Rs 1,300 cr project for Narmada purification: Chouhan

A project of Rs 1,300 crore has been chalked out to purify Narmada river, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said. The project will be launched from Narmada's originating point Amarkantak, Chouhan said at the 3rd International River Festival at Bandrabhan here yesterday. Former Chief Minister Uma Bharti, NGO Narmada Samagra's chairman Amritlal Vegad, among others were present on the occasion. "Rivers are worshipped in our country and its conservation was not possible without community participation," the Chief Minister said. People living on the banks of the river should take a pledge not to pollute it, he said, adding the state government at its level was making efforts to keep all the rivers pollution-free. On the occasion, Uma Bharti said "our culture was inclusive and rivers were our lifelines but we do not repay anything to rivers." Referring to Ganga Samagra Abhiyan, she said that water treatment plants should be set up on river banks to prevent sewer water from falling into it. Mining should also be checked in rivers for uninterrupted flow of water, she added.