80% of Ganga to be clean before March 2019: Gadkari

New Delhi [India], Oct 23 (ANI): Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that the work for cleaning and rejuvenation of River Ganga is ongoing and 70-80 per cent of the work will be completed before March next year.
The minister reviewed the Namami Gange project work with officials and contractors from four states namely Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Senior officials of National Mission for Clean Ganga were also present at the meeting.
Speaking to ANI, Nitin Gadkari said, "The review was related to the projects ongoing alongside River Ganga and its tributaries. At some places, there are issues concerning defence, railways, electric lines and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) road projects."
"The construction of ghats and crematoriums is also ongoing and by March end, this task will be completed. Namami Gange programme is very successful and by March 2019, 70-80 per cent work will be done and the rest will be finished by March 2020," he added.
Speaking about the ongoing projects under the Namami Ganga Scheme, Gadkari said, "A lot of improvement is evident, but there is no satisfaction as all projects are not completed. We are constructing Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP). Once that is done, the drainage from houses will not go into river. We have allotted funds to state governments and municipal corporations to do house connections."
The Namami Ganga 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. (ANI)