The government on Saturday warned factories and tanneries, which discharge waste without treatment into the Ganga, and said action to shut them would be initiated if they continue to do the same.
“Ganga is getting polluted day-by-day. Nearly 170 factories and tanneries located between Kannauj and Varanasi, covering an area of 450 km, were found responsible for polluting the river by discharging wastes into it without treatment,” Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh told reporters here.
“The government will issue show cause notices to these industrial units on August 30 and if they fail to take any action within 15 days, steps would be initiated to shut them,” he said.
The Minister was in the city to participate in ‘Ganga river basin management workshop’ organised by IIT-Kanpur.
Ruing over the inaction of the State pollution control board in working towards cleaning the Ganges, Mr. Ramesh said the responsibility of making the river pollution free will now be entrusted upon the Central Pollution Control Board.
“The government has launched an ambitious scheme of Rs. 15,000 crore for the next 10 years to check pollution in Ganga. The fund would be shared by the Centre and State government on 70:30 basis,” he said.
