NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 24, 2006: Environment and Forest Minister A. Raja announced on November 24 that additional funding to the tune of Rs 7000 crore would be needed to continue cleaning up the sacred River Ganga. So far Raja explained that Rs 1387 crore has been spent on the cleanup and that 237 industries have been closed down due to non-compliance against pollution. Raja also pointed out that independent evaluations done by University of Bath and Metroeconomica, United Kingdom, and the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, the Ganga Action Plan indicated that this cost is comparable to other major river cleanups such as the River Thames. Raja further added, “The completion of Ganga Action Plan Phase I and II had improved water quality of the river Ganga from Rishikesh to Kannauj but the section from Kannauj to Allahabad had worsened. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) had provided Rs 540 crore for pollution abatement work in river Ganga at Varanasi. Another Rs 1100 crore assistance had been sought for similar projects at Allahabad, Lucknow and Kanpur. To tackle the uncovered pollution load in the river, the Governement prepared Master Plans and Feasibility Studies for the sewerage (including sewage treatment) and non-sewerage components for Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad and Varanasi.
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