Cong flays Uma for claiming to clean Ganga before Ardh Kumbh

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, February 2

The Congress today asked Union Minister for Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti to explain her claim of cleaning the Ganga before Ardh Kumbh begins in Haridwar.

Uma Bharti during a visit to Haridwar last year had claimed that all nullahs would be tapped and the Ganga would be cleaned in Haridwar before Ardh Kumbh.

Though a month has passed since Ardh Kumbh notification came into effect on January 1, neither nullahs flowing directly into the Ganga have been tapped fully, nor the Ganga has been cleaned, said Congress city unit president Anshul Shri Kunj. He sought an apology from Uma Bharti for allegedly misleading people on the issue. “Uma Bharti seems serious at cleaning the Ganga only at press conferences, political rallies and discussions. In reality, she has little time to see how much is the river polluted and what steps her ministry and other related departments are taking to achieve the clean Ganga mission,” said Shri Kunj.

Sanjay Chopra, president of the Agriculture Production Committee, Jwalapur, said Uma Bharti had claimed that all nullahs in Haridwar would be tapped before Ardh Kumbh in the first phase of the Namami Gange mission.

“Even today one can spot open nullahs from Har-ki-Pauri till suburban Jwalapur directly pouring filth and sewage into the sacred river. Uma Bharti should explain why did she make false claims? Crores of people from across the country were expected to take part in the four-month long Ardh Kumbh but its sad that the BJP-led Union government had not initiated any sound measures,” said Chopra.

Haridwar rural women unit president Monika Jain said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had formed a separate Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry to ensure cleaning of the holy river but even 20 months after the formation of the NDA government cleanliness was hardly visible.

Social forum Rashtriya Sewak Manch has also criticised Uma Bharti for allegedly making a false claim. Manch coordinator Chandra Mohan Kaushik at a meeting held at the Upper Road office here said Uma’s claim was more of propaganda than a real intent to clean the Ganga in Haridwar.