Government has started an initiative called “Ganga Gram” under Namami Gange Programme. Under this, the villages will be developed as model villages by developing sustainable sanitation infrastructure and cleanliness practices.
In the first phase government has started the Ganga Gram initiative in 306 villages. The details of the Ganga Gram initiative are given below:
Conditional Assessment and Feasibility Study of Ganga Gram:
IIT consortium have been entrusted to carry out conditional assessment and feasibility study in 100 identified villages. Select CPSUs are engaged to carry out conditional assessment and feasibility study in 128 identified villages; and UNDP has been engaged to carry out conditional assessment and feasibility study in 78 identified villages in Sahebganj district, Jharkhand.
Nirikshan Abhiyan:
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation had also organized inspection programme named as ‘Nirikshan Abhiyan’ at Garhmukteshwar (Hapur district) and Anupsahar (Bulandsahar district). In this programme, tree plantation along river Ganga, Ghat development, revival of water body and open drain falling into river Ganga have been considered for plan preparation and their execution. Public interaction in villages like Pooth (Hapur district), Siraura and Anupsahar (Bulandsahar District) had been organized to understand the village condition.
Swachh Ganga-Gramin Sehbhagita:
With the aim of cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga river through active participation of rural population, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has organized ‘Swachh Ganga-Gramin Sehbhagita’, a national level stakeholder consultation and sensitization programme on 30th January 2015 at Talkatora Stadium New Delhi. Nearly 1200 Gram Pradhans from Ganga villages, Chief Minister of Uttrakhand, Union Ministers of HRD, Tourism, Youth Affairs & Sports, RD & DWS, Ayush and Shipping, eminent policy makers, implementers and NGOs have attended the programme.
Open Defecation Free (ODF):
So far, in collaboration with Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, 33% Individual House Hold Latrine (IHHL) have been completed out of targeted 15,18,649 IHHL in 4292 villages of 5 stem States. This is ongoing programme under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).
Seechewal Model of Sanitation Programme:
NMCG, under its Ganga Gram project, facilitates exposure visit to Gram Pradhans/Sarpanch of all villages situated along the main stem of River Ganga. The program envisages sensitizing all Gram Pradhan / Sarpanch to the successful village wastewater management system operational at Nirmal Kuteya, Village Seechewal, Jalandhar, Punjab. The objective is to extend first-hand experience with learning through personal interaction so that the same can be replicated at their respective village. So far 310 Gram Pradhan from four States ( U.P., U.K., W.B. and Jharkhand ) have been participated in this program.
The Ganga Gram initiative would help in the river Ganga rejuvenation process by:
· Making the village open defecation free
· Abate direct discharge of untreated liquid wastewater from such villages into river Ganga
· Facilitate adequate infrastructure for crematoria
· Develop proper solid waste disposal facilities in order to avoid any pollution to river Ganga
· Promote better sanitation practices in the villages through IEC activities.