Haridwar: Launched with great enthusiasm on July 7, 2016, the ambitious Namami Gange Project aimed to restore the Ganga to its pristine state. The project promised to build new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), upgrade existing sewage infrastructure, lay new pipelines, and channel treated water for irrigation. However, eight years and thousands of crores later, the river in Haridwar remains polluted, raising questions about the execution and impact of this mega project.
Mismanagement and Corruption Erode Progress
The project has faced allegations of corruption and technical mismanagement. In one instance, a canal inaugurated under the scheme failed during its initial trial due to substandard construction, even though the allocated budget was fully spent. Subsequent departmental inquiries not only confirmed the corruption but also identified the officials responsible. Despite this, many guilty officers retired without facing penalties, and no significant corrective action has been taken.
Former Chief Engineer of the Uttarakhand Irrigation Department, Mukesh Mohan, admitted that “the poorly executed canal collapsed without being operational, resulting in the loss of crores of government funds and hindering the mission to clean the Ganga.”
Infrastructure Woes
The Namami Gange Project included provisions to improve sewage pumping stations and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply via new generator sets. However, it was revealed that these new generators were redundant, as old ones were still functional. Furthermore, claims of building new STPs to handle the region’s daily 120 MLD (million liters per day) sewage output fell short. Existing STPs with capacities of 27 MLD and 18 MLD remain insufficient, leaving untreated sewage to flow into the river, as highlighted by the Pollution Control Board (PCB) reports.
Complaints and Ongoing Investigations
On October 21, 2024, Haridwar resident and Ganga activist Rameshwar Gaur filed a formal complaint with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), alleging that corruption plagued both project planning and execution. As a result, the Ministry of Jal Shakti directed the State Program Management Group (SPMG) on November 18, 2024, to investigate these allegations and submit a report.
Despite these instructions, many critical aspects of the project remain incomplete or ineffective. According to the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, the untreated water in Haridwar continues to be unfit for consumption, further underlining the project’s failure to meet its objectives.
What Lies Ahead?
The Namami Gange Project was envisioned as a transformational mission to restore the Ganga’s purity and flow. However, a combination of poor implementation, corruption, and lack of accountability has hampered its progress. While the government is calling for fresh investigations and accountability measures, residents of Haridwar are left waiting for tangible results.
