Apart from inter-linking rivers in the country, it is time the government makes a serious effort to protect rivers that are on the verge of dying. Despite the government declaring the Ganga India’s national river, its ecology remains imperilled owing to lack of serious political will and public apathy. The river Ganga is a symbol of faith and sanctity for millions of Indians and, thus, protecting it from pollution and the pressing demands of modernisation and industrialisation becomes all the more important. The government had appointed a high-powered committee to clean up and protect the Ganga — incidentally, it has failed in yielding any fruitful result till date.
Keeping in mind the failure of the earlier Ganga Action Plan that cost us around Rs 1,500 crore, the government should now take an integrated approach towards preserving the Ganga and many other rivers that require urgent attention.
P Senthil Saravana Durai Hyderabad
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