Dehradun, March 13 A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has highlighted the role of implementing agencies in Uttarakhand for the failure of the Centre's 'Namami Gange' programme to achieve its desired results in the state.
The report stated that under the flagship programme, launched over a decade ago to clean the Ganga river, the Centre had provided Rs 1,000 crore between 2018 and 2023 for the effective implementation of the project in the state.
However, the report, presented during the ongoing state's budget session, notes several irregularities found in this project, including defective designs of sewage treatment plants (STPs), poor maintenance of infrastructure, failure to tap drains discharging into the Ganga, and the dumping of waste near rivers and smaller streams.
The CAG observed that the detailed project report (DPR) for Forestry Interventions for the Ganga (FIG) included a budgetary provision of Rs 885.91 crore and a plantation target of 54,855.43 hectares.
However, contrary to this, only Rs 144.27 crore—amounting to just 16 per cent of the allocated funds — was actually utilised. Consequently, physical progress remained sluggish, and the scheme failed to achieve the specific objectives related to the rejuvenation of the Ganga.