We will hand over a clean Ganga in legacy to future generations, Uma Bharti said. (File Photo)
The Namami Gange programme is "atonement" for the pollution of the Ganga post-Independence, Union minister Uma Bharti said today and appealed to lawmakers from constituencies along the river to help make the campaign successful.
"The Namami Gange programme is atonement for the pollution countrymen spread in the Ganga... The programme is not any favour we are making to the Ganga.
Rather it is atonement for the way the river was toyed with, the haphazard manner in which industrialisation and urbanisation happened along it. We will hand over a clean Ganga in legacy to future generations," an official statement quoted her as saying.
The Union Water Resources Minister made the remarks during a meeting with lawmakers from constituencies along the holy river at her residence in Delhi.
The minister told the lawmakers that the government has already initiated waste management works based on Seechewal model in 400 villages along the river.
The Seechewal model of Punjab involves eco-friendly and natural processes to treat wastewater and sewage.
"We will spend Rs 8 lakh initially in developing the Seechewal model in each of the villages located along the river. This will involve works of cleanliness and beautification in the villages," she said.
Ms Bharti said she would embark on a foot march along the river stretch between Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Ganga Sagar in West Bengal to urge the people to make the programme successful and take stock of work on the project. She said she will take up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the statement, some lawmakers suggested that they be consulted before activities are undertaken under the programme in their respective constituencies. The minister, the statement said, asked the ministry officials to do so.
Ms Bharti also responded positively to a suggestion from BJP lawmaker Manoj Tiwari that folk singers and music composers be brought to together to carry out awareness programmes along the Ganga.
The meeting was also attended by Union Ministers of State Sanjeev Kumar Balyan (Water Resources), Anupriya Patel (Health and Family Welfare), Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Food Processing) and Mahendranath Pandey (HRD).