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Press Release : 20-Mar-2004
“World Water Day” 22 March, 2004
A one-day workshop on
‘Role of local government in making Ganga pollution free’
Ganga is the lifeline of India. Even today people take aachman (mouthful) of Ganga waters but its pity that our most sacred and the purest river in the world has been polluted beyond measure. The most important reasons for its pathetic condition are our polluting religious practices and carelessness. Today, 118 big and small towns, which are dependent on Ganga for their water needs, are discharging their domestic sewage, solid waste and toxic industrial effluent directly into the Ganga. This has led to a very high degree of pollution level in Ganga. The towns, which have been feeding Ganga with filth and contaminants for years, are now being fed with the same dirty and toxic water. The contaminated water of Ganga is posing severe health risks to the population of these towns.
Government of India launched Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1986 to make Ganga pollution free. Since then almost Rs.150 crore have been spent in Kanpur alone but the pollution level in the river has gone from bad to worse. GAP has become a liability rather than an asset due to poor planning and lack of provision for operation and maintenance costs of GAP assets. The failure of the GAP can also be attributed to disinterest and non-involvement of local government in planning and execution of GAP.
As per the 74th Constitutional Amendment, environmental management is the responsibility of the local government. The 74th Amendment entrusts the local government with the responsibility to take appropriate action to make Ganga pollution-free.
In view of the above facts, Eco Friends is organizing a one-day workshop for the elected (110), nominated (10) representatives and government officials of the local government (KNN) on March 22 from 2 pm to 6 pm at Massacre ghat, Kanpur. The objective of the workshop is to educate, aware and sensitise the officials of the local government about their duties and responsibilities towards making the Ganga pollution free. Various government agencies involved in the execution of GAP, pollution regulatory authorities, scientists from IIT and eminent citizens of Kanpur would participate in the workshop. Kanpur Mayor Mr. Anil Sharma would inaugurate the workshop.
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