Click to play videoNew Delhi: River Ganga, regarded as holy by many Indians, will soon get the status of a 'National River'.
The decision to name Ganga a 'National River' was taken at a meeting Ministries of Water Resources, Environment and Forests, and Urban Development with the Prime Minister in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Referring to the special place the Ganga has in the hearts of all Indians, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the emotional link needs to be recognised.
It was also decided that a Ganga River Basin Authority, which will be an empowered planning, implementing and monitoring authority for the river, will be set up.
The Prime Minister will chair the proposed authority, which would have as its members Chief Ministers of the states through which the Ganga flows.
Various agencies working on river conservation and pollution management will also come under this authority.
Official sources said the details of the Authority to be vested with appropriate powers would be worked out in consultation with State Governments and Central Ministries.
The unit of planning, it was felt, should be the river basin and action related to pollution abatement, sustainable use of water and flood management should be integrated.
The proposed Authority would promote intersectoral coordination for comprehensive planning for the river.
Various agencies working on different aspects of river conservation and pollution management would be brought together under this proposed Authority.
Manmohan directed that detailed final proposals may be prepared within two months after the necessary wide-ranging consultations.
It was also recognised that the spirit of the Ganga Action Plan as conceived in 1985 by the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of making the cleaning of the Ganga River a people's movement should be restored.
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