Namami Gange Programme is an umbrella programme which integrates previous and currently ongoing initiatives by enhancing efficiency, extracting synergies and supplementing them with more comprehensive & better coordinated interventions. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) endeavours to deploy best available knowledge and resources across the world for Ganga rejuvenation. Clean Ganga has been a perennial attraction for many international countries that have expertise in river rejuvenation.

NMCG was awarded the distinction of “Public Water Agency of the Year” by Global Water Intelligence at the Global Water Summit in London.

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Salient features of Namami Gange programme:

• River front development.
• Conservation of Aquatic life and biodiversity
• Improvement of coverage of sewerage infrastructure in habitations on banks of Ganga.
• River Surface cleaning for collection of floating solid waste from the surface of the Ghats and River
• Afforestation
• Industrial Effluent Monitoring
• Development of Ganga Gram
• Creating Public Awareness

Achievements of Namami Gange:

• Namami Gange has a well-balanced spread of 221 projects, which include STP, ghat development, surface cleaning afforestation, sanitation, and public awareness, out of which 58 have been completed.
• There is a concerted focus on 10 towns that contribute to 64% of the total sewage discharged in Ganga.
• To address the cross-functional challenge faced by GAP, Namami Gange has synergized itself with government schemes by signing MoUs with 10 central ministries.
• More than 90 per cent villages across river Ganga have been declared open defecation free, and by October 2017, the rest of the villages would become ODF as well.
• The programme has also successfully renovated over 180 ghats and built 112 new crematoriums.
• 4,464 villages situated on the bank of Ganga have been declared as open defecation free (ODF). Moreover, Namami Gange was instrumental in constructing more than 12.7 lakhs household toilets.
• Trash skimmers have been deployed in 11 cities to collect any surface waste.
• Six public outreach programmes were organised in areas around Ganga basin:
  • Swachhata Pakhwada
  • Ganga Sankalp Divas
  • Ganga Nirikshan Yatra
  • Ganga Dusshera
  • Ganga Vriksharopan Saptah
  • Swachhta Hi Seva Pakhwada

Evaluation of Namami Gange and previous plans:

• A major advantage enjoyed by the Namami Gange programme is the fact that it’s headed by the National Mission For Clean Ganga (NMCG), an institutional body which has been given due financial and administrative powers as per the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.
• A singular institutional structure makes it easier for decision making. Namami Gange has also brought the states onboard, something the previous programmes were unable to.

Its implementation has been divided into:

• Entry-Level Activities (for immediate visible impact),
• Medium-Term Activities (to be implemented within 5 years of time frame) and
• Long-Term Activities (to be implemented within 10 years).

Challenges faced:

• CAG in its report claimed that the NMCG neither circulated Ganga Rejuvenation Basin Management Programme (GRBMP) to different ministries/departments for consultation and seeking their opinion, nor finalised the Ganga Rejuvenation Basin Management Programme (GRBMP) for initiating the long-term intervention on the Ganga.
• There have been issues regarding untreated waste that flows into the river, restoring the flow of the river, sludge management in Ganga basin towns, cost overruns in execution of projects and governance glitches.
• Sewage treatment:
  • As far as sewage infrastructure projects are concerned, 68 projects were sanctioned after the Namami Gange was approved by the cabinet and only six were completed till August.
  • New projects are delayed because land acquisition and other related activities were taking a lot of time.
• A river is a self-purifying system only when water flows through it. The Ganga fails this basic test except during monsoons. So it’s not just about unclean Ganga. It is about the existence of Ganga.
• The water resources ministry signed MOUS with 10 ministries for better implementation of Namami Gange. However, till date no detail is available as to how these ministries are functioning for better convergence.

Conclusion:

Ganga is an integral part of the socio-eco-cultural-political fabric of India. However, the longest river has faced the brunt of increasing industrialization, which has not only affected the flow but also the quality of its water. Namami Gange Programme aims to restore the purity and flow of water in the Ganga River through abatement of pollutants and treatment of discharged water. Namami Gange has not only taken lessons from the failure of GAP, but, it has also ensured cross-state cooperation as well as public support to expedite the processes.