Namami Gange, Ganga - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Government of India has approved new projects at cost of INR 370 crores for the ongoing Ganga rejuvenation programme in Haridwar and Varanasi.

The Centre also decided to include six more towns/ cities under the surface cleaning exercise of the river using trash skimmers.

Surface cleaning of the river Ganga in the cities - Rishikesh, Haridwar, Garh Mukhteshwar, Sahibganj, Kolkata and Navdweep - will begin in Jan 2017.

Urban local bodies will be the nodal agency to monitor this work, approved by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).

The number of cities to be covered under the river surface cleaning plan has now reached 12.

The 'Namami Gange' programme was launched as a mission to achieve the target of cleaning river Ganga in an effective manner by involving all stakeholders, especially five major Ganga basin states i.e. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

The programme envisages river surface cleaning, STP infrastructure, river front development, bio-diversity, afforestation and public awareness. The new projects, approved by the NMCG for Haridwar, include setting up 68 million litres per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant (STP) in Jagjeetpur and 14 MLD STP in Sarai at an indicative cost of INR 110.30 crore and INR 25 crore, respectively, under Hybrid Annuity based PPP mode.

ANSWER: National Ganga River Basin Authority

Explanation:
Providing a major boost to Ganga rejuvenation efforts, National Ganga River Basin Authority has approved projects worth Rs 2446 crore for development of 'ghats' and crematoriums at various places along the river in four states and along its tributary Yamuna in Delhi.

• The projects will be implemented along the river stretch from Haridwar to Uttarakhand border, Garhmukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, Buxar, Hajipur and Sonepur in Bihar, Sahibganj, Rajmahal and Kanhaiya 'ghat' in Jharkhand.
• The project is also meant for afforestation along the banks of river Ganga. However, additional fund of Rs 2294 crore for afforestation under 'Forestry Intervention in River Ganga' scheme of the Centre will be approved later.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:

• In the case of Israel, technologies for water purification and filtration are likely to be shared.
• UK will share its expertise in reviving aquatic life at the mouth of the Ganga.
• Germany’s example of cleaning up of its river Rhine will be replicated for the Ganga.
• Germany, that will contribute Rs. 22.2 crore to the endeavor, will provide technical consultancy to deal with industrial effluents in Uttarakhand, before they empty out into the river.

ANSWER: Rhine

Explanation:

Germany’s example of cleaning up of its river Rhine will be replicated for the Ganga.
• The MoWR signed an agreement with the German International Cooperation (GIZ) of Germany to help with cleaning the Ganga. The ‘Namami Ganga’ is a flagship Rs. 30,000-crore programme of the NDA government to clean the Ganga and restore its flows by 2020.
• The way to do this, according to the government, is to have public sector undertakings develop 52 sewage treatment and effluent treatment plants (STPs) and cleaning up a number of ghats, besides using skimmers at 11 places to take muck out of the river stream.
• Germany, that will contribute Rs. 22.2 crore to the endeavor, will provide technical consultancy to deal with industrial effluents in Uttarakhand, before they empty out into the river.
• Germany’s ultimate goal is to bring back ‘Mother Ganga’ in India to its pristine condition as it has been done successfully for ‘Father Rhine’ in Germany.

ANSWER: New Delhi

Explanation:

• National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) announced the formal launch of Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (CGRBMS) in New Delhi today.
• The Ministry signed a 10 year Memorandum of Agreement with IITK for provision of continual scientific support in the implementation and dynamic evolution of the Ganga River Basin Management Plan.
• The Centre will act as a think-tank to the government as well as knowledge hub to coordinate all activities within the Ganga river basin and these activities will include science, technology, research, innovation, social, economics, finance and investment related aspects.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
With a major initiative towards fast track implementation of Namami Gange programme, the first company of Ganga Task Force Battalion was deployed at Garmukteshwar on 5th January 2015. Three such companies are set to be deployed at Allahabad, Varanasi and Kanpur. Jawans of the Ganga Task force will also be deployed along the river to ensure industrial effluents and individual polluters do not contaminate the river. The Ganga Gram Yojana was also launched at Village Puth in UP’s Hapur District with 1600 villages situated under the Ganga river bank will be developed as per the scheme. During the first phase of the programme, 200 villages were selected.

ANSWER: Nirmal Ganga Sahbhagita

Explanation:
The initiative aims at sensitizing the ULBs about the pollution in river Ganga arising primarily due to dumping of solid waste in the river/nallas and to involve them in a long term engagement in stoppage of the solid waste flow from nallas/drains to the river.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
The Fund will be managed by a trust headed by Finance Minister. The Fund will have the objective of contributing to the national effort of cleaning of river Ganga.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
The Fund will be managed by a trust headed by Finance Minister. The Fund will have the objective of contributing to the national effort of cleaning of river Ganga.