Yogi Adityanath plans to make river Ganga pollution free before 2019 Ardh Kumbh

Lucknow: A massive work plan has been initiated to ensure that garbage and waste stop flowing into the River Ganga before the 2019 ‘Ardhkumbh’, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said. [caption id=“attachment_2897438” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] The river flows through 25 districts of Uttar Pradesh. “Before the 2019 Prayag (Allahabad) Ardhkumbh not even a single drain or garbage will flow into the River Ganga. A large scale work plan has got underway to ensure this,” the chief minister said at a programme organised by the Isha Foundation. “A work plan worth Rs 30,000 crore has been started under the prime minister’s ’namami Gange’ project to make Ganga and its tributaries ‘aviral, nirmal’ (ever flowing and clean)”, Adityanath said. “In the coming two years no one will be allowed to release garbage or waste in the river and treatment plants will be set up at different places to first treat the discharge before it is allowed to flow into the river,” he said. “In the first phase we have resolved to make all villages falling on the river’s banks open defecation free (ODF) and have also succeeded in it,” the chief minister said in the presence of founder of the Isha Foundation, Jaggi Vasudev. A vast plantation drive has also been launched in the areas falling on the banks of the River Ganga. Hailing the ‘Rally for Rivers’ programme, he said the new Uttar Pradesh government has already started implementing programmes aimed at this.