The much hyped programme of the Narendra Modi government in its previous tenure on Ganga rejuvenation seems to be missing. The mandate of the ministry was to make the river clean and free flowing. The ministry has taken a new name as Jal Shakti ministry and Ganga is missing from it.

 

Actually this was the ministry on which not only focus of the Prime Minister was very much concentrated but a firebrand Hindutva leader Uma Bharati was made its in-charge who made big claims while taking over like she is dedicated to the cause of Ganga. But she lost his ministry as she failed to produce desired results. She kept of extending deadline for it and even the PM had to take a meeting on the issue.

 

When the government still failed to achieve desirable, a few months before the Lok Sabha elections the water resource, river development and Ganga rejuvenation ministry has been given to Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari who was one of the best performing ministers of the NDA government. He once against delivered and Ganga River started looking comparatively clean so much so that during Prayagraj Kumbh the most discussed issue was cleanliness of Ganga. Water level in Ganga River was also appreciated by people who came to take a dip into the holy river.

 

But now the word ‘Ganga’ is missing from the name of the ministry. Political analysts are saying that the government will have to work on Ganga cleanliness programme and it will be part of the Jal Shakti ministry but by removing word Ganga might keep it away from the public glare as this was bringing undue attention. Everyday there was something about the cleanliness of Ganga River.

 

So every aspect of water will be covered in the Jal Shakti ministry including improving ground water level in the country. Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat belongs to Rajasthan and water is a big issue for Rajasthan.

(By Vinod Kumar Shukla)