India signs agreement with World Bank to clean Ganga
June 14th, 2011 - 9:36 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, June 14 (IANS) India Tuesday signed an agreement under which the World Bank will provide $1 billion to supplement the government’s efforts to clean up the Ganga, the pact ironically coming a day after the death of an ascetic who had been fasting for two-and-a-half months to save the river from pollution.
The agreement also seeks to strengthen rural livelihood and conserve biodiversity.
Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, while signing the agreement said: “The objective of the Ganga project is that by 2020 no municipal sewage and industrial effluent will be let into the river without treatment. With help from the World bank, we are taking a big step forward in achieving this mission”.
According to the minister, a collaborative body of the central and state governments, the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) will implement the National Ganga River Basin Project with the assistance of the World Bank.
The project will focus on building and strengthening the NGRBA’s related institutions at the central and state levels, establishing a world-class Ganga Knowledge Centre, enhancing river basin management and financing select investments to reduce point-source pollution in a sustainable manner, the minister said.
“Today, only about one-third of the sewage generated by the towns and cities on the mainstream of the river is treated and a significant volume of untreated or inadequately treated industrial effluents is also discharged into the Ganga,” Ramesh said.
Of the project cost of Rs.7,000 crore ($1.5 billion), the Indian government’s share will be Rs.5,100 crore and that of five state governments - Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal - will be Rs. 1,900 crore.
The World Bank will support India by providing technical assistance and financing of $1 billion.
A 34-year-old ascetic, Swami Nigamananda, died in Dehradun Monday after fasting to save the Ganga from pollution.
“The saint was fasting for the Ganga since the last many days. He laid down his life for the Ganga. I pay my tribute to Swami Nigamananda,” Ramdev told reporters.
- World Bank loan to clean the Ganga - Jun 13, 2011
- Centre approves Rs 7000 crore project to clean Ganga - Apr 28, 2011
- Cabinet clears Rs.7,000 crore to clean Ganga - Apr 28, 2011
- Holy Ganga receives 2,900 million litres sewage daily: PM - Apr 17, 2012
- World Bank approves $1 bn loan to clean Ganga river - Jun 01, 2011
- India to get 3bn dollar aid from World Bank for Ganga cleaning projects - Oct 05, 2009
- Jairam Ramesh holds Uttarakhand responsible for ascetic's death - Jun 14, 2011
- Ascetic dies fasting for Ganga - Jun 14, 2011
- World Bank lending $1 billion to clean Ganga - Dec 02, 2009
- Is government serious about saving the Ganga? - Mar 25, 2012
- India to borrow one billion dollars from World Bank to clean up Ganges - Dec 03, 2009
- Cabinet clears Rs.497 crore for Ganga clean up (Lead) - Jun 10, 2010
- Congress slams BJP for not backing fasting ascetic who died (Lead) - Jun 14, 2011
- Cabinet clears second phase of Ganga Action Plan - Jun 10, 2010
- 135km stretch of Ganga in Uttarakhand gets green shield - Nov 02, 2010
Tags: basin project, dehradun, forest minister, ganga river, india signs, indian government, industrial effluent, industrial effluents, jairam ramesh, jharkhand, knowledge centre, livelihood, municipal sewage, point source pollution, river basin authority, river basin management, signs agreement, state governments, sustainable manner, west bengal