NASHIK: The Central government has given in principle approval to provide a fund of Rs. 1823 crore for Namami Gode project. A letter in this regard has been sent to the Municipal Commissioner instructing him to submit a detailed plan. If this project is successful, Godavari will be free from pollution and clean water will flow in it for 24 hours.
Union Water Minister Gajendrasingh Shekhawat has given in-principle approval to the ambitious ‘Namami Gode’ project costing Rs 1,823 crore undertaken by the ruling BJP to revive the Godavari river, popularly known as the Southern Ganga on the lines of Namami Ganga. Similarly, Shekhawat has directed the Nashik Municipal Corporation to submit a detailed report (DPR) regarding the project and a letter in this regard has been sent by the Ministry of Water to the NMC and the state government.
In the first week of August 2021, a delegation of BJP office bearers and Municipal Corporation officials led by Mayor Satish Kulkarni visited Delhi. Nashik city has historical significance. Many villages, towns and some states of India are situated on the banks of this river. Godari water is used for drinking, agricultural and industrial use.
Most of the pollution comes from sewage generated from urban settlements along the Godavari river. After the monsoon, the river slows down as the flow is blocked. This slows down the process of natural purification. As a result, the oxygen level in the water drops rapidly. Rainwater is carried away during the four months of July to October. As a result, the rest of the water in the river basin is harmful to health, which breeds mosquitoes and spreads bad smells.
Necessary measures will be taken against all the polluting elements through Namami Ganga. Also, the area will be protected from contamination of rivers and streams by preventing water from entering the river basin due to contaminated and dirty water on the surface, water from latrines, latrines or urinals as well as soil, dung, etc. Similarly, water purification is mandatory as per the standards set by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and is essential for health.
Since Nashik city has a mythological history since time immemorial, there are many sacred and revered places here. Devotees and tourists from all over the world come to visit these places. Therefore, considering the mythological, economic, industrial and traditional importance of this city, the water resources of the Godavari and its tributaries and rain gutters will be diverted to sewage and sewage treatment plants through the technical process, network of sewer lines, repair of existing intercepting and trunk sewer lines and construction of new sewers.
It is a project to clean and protect the Godavari and its tributaries. The project aims to revitalize the Godavari and its tributaries by keeping them healthy, rejuvenating them, managing the river basin through a strong management system from an ecological point of view, and preserving the flow of the river.
The scheme also includes river front development, biodiversity conservation, renovation of various ghats, modernization and decontamination of cremation grounds, clean river flow and collection of solid waste along river banks and ghats.
