“Namami Gange” is program of Indian Government, which has three main points. First is cleaning of polluted water by installing Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). Second, ensuring environmental flow in the river. And third, reducing the demand of water by improving water use efficiency in agriculture. Parallel to this, the “Rally for Rivers” is talking about conservation of rivers by tree plantation. We welcome these programs. But the solutions proposed by them will not solve the problem, instead they will distract from the true solutions. (See here manifesto of Namami Gange and Rally for rivers).
Ganga river problems
The first problem is of pollution in the river. According to “Namami Gange”, sewage treatment plants will be handled with the participation of private parties. But the problem is that the STPs are currently not running properly because the municipalities are not interested to run them. If new STPs will be installed, municipalities will still not be interested to run them. The right way is that the Central Government should purchase clean water released from the STP and made it available to the farmers for irrigation. Then private parties will have an interest in running the STPs. Just as private parties are supplying power to electricity boards by installing thermal power plants, similarly they will supply clean water to the state irrigation departments. As Namami Gange and Rally for Rivers do not have a plan that will make the STPs run, hence they will fail.
The second point of “Namami Gange” is that old industries which are increasing pollution, will be closed and a new policy will be made for new industries. But the policy is not clear yet. In Ganga Basin Management Plan made by IITs, it has been suggested that the industries must be asked to adopt “Zero Liquid Discharge” Policy. They should be forced to clean up the waste water repeatedly until it is finished. They should not even drain out a drop of water. But “Namami Gange” and Rally for Rivers are silent on Zero Liquid Discharge. Therefore, industries will continue to discharge the effluents and the old story will continue.
“Rally for rivers” says that planting of trees will improve the quality of water. This is true. The program is to plant trees for one kilometer on both sides of the river. We estimate that in the Ganga Basin, plantation will take place on about 15,000 square kilometers. But it will be like a drop in the ocean. The total area of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal is 484,000 square kilometers. Therefore only 3% of the total area will be forested. This will lead to very little improvement in flow of the river.
In normal situation, water in the nearby lands seeps into the river and recharge it. This will happen only when the nearby lands are full of ground water. But heavy pumping of ground water is depleting this ground water. Therefore, this forestation will provide more water for the irrigation pumps; and very little water for the river. But “Namami Gange” and “Rally for Rivers” will create an illusion that the rivers will be rejuvenated.
“Namami Gange” has also said that environmental flows will be ensured. But four years of the NDA Government have passed and despite the order given by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Government has not taken any steps to provide the environmental flows. Thus this is mere empty talk.
“Namami Gange” has said that the work of improving the efficiency of irrigation will be done. This effort is absolutely right. But this will increase the area of irrigation and not lead to decrease in the demand for water. If 10,000 hectares are being irrigated today, 12,000 hectares will be irrigated with the same water. But water use will remain as earlier.
“Namami Gange” and “Rally for Rivers” both are silent on the two points. With the construction of hydropower projects on rivers in the mountainous areas, the movement of fish has blocked. This is affecting our biodiversity. It is necessary that hydropower projects should be redesigned and ensure continuous flow of one stream of the river.
Both programs are also silent on Farakka Barrage due to which water and silt imbalance is occurring. Hoogly is getting half water but low silt whereas Bangladesh is getting half water but more silt. Erosion of Sundarbans is taking place due to low silt. Increasing silt in Bangladesh is causing more floods. Both programs are silent on this problem. The solution may be that the Farakka barrage may be redesigned so that there will be equal distribution of silt along with water. (Read here our last post in this context).
We believe that “Namami Gange” and “Rally for Rivers” will fail. Their intention is to make the public feel that the Government is trying to revive the Ganga. They are distracting attention of the people form the true problems of the Ganga.
