Kharge attacks Centre on Namami Gange project, says 55% funds yet to be spent

“Modi Ji said that “Mother Ganga has called” him but the truth is that he has “forgotten” his guarantee of cleaning Ganga! Nearly 11 years ago, in 2014, the Namami Gange scheme was launched. In the Namami Gange scheme, a fund of ₹42,500 crore was to be used by March 2026, but the answers to questions given in Parliament show that only ₹19,271 crore have been spent till December 2024. That is, the Modi government has not spent 55% of the funds of the Namami Gange scheme. Why so much indifference towards Maa Ganga?”, Kharge asked in a post written in Hindi on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Kharge also referred to a reply in Rajya Sabha last year in November which showed that 38% of Namami Gange projects remain pending.

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Kharge continued to question the government on the unutilised funds for building Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and shared data from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal where targets are yet to be met.

“82% of the total allocated funds were to be spent to build Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), but 39% of STPs are still not completed, and those that are completed are not even operational”, he wrote.

“Uttar Pradesh – 75% of the drains that were supposed to go to STPs, their polluted water is going directly into Gangaji, 3513.16 MLD sewage is being dumped into them. Rules have not been followed in 97% of STPs. (November 2024). Bihar – 46% of STPs are not operational; rest do not meet faecal coliform levels (October 2024). West Bengal: 40 STPs not functional; 95% do not meet NGT norms; 76.16 do not comply with MoEF norms (March 2024)”, he posted.