Cleaning of Narmada river should be example to clean other rivers
It refers to healthy news about Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) giving -A- certificate to river Narmada in terms of cleanliness to the extent that its water can now be sipped for religious rituals even though it will have to further purified for drinking-purposes by making it bacteria-free. Report is submitted after talking random samples of river-water from 31 different places every month.
Ambitious Narmada-clean project could be made successful only after tackling the big problem practically rather than just theoretically. Idol-immersion was prevented by making artificial tanks on various points of river-bank where devotees could immerse idols of gods and goddesses. Simple banning without providing some admissible option could not prevent idol-immersing. Likewise other practical remedies were adopted to save river-water from being polluted.
Project needs to be studied and implemented in a time-bound manner by Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in respect of other rivers of the country. Additionally a fresh project to develop beds and banks of rivers in urban areas should be undertaken on lines of developing expressways. It should not be difficult because flow of rivers is usually temporarily diverted for making bridges etc. Water-tourism and tourist places along river banks in cities will then provide added facilities for citizens. Such a consolidated project of river cleaning and developing beds and banks of river Yamuna in Delhi area should be taken up as first such major initiative.
