“Even eight months after the change of government, ‘Saving Ganga’ remains merely a slogan without any action plan or new thought,” said Rajendra Singh, member of the expert committee on National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
“There has not been one meeting of the expert committee since the change in government. There is nothing going on in that front. [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi, who had said ‘Ganga is my mother’, before the elections seems to have forgotten it now,” Mr. Singh told The Hindu here on Friday.
The Magsaysay award-winner — who is credited with rejuvenating numerous lakes and rivers across Rajasthan — had expressed displeasure even with the previous UPA-led government.
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In 2013, his resignation letter had not been accepted and the previous government had assured the members of more focus on the critical river.
Concern
Mr. Singh expressed concern over the indication from the Modi-led government over the “development” of Ganga. “They now talk of river-front development, like they had done in Sabarmati. This will slowly kill the river. Sabarmati, after all, is just a regulated canal now, and not the free-flowing river it once was,” said Mr. Singh.
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Furthermore, he said the revival of interest in the river inter-linking projects was a dangerous sign.
“Inter-linking two rivers will kill both rivers eventually. Moreover, this will lead to social conflict,” he said.
“River-front development, like in Sabarmati, will slowly kill the river”