Resolution on protection and de-pollution of the sacred Ganga

The Bharatiya Janata Party expresses its profound concern over the alarmingly high level of pollution in the River Ganga, made worse by several obstructions in its flow. These developments have threatened the natural life of a river that has been regarded by successive generations of Indians, since time immemorial, as one of the most sacred symbols and sustainers of India’s cultural and civilisational identity.

The BJP also deplores the failure of the Ganga River Basin Authority, chaired by the Prime Minister himself, to find viable and enduring solutions to the various issues brought up by religious leaders, environmentalists and social activists in an insistent manner over the past several years.

The people of India venerate all rivers and water bodies. However, they have a special emotional and spiritual attachment to the Ganga. This is evident from the fact that both Gangotri in the Himalayas, where the river originates, and Ganga Sagar in Bengal, where it merges into the sea, are among the holiest centres of pilgrimage in India. Situated along the course of the river are other holy places – Hardwar, Rishikesh and Varanasi, the City Eternal.

‘Ganga Jal’ is believed to be holy not only because of the people’s religious sentiments. Scientific research has also established its unique character. The Ganga provides water to over 40 percent of India's population in 11 states.

Sadly, even though the Ganga has nurtured and protected the Indian civilization over the millennia, today the Ganga itself is in need of protection. Unplanned urbanization and indiscriminate industrialization have raised the level of pollution in the river to toxic levels. Study after study has shown that the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BoD) and Fecael Caliform, which measure the contaminants in the Ganga, are dangerously high. Large numbers of people die each year due to ailments caused by river pollution in the states through which the Ganga flows.

The Prime Minister himself stated in the third meeting of the Ganga River Basin Authority, held in April, that out of the 290 crore litres of sewage that is allowed to flow into the Ganga daily, only 110 crore liters of sewage is treated. This illustrates the utter failure of the Ganga Action Plan, which was launched with much fanfare by the former Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, in 1985, and on which thousands of crores of rupees have been wastefully spent so far.

It is indeed an alarming situation that very little pure water is found in Prayag, where crores of devotees from all over the country and the world come for the Kumbh. No less worrying is the fact that, due to obstructions and diversions created by dams, long stretches of the river remain dry.

Nirmal Ganga, Aviral Ganga

The BJP regards this condition of the Ganga to be totally unacceptable. We believe that it is a pious national duty of the people and the governments (at the Central, State and local levels) to restore the purity and unobstructed natural flow of the Ganga – and, going forward, of all the other rivers in India. This is what is meant by our commitment for Nirmal and Aviral Ganga.

It is necessary to recall here that the call for Aviral Ganga was first given by Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, when the then British government tried to divert the flow of the Ganga near Hardwar. The massive campaign launched by him forced the colonial authorities to respect the sentiments of the Hindu society and enter into an agreement in 1916 to guarantee the Ganga's aviral flow. The BJP resolves to carry forward this important legacy of Malaviyaji, whose 150^th birth anniversary was celebrated last year.

Aviral Ganga does not mean that there shouldn’t be any dams at all across the river. Experts have averred that it is possible to ensure unobstructed and continuous flow of at least a part of the river along its natural course even when dams are built for irrigation or power generation purposes. This becomes easier when small-scale and run-of-the-river power projects are designed in such a way that they generate nearly the same amount of power as is promised by big dams.

In order to translate into concrete action the Party’s commitment to protect and de-pollute the Ganga, The BJP’s National Executive resolves:

1. The Ganga River Basin Authority should be given a specific and time-bound mandate to make the Ganga nirmal and aviral. Since the Ganga has been accorded the status of India’s National River, the developmental/energy/financial needs of the riparian states should be suitably borne by the Central Government.
2. Instead of first allowing the pollution to take place and then searching for solutions to address this problem – which is a thoroughly unscientific and unsustainable approach – the Centre, State governments and local self-governments should jointly draw up strict guidelines for stopping the emission of untreated sewage and industrial effluents into the river. Industrial units should be enabled to adopt effective pollution-control measures. Where necessary, they should be relocated to places away from the river. Penal action should be resorted to in the case of violators.
3. State and local self-governments should be assisted to set up sewage disposal and treatment plants for all untreated sewage. This is best done in a decentralized manner by empowering Gram Sabhas and other Civil Society bodies.
4. Since experience has shown the Ganga River Basin Authority to have failed in its mandate, the BJP demands a law to be enacted by Parliament to ensure that the Ganga is made nirmal and aviral, by suitably strengthening and empowering the Authority. The law should also declare the Ganga to be India's Invaluable National Heritage.
    
5. Monitoring of the implementation of the decisions taken by the Ganga River Basin Authority should be entrusted to an independent Constitutional body like CAG.
6. The BJP believes that the task of protecting and de-polluting the Ganga should be treated as a national mission. It demands cooperative and enthusiastic participation of all the stake-holders. We recognize that a large number of religious, social, cultural and environmental organizations have been already active in this mission. The BJP commends their efforts. We express our readiness and commitment to collaborate with all such organizations, and also with other political parties and their governments, in advancing this important national agenda.
7. The National Executive resolves to launch a mass awareness campaign to mobilise broadbased popular support for its demand for nirmal and aviral Ganga.