Namami Gange Programme
About
- Namami Gange Programme is an Integrated Conservation Mission approved by the Union Government in 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
- Namami Gange is premised on the five important pillars of –
- Nirmal Ganga (unpolluted river),
- Aviral Ganga (unrestricted flow),
- Jan Ganga (people’s participation),
- Gyan Ganga (knowledge and research based interventions) and
- Arth Ganga (people-river connect through the bridge of economy).
- The program is spearheaded by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
National Mission for Clean Ganga:
- NMCG is a registered society under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- NMCG aims to ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management.
- It also aims to maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development.
- Minimum ecological flows is the limit of the living conditions under which the river ecosystem will not degenerate or the aquatic organisms can endure under the natural state.
River Ganga:
- Ganga (or the Ganges) is among the largest rivers in Asia. It rises in the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand. At its source, the river is called Bhagirathi.
- It descends down the valley upto Devprayag where after joining another hill stream Alaknanda, it is called Ganga.
- Important tributaries:
- Right Bank tributaries: Yamuna, Chambal, Banas, Betwa, Ken, Sind, Son.
- Left Bank Tributaries: Ghagra, Kosi, Gandak, Kali, Ramganga.
- Empties into: Bay of Bengal.
- The Ganga River basin is the largest in India, spanning over 11 states encompassing 27% of the country’s land mass and supporting about 47% of its population.