CM: Strictly enforce plastic ban near Ganga, finish work on ghats this year | Times Of India

DEHRADUN: CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed strict enforcement of plastic ban near Ganga and ordered completion of all projects under Namami Gange which are related to sewage treatment and building of ghats on banks of the river by the end of the year. He also said that a review of these projects would be held on first Monday of each month.

The National Green Tribunal has imposed a complete ban on the use, sale, purchase and storage of plastic items like bags, plates and cutlery in towns located along the banks of the Ganga from Haridwar to Gangotri, a stretch of about 140 kilometres. Major tourist attractions like Haridwar’s Har-Ki-Pauri ghat and Rishikesh fall under the purview of the ban. The plastic ban, however, remains only on paper.

On Wednesday, CM Rawat asked for strict enforcement of the ban while also directing district magistrates to ensure that construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) along Ganga is completed by December 2018. Under the Namami Gange project, 31 STPs in 16 cities were sanctioned. Of these, 13 have been completed while work on 18 STPs is in progress.

Meanwhile, the Centre has included Dehradun, Kedarnath, Srikot and Uttarkashi in the Namami Gange Action Plan, an initiative to curb river pollution and rejuvenation of the Ganga.

The inclusion of these areas in the flagship central project was announced by National Mission for Clean Ganga director general Rajiv Ranjan Mishra who participated in a meeting chaired by the CM in Dehradun on Wednesday.