'No' for dams that hinder environmental flow of Ganga: Uma Bharti

New Delhi: The Central Water Commission (CWC) has been directed not to give permission for dam projects that hinder environmental flow of rivers, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said on Tuesday.

Bharti, who reviewed a joint presentation on 'Namami Gange - National Mission for Clean Ganga' in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, said that the river would be cleaned in 11 important cities situated across its basin in the next three years.

The 11 cities includes Rishikesh, Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi, Garhmukteshwar, Kanpur, Patna, Sahibganj, Kolkata and Nabadweep.

"In the next three years, Ganga will be cleaned in 11 important cities. It's first phase will be over by October next year," the statement said, quoting Bharti.

She also said that the ministry has directed CWC not to give permission for construction of dams, which do not ensure environmental flow of rivers, the statement added.

Stating the Nirmal Ganga programme would be implemented in 1,619 village panchayats for controlling pollution along the river Ganga, Bharti said the programme would launched in 100 villages in the next three months.

While Rs 2,100 crore would be spent under the Namami Gange programme for Varanasi, Rs 1,700 crore would be spent for cleaning the river in Allahabad, and Kanpur would be allocated Rs 1,000 crore for setting up Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) and Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP), the statement said.

Referring to Kanpur, the minister said, construction of STP and ETP will be over by 2018. It's first phase will be over by 2016 for which Rs 1000 crore will be spent, she added.

Seeking support from the state government for the Namami Gange programme, she said services of Nehru Yuva Kendra and proposed Ganga Vahini, a network of volunteers to help controlling pollution in the river, would be utilised.

The statement further said that the Water Resources Ministry will be holding detailed consultations with the ministries of environment, AYUSH, youth affairs, besides paramilitary forces for plantation along the entire course of river Ganga at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun on July 2 and 3.