga Fund
- Bhuvan-Ganga Web App
Challenges
- Delay in starting waste management schemes due to land acquisition problems.
- Lack of initiative from local level governments creates hurdles in MSW separation and recycling, creating a cadre of village and town level volunteers, etc.
- NMCG is a Rs 20,000 crore mission but only Rs 14,745 crore has been released to states for infrastructure work till June 2023.
- Many towns and cities along the river lack proper waste treatment infrastructure, leading to untreated waste entering the river.
- Quality Council of India raised the issue of garbage dumps near the ghats, which are a threat to the cleanliness of the Ganga.
Way Forward
- NMCG’s approach of developing a water quality index on the lines of AQI should be taken forward.
- For the mission to be successful, there must be synergy between administrative vision and civil society participation.
- Better inter-agency coordination and dedicated plans for implementation can boost the success of NMCG which will translate into manifold benefits.
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