He was inaugurating six projects under the 'Namami Gange Mission' for Uttarakhand and said, "Today money is not wasted in water but spent on it".

 

After recalling the opposition's "problems" with the Rafale deal, Modi said, "Four years ago, around this time, the nation's bravehearts had carried out a surgical strike and destroyed terror bases. But these people were asking for proof of the surgical strike. By opposing the surgical strike, they have cleared their intention in front of the country."

 

Speaking on the projects that he virtually inaugurated on Tuesday, Modi said, "The condition here was such that an important subject like water was divided into many ministries and departments. In these ministries, there was no coordination, nor any clear guidelines for working towards the same goal."

 

He said that the campaign is now being taken to a new level. Apart from the cleanliness of the Ganga, there is now a focus on the development of the economy and environment of the entire area adjacent to the Ganga.

 

The government has planned to connect all the people of Uttarakhand with organic farming, Modi said.

 

Speaking on specifics he said, "The country's first four-storey sewage treatment plant has started here from today. More than 20 such drains have been closed in Haridwar too."

 

The 7.5 MLD sewage treatment plant (STP) in Chandreshwar Nagar will be the first four-storeyed STP in the country where the limitation of land availability was converted into an opportunity. The STP has been constructed in about 30 per cent of the usual area required for STPs of such capacity.

 

The six projects that Modi virtually inaugurated include a 68 MLD sewage treatment plant (STP), upgradation of the existing 27 MLD STP at Jagjeetpur in Haridwar and construction of a 18 MLD STP at Sarai in Haridwar. The inauguration of the 68 MLD Jagjeetpur project also marks the completion of the first sewerage project taken up on hybrid annuity mode in public private partnership.

 

Meanwhile, in Rishikesh, a 26 MLD STP at Lakkadghat was inaugurated. The Haridwar-Rishikesh zone contributes about 80 per cent wastewater load into the Ganga. Hence, the inauguration of these STPs will play a significant role in keeping the river clean.

 

The Prime Minister also inaugurated a five MLD STP in Chorpani, and two STPs with capacities of 1 MLD and 0.01 MLD in Badrinath. In all, 30 projects are now complete in Uttarakhand for taking care of pollution in 17 towns near the Ganga river.

 

The logo of the Jal Jeevan Mission was also unveiled by Modi and the first museum on the Ganga dedicated to showcase the culture and biodiversity was inaugurated.