Lucknow, Dec 21 : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that Ganga is a unique gift of nature to Uttar Pradesh as the river covers a major part of the state and is the central point of our faith and also the mainstay of the economy.
While reviewing the implementation of ‘Namami Gange’ project, Yogi said, “Satisfactory results have been achieved in the ongoing Namami Gange project under the guidance of the Prime Minister with the resolve to make Ganga and its tributaries ‘Aviral’ (uninterrupted) and ‘Nirmal’ (clean). People’s cooperation is also being received in this campaign of the central and state government to clean Ganga and its tributaries.
Today, dolphins have returned to the river Ganges and technology is being used to clean the water bodies.” He said that the Namami Gange project is not only for Ganga but for its tributaries as well. “Unprecedented work has been done here under the guidance of the Prime Minister. Effective efforts have been made to stop dirty water from falling into the Ganga in Jajmau and Sisamau of Kanpur. Today it has been developed as a selfie point,” he said.
The CM said that before the start of Prayagraj Kumbh 2025 the resolve to make mother Ganga Aviral and Nirmal will have to be fulfilled. “The process of installation of Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) to save the rivers from sewage dirt and toxic water should be expedited. More efforts should be made for urban solid waste management to ensure uninterrupted and clean flow of all the rivers including Ganga,” he directed. He said that Ganga has been the centre of our faith since time immemorial. “Under the guidance of the PM it is now becoming the support of the economy along with faith.
‘Arth Ganga’ campaign will benefit crores of people whose livelihood depends on Ganga. With the target of contributing 3 per cent to the GDP from Arth Ganga, we have to make concerted efforts.
Efforts should be made to develop it as a model with the help of experts,” he said. Yogi said that in order to increase the income of farmers and promote non-toxic farming, the state government has seen good results of encouraging natural farming on both the banks of the Ganges for five kilometers each.
“About 27 districts in the state are connected with the Ganga. Apart from this, a special campaign has been started for natural farming in 7 districts of Bundelkhand. At present, natural farming is being done on about 85,000 hectares of land.” he said.
He said, “This time the production has been good. Farmers should be made aware with the comparative report of the good results of this zero budget farming. The state level Natural Agriculture Board has also been constituted. More and more farmers should join natural farming.” The CM said that till now an area of 66,180 hectares has been brought under organic farming in the state. “More than one lakh farmers are benefiting from organic farming. All the farmers should be linked to the organic farming portal of the Government of India. To identify and ensure quality of organic products laboratories should be set up at all divisional headquarters. Similarly, outlets of organic products should also be set up in all agricultural markets,” he said.
He said that every Ghat of mother Ganga is holy. “There are many pilgrimage sites, places of historical and cultural importance and immense natural beauty along its banks. We should promote new possibilities of tourism in these areas. There is immense potential for adventure and water sport tourism here. Due to the efforts of the PM, there has been an inspiring effort in this direction in Varanasi. We should develop the model of river cruise and wildlife tourism with facilities for water sports and camping,” he said.
Yogi said that efforts should be made to develop Ganga nursery with the help of women self-help groups, ex-servicemen and other groups. “Here, we should create the entire value chain from nursery to processing of fruits. These Ganga products can become a permanent source of income for the people on the banks of the river,” he said.
He said that the PM has given a new vision for the rivers. “Learning from the experiences of Namami Gange there is a need for a new river-centric approach in planning riverine cities. This should be a part of the city’s master plan. Necessary action should be taken in this regard with the technical support of IIT Kanpur,” he said.
The CM said that there is a need to increase the widespread awareness regarding importance and significance of rivers. “Children should also be associated with the campaign of water conservation, cleanliness of rivers, river revival and cleanliness. This subject should be included in the curriculum of secondary classes. Efforts should be made to make the society aware through Yuvak Mangal Dal and Mahila Mangal Dal,” he said.
He said, “The first meeting of the National Ganga Council was held in Kanpur under the chairmanship of the PM. Now the meeting of the second National Ganga Council is proposed on December 30. Necessary preparations should be completed well in time accordingly.”
