UK-based Indian-origin businessmen commit Rs. 500cr for Gadkari's Ganga Mission
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently approached investors in London seeking investment for the Clean Ganga Mission. He stated there were Rs. 10,000cr worth of projects for "ghat, crematorium, riverfront development water bodies, parks, sanitation facilities and public amenities" within the mission. Following his pitch, UK-based Indian-origin businessmen committed to projects worth Rs. 500cr. Who all committed to Gadkari's Clean Ganga Mission? Here's more.
What is Gadkari's plan to clean-up Ganga by March 2019?
Gadkari plans to clean-up Ganga before 2019 LS elections. His innovative approach involves getting industrialists, public sector banks, corporate houses, etc. to adopt stretches of the river's banks. They can choose a project, change its design and maintain it for 10-15 years. A whopping 150 projects are expected to take-off by next March; of these, 97 will prevent dirty water from entering the river.
Which businessmen have committed to the project?
Four leading businessmen have committed to the project. Vedanta Group's Anil Agrawal will develop his native Patna's riverfront. Business tycoon and shipping magnate, Ravi Mehrotra chose Kanpur; Hindujas will develop Haridwar and Indorama Group head, Prakash Lohia selected Kolkata's Ganga Sagar. These projects will be part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda. They will coordinate with the government for finalizing the projects' plans.
How much progress has Gadkari made?
The transport and water minister revealed that more than 119 projects have been commissioned in five states at the cost of Rs. 650cr. Moreover, five UK-based companies - Lyndon Water, Celtic Renewables, Mebifarm, NVH Technologies and Arkatap have committed to share technology for the mission.
What else is on Gadkari's agenda?
Gadkari remarked that with respect to the development plans, "the government will act only as a facilitator." He said the UK tour is the first in a series of worldwide road-shows to attract investment for Clean Ganga Mission. Now, the minister will be off to Dubai, Singapore and US for making a pitch to the Indian diaspora about investing in the project.
