Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Sunday, said that the Ganga has become completely clean and navigable from Gomukh to Bengal via Uttar Pradesh with the Central government’s efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s.

Participating in a three-day seminar ‘Suflam’ being held at Swatantra Bhawan of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Yogi enumerated the achievements of the government during the Amrut Mahotsav being celebrated on the 75th year of Independence, including the upcoming G20 conference in New Delhi and cleaning of Ganga.

He said the prime minister of Mauritius visited Kashi on his request and took the holy dip in the Ganga along with a delegation of 400 and that the dolphin, which was on the verge of extinction have started reappearing in the river because of the cleaning of the river.

The CM also described China’s Covid vaccine as a failure, and heaped praises on the Indian vaccines for saving crores of lives from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Besides, Yogi stressed the need for focusing on natural farming instead of chemical farming to boost agricultural production and farmers’ income. He also visited the exhibition on this occasion.

CM Yogi Adityanath said in his address that during the Corona period, when the world was stunned and helpless due to the deadly virus, India kept working to save lives of its 140 crore people. The whole world has saluted this achievement of India, he remarked pointing out that the two vaccines developed by India saved lives of crores of people.

He pointed out that Britain ruled us for 200 years, but today India has overtaken it to become the 5th largest economy in the world. This year, India has got the distinction of leading the G20 countries from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.

He further pointed out that the population of these countries is equal to 60 per cent of the total population of the world. These 20 countries have 75 per cent of the world’s trade, 85 per cent of GDP, 90 per cent of patents. Yet, India will be making policies for these countries. Some conferences of G20 will also be held in Kashi and the representatives of those countries will come here. It is time that we strengthen our identity in the world by presenting our art, culture and heritage to the representatives of those countries.

On the cleanliness of ‘Mother Ganga’, the CM said that there was a time when taking a dip in the Ganga used to cause skin diseases, but today the sacred river has not only become completely clean from Gomukh to Bengal via Uttar Pradesh, but has also become fit for ‘aachaman’. He said when a double-engine government is at work, it paves way for development and results start coming automatically. Chief Minister Yogi said that the people will have to work for the whole world with honesty.

CM Yogi said that people will have to protect the five elements. “Earth is our mother and we all are her sons. So, we must perform our duty of a sons,” he said.

Addressing farmers, he said due to climate change, land and water have suffered the most, pointing out that messing with Mother Earth is wrong, which must stop. He recommended cow-based natural farming instead of chemical farming.

In his address, the chief minister said that natural farming will be done in 27 districts along the banks of Ganga, including 7 districts of Bundelkhand, adding that the Natural Agriculture Board has been constituted in this regard. Krishi Vigyan Kendras have been linked to the board.

“On comparing natural farming and chemical farming, it was found that Rs 12000-15000 is saved in 1 acre. The aim of the government is to increase the income of the farmers CM Yogi said that many programs are going on for the farmers. The aim of the government is to double the income of the farmers, in which the cost is less and the production is more. The National Mission for Natural Farming has been prepared and the programme is progressing effectively. He said that the results of natural farming done in Gorakhnath Temple Agriculture Farm have been very good as compared to chemical farming.

Expressing his desire for certification of yield, CM Yogi said that certification of seeds and products of natural farming would be done. For this, separate labs are being set up in eight other districts including Varanasi. Outlets for natural and organic farming have been set up in the market committee of every commissionerate headquarter. There are 79 Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the state. There are 6 agricultural universities. They will set up their own labs for certification of natural and organic products, for which the state government will give grants. Then the government will also do marketing of these products.