We hope to clean 70 to 80 per cent Ganga by March 2019. It is a general perception that nothing significant is being done under Namami Gange Programme but this is not correct, said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday.

While addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Gadkari said that 251 Gross Polluting Industries (GPI) have been closed and closure directions have been issued to non complying GPIs”.

During the press conference, which was also linked to Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur via video, the minister said that real time monitoring of pollution is being done in 938 industries.

Addressing the press conference Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti said that almost all the 4470 villages on the bank of Ganga are now Open Defecation Free (ODF) and now we are working on the strategy of ODF plus.

She said measures like solid-liquid waste management, tree plantation, making villages and towns plastic free and awareness programmes are being adopted.

Bharti said, “Our Ministry is working on Ganga Gran Project which is based on holistic development of villages situated on the bank of river Ganga with active participation of villages. Organic farming, water conservation project, proper disposal of solid and Liquid waste and renovation of ponds will be emphasized in Ganga Grams”.

Namami Gange Programme’, is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.

The programme is to be implemented over a period of five years ending on December 2020. ‘Namami Gange’ approaches Ganga Rejuvenation by consolidating the existing and ongoing efforts and planning for a comprehensive action plan for future.

Under Namami Gange programme, a total of 195 projects have been sanctioned for various activities such as sewage infrastructure, ghats and crematoria development, river front development, river surface cleaning, institutional development, biodiversity conservation, afforestation, rural sanitation, and public participation.