PRIME MINISTER CALLS FOR INVOLVEMENT
OF SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS FOR CLEANING RIVERS
CENTRE
TO DISBURSE FUNDS DIRECTLY TO AGENCIES IN STATES FOR FASTER IMPLEMENTATION
OF RIVER CLEANING PROJECTS
The Prime Minister,
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has stressed the need to involve religious
personalities and institutions in the river cleaning programmes
as they can play a positive role in communicating the need for
river conservation and mobilizing people. In his opening remarks
at the Eleventh Meeting of the National River Conservtion Authority
here today Shri Vajpayee said the river-cleaning programme in
the country is of such magnitude that we cannot be successful
without involving NGOs and members of civil society. Social and
cultural organizations can also play effective role as partners
of this mission.
The Prime Minister
said that past experiences have shown that the success of such
programmes depend on an integrated approach covering all aspects
of river pollution as well as urban sanitation and waste management.
He called for coordinated effort on the part of various concerned
ministries at the central and state levels as also municipal bodies.
Referring to Ganga
Action Plan & Yamuna Action Plan, he said that works in the
first phase of these two projects have been completed. However,
the operation and maintenance of assets created under these programmes
has turned out to be unsatisfactory. Shri Vajpayee said this is
a matter of great concern and requires immediate attention. "The
time has come for the State Governments to evolve new strategies
for making the programme more sustainable by way of capacity building
of the local bodies and enhancement of their revenue", Shri
Vajpayee said.
In his remarks Union
Minister for Environment & Forests, Shri T.R. Baalu called
upon the State Governments to give higher priority for river and
lake cleaning programmes. He said the States will have to fund
various components of river cleaning programmes such as internal
sewerage, soild wastes etc. Shri Baalu said a massive programme
of environmental education and awareness also needs to be launched
through the National Green Corps and other reputed NGOs to make
the programme sustainable and people friendly. Shri Baalu said
that unless the plan outlay is increased and funds mobilized from
other sources it will be difficult to meet the expectations of
the people.
The meeting was attended
among others by the Finance Minister, Shri Jaswant Singh, Deputy
Chairman of the Planning Commission, Shri K.C. Pant, Minister
for Urban Affairs & Employment, Shri Anant Kumar, Chief Minister
of Delhi, Ms. Shiela Dikshit, Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri
Om Prakash Chautala, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri Arjun Munda,
Ministers from 13 states and senior officials from both the Central
& State Governments.
The National River
Conservation Plan covers 157 towns and 31 stretches of polluted
rivers in 18 States. The approved cost of the projects is Rs.4064
crores, of which GOI share is Rs.3464 crores. Out of 762 Schemes,
388 Schemes have been completed.
The States in their
intervention focused on:
a) Augmentation of
resources to accelerate the pace of activities;
b) Reconsideration
of the funding pattern from the present level of 70:30;
c) Need to extend
programme to other river and lake schemes.
The meeting adopted
a resolution in which it said outlay for the Tenth Plan needs
to be enhanced keeping in view the demands generated from States
and the need structure to tackle critical components of Ganga
Phase II and Yamuna Action Plan. The Resolution said Planning
Commission has consented to revise the Tenth Plan outlay from
Rs. 1417 crore to Rs.1825 crore at the time of mid term review.
But in due regard to the criticality of some of the components
with focus on Ganga Phase Ii and Yamuna, the additionality needs
to be considered by the Planning Commission.
The Resolution said
a massive programme of education and awareness is imperative for
advocacy and awareness raising. NGOs and National Green Corps
(NGC) have to be closely associated with these programmes. Multi
dimensional approach is required to be initiated in this regard
by deploying different media and mode for dissemination of information.
The Resolution said
National Lake Conservation Plan shall receive thrust during Tenth
Plan. A comprehensive and holistic approach needs to be adopted
for the conservation of lakes with focus on abatement of pollution,
check on soil erosion, regeneration and development of catchment
area and front line development. The socio-economic development
of the people dependent on the lake ecology needs to be fully
integrated into the Plan.
The Resolution said
to facilitate faster implementation; the funds will be disbursed
directly to Implementing Agencies in the States by Government
of India.
