The first company of Ganga Task force Battalion has been deployed at Garhmukteshwar to implement the Namami Gange Programme. Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti said that three such companies will be deployed soon at Kanpur, Varanasi and Allahabad. The Minister said the Jawans of the Ganga Task force will be deployed on the banks of the river Ganga to ensure that industry and civilians do not pollute the river.
Uma Bharti also launched Ganga Gram Yojana at Village Puth in Hapur district of U.P. 1600 villages situated along the banks of river Ganga will be developed under this scheme. In the first phase of the progamme 200 villages have been selected. In these villages open drains falling into river Ganga will be diverted and alternative arrangements for sewage treatment will be made. The villages will have toilets in every house hold. It is proposed to incur and expenditure of Rs. One crore on every village.
These villages will be developed under the Sichewal model. It may be noted that Sichewal is situated in Punjab, where cooperation of the villagers has been solicited for the water management and waste disposal in a meticulous way. The Minister also inaugurated Namami Gange Photo exhibition at Garhmukteshwar and administered the pledge to the people to keep Ganga clean.