Uma Bharati, Venkaiah Naidu meet to discuss clean-up of River Ganga in urban areas

Minister of Water Resources Uma Bharti met Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday to discuss issues relating to the urban component of cleaning of the River Ganga.

Uma Bharati and Naidu broadly discussed issues relating to the release of untreated sewage from 118 towns and cities in five states into the River Ganga and the measures to be taken to address the problem. The two ministers felt the need for pro-active cooperation from the governments of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal in the formulation and execution of schemes to avoid the pollution of the Ganga River, which was being contributed to by all the towns and cities located along the river.

They agreed to convene a meeting of the ministers of urban development of these five states along with the principle secretaries of urban development, mayors, chairpersons and commissioners of 118 urban bodies. The meeting is intended to sensitise all those concerned about the measures to be taken to address pollution of the river.

The secretaries of the two ministries have been asked to work out the modalities for holding the meeting of all concerned local bodies.