The Yogi Adityanath government is all set to launch the holy Ganga Aarti on an ambitiously larger scale. According to a press release, the preparations are in full swing as the Yogi Government has declared that the Ganga Aarti would be conducted in 1100 places in Uttar Pradesh including Kashi, Prayagraj on daily basis.
The grand Ganga Aarti would be performed in almost every town and village from Ballia to Bijnor and to pull off the ambitious plan, the Yogi government is preparing to build 1038 new Aarti ‘chabutaras’ (platforms).
According to the government, the department of Namami Gange has selected 1038 villages within a 5 km radius on both sides of the river Ganga as the new Aarti Sthal. The department of Namami Gange led by the Jal Shakti Ministry would carry through the process of construction of these Aarti Sthals jointly with the state’s tourist department.
In a bid to boost tourism in the state, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, in a meeting with the Jal Shakti Ministry along with other department officials, in December last year, instructed that all the ancient and historical religious places in these villages should be revamped.
By linking Ganga Aarti with these villages and towns, the Yogi government wants to make the Ganga Swachhta Abhiyan (Clean Ganga Mission) the biggest mass campaign. It aims at generating a sense of euphoria over the holy river and promote cultural awakening among the younger generations.
In its efforts to achieve the aims and objectives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission to clean river Ganga (Namami Gange mission), the state government confirmed that 62 new STPs (sewage treatment plants) with a treatment capacity of 1522.16 MLD are under construction and would soon be connected to boost sewage treatment capacity in 14 new districts in the state.
As soon as these new sewage treatment plants become operational, a total number of 41 districts in the state would become STP-equipped. At present, 104 STPs are being operated in Uttar Pradesh with a cumulative treatment capacity of 3298.84 MLD. After getting these new STPs, the Jal Shakti ministry would be able to stop a large quantity of chemical and human waste from entering the river.
