Uttarakhand govt to launch 'Save Ganga'

DEHRA DUN: After former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, it is now the turn of Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri to "save" Ganga from pollution.

Concerned over the increasing pollution in the holy river, the Uttarakhand government would shortly launch "Save Ganga" project, Khanduri said on Wednesday, adding funds will not be a constraint.

The government is now busy working out a plan for the Ganga which would be implemented in the next five years. With this plan, the government is hopeful to rejuvenate the purity of Ganga right from its Gomukh till it flows down to Uttar Pradesh.

Several environmentalists and experts have agreed to be part of the "Save Ganga" campaign.

"I have personally spoken to Sam Pitroda, nobel laureate R K Pachauri and Raman Megasaysay award winner Chandi Prasad Bhatt for their cooperation and they are willing to sit together to devise an effective strategy for the cleaning of Ganga," Khanduri said on Wednesday.

He said he was hopeful in getting support from other environmentalists also for the "noble cause".
 
As Ganga flows down from its source Gomukh glaciers at an altitude of 4,255 meter, its pure water starts getting polluted from Uttarkashi district.

After Uttarkashi, the filth and sewage of scores of towns like New Tehri, Devprayag, Rishikesh and Haridwar keep mixing with the river water. At some places, industrial effluents also contribute to the pollution level of the Ganga, experts said.