Namami Gange: NMCG discusses CSR initiatives with corporates

In its bid to bring corporate houses on board in implementing Centre's ambitious 'Namami Gange' programme, the National Mission on Clean Ganga (NMCG) held parleys with industry players to work out possible areas of co-operation between them.
During the workshop held on CSR activities here yesterday, the NMCG delineated Ganga cleaning steps the government has taken to corporate representatives, who too shared ideas to further the cause of ridding the river of waste, according to an official statement issued by Union Water Resources Ministry.
Contributions to Clean Ganga Fund set by Centre is a notified corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity.

Addressing the gathering, NMCG Director General U P Singh discussed with the attendees details of various on-going sewage treatment, river cleaning, bio-diversity and public participation projects under the Rs 20,000-crore programme before shedding light on areas of common interests.
The workshop was attended by representatives from central public sector enterprises and other PSUs like ONGC, Coal India limited, BHEL, GAIL India Ltd, SAIL, NTPC Ltd, Oil India Ltd and Petronet LNG Ltd.
Besides, more than 20 public and private sector banks including SBI, Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, HDFC, ICICI, Yes Bank, OBC, UCO Bank and others took part in the deliberations.

Corporate companies like Aditya Birla Group, and Tata Sons also got fruitfully involved in the event and presented their views, the statement reads.

During the much productive interactive sessions, especially Q&A, various companies apprised about their existing CSR activities. Many expressed their willingness to work with NMCG in this sector and contribute to Namami Gange activities in five Ganga basin states, it said.
A Coal India Ltd representative said that as part of CSR activities, the PSU has devised a mechanism to transform waste generated from flower offerings into fertilizers and suggested working out an association on these lines with the NMCG.

Some similar CSR initiatives by GAIL (to make fuel out of plastic waste) and BHEL (construction of bio toilets) were also talked about during the workshop, which ended with a promise of optimism from all quarters.