Sadbhavna Sammelan and the State of the Ganga River
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Sadbhavna Sammelan |
| Location | Har Ki Paudi, Haridwar, Uttarakhand |
| Organizer | Uttarakhand Tourism Minister |
| Duration | Two-day event |
| Purpose | Focus on spirituality and importance of the Ganga for Hindus |
| Key Attendees | Thousands of people |
| Relevance of Ganga | • Flows over 2,600 km across India |
| • Source of drinking water for 40% of India's 1.4 billion population | |
| • Religious significance for Hindus | |
| Pollution Statistics | • 3 million litres of sewage emptied daily; 50% treated |
| • 4,000 bodies burnt daily on Varanasi's banks | |
| • Dams block river flow, turning it into a stream in summers | |
| • Faecal coliform above permissible levels at 70% of monitoring stations | |
| Hydropower Projects | • Mostly run-of-the-river (ROR) |
| • Tehri Dam Project is a storage project | |
| Namami Gange Programme | • Approved as a flagship program in June 2014 |
| • Operated under Ministry of Jal Shakti | |
| • Implemented by NMCG and SPMGs | |
| • Phase 2 (2021-26): Focus on completion of projects and revival of rivers | |
| • Emphasis on wetland revival and treated water reuse | |
| Current Initiatives | • Reduced pollution load in Ganga by 2024 |
| • Rejuvenation of polluted stretches to meet bathing criteria |