Don't pollute Ganga, says Modi

New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday made a public appeal to not pollute the Ganga river while calling for a "time-bound, swift action and single-minded focus to ensure it is made pollution-free".

Presiding over a high-level meet on the "Namaami Gange" project, attended by union ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Uma Bharati and Prakash Javadekar, besides top government officials, Modi made a public appeal saying: "Ganga ko ganda na karein (don't pollute Ganga)".

Modi said the 'Namaami Gange' vision should focus on urban sewage and industrial effluents to check pollution at its source.

A total 746 industrial units along the stretch of Ganga were identified as critical pollution spots, of which pulp and paper, tanneries, and sugar industries accounted for over three-fourths, a statement from the prime minister's secretariat said.

Emphasising the need to promote recycling of industrial waste water, Modi said the industrial units should be motivated to stop pollution, failing which action should be initiated within the framework of existing laws.

The prime minister also called for exploring the possibility of setting up modern, environment-friendly crematoria along the Ganga through private initiative, the statement added.

The prime minister also gave the nod to "Ganga Vahini", a group of volunteers to help clean the Ganga river.