More central funds to flow into Ganga projects

A billion-dollar loan expected from WB by April 2011 to clean Ganga

neha

Neha Sethi | November 3, 2010



Centre will now contribute more funds in projects to clean the Ganga and maintain its environmental health, Jairam Ramesh, the environment minister said on Tuesday. He said that the national Ganga river basin authority (NGRBA) in its meeting on Monday decided that 70 percent of the operation and maintenance (O&M) costs of projects will be borne by the Centre for five years. This cost was completely borne by the states previously. The Centre will continue to bear the capital costs for these projects.

Ramesh also said that the NGRBA ratified the decisions of the ministerial committee to shelve Loharinag Pala, Bhaironghati and Pala Maneri projects along the Bhagirathi. “The authority has decided that work on the Loharinag Pala will not be suspended but will be abandoned,” Ramesh added.

The minister said that the second important decision of the authority included the decision that the 135-km stretch of the Ganga from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi will be an eco-sensitive zone. This means that no hydel project will be allowed there, he added.

Ramesh also said that certain activities will be prohibited in this stretch on the basis of an eco management plan which will be prepared. “A monitoring committee will be formed to oversee the plan,” Ramesh added.

“The government expects a billion dollar line of credit by April 2011,” Ramesh said while talking of the World Bank loan for NGRBA projects. Last year the NGRBA approved Rs 1,400 crore worth of projects.

He said that a conservation plan for the Gangetic dolphin had also been released by the prime minister, who is the chairman of the NGRBA.

Comments

 

Other News

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.”   No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter