**Policy Summary: Arth Ganga Scheme Implementation and Development Initiatives**
The Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing the Arth Ganga scheme, a sustainable economic development model aimed at strengthening the connection between people and the Ganga River through economic opportunities. Key pillars include promoting natural farming, monetizing treated water and sludge from STPs, improving livelihoods, and promoting tourism and cultural heritage.
While no ghat development is currently planned for the Yamuna River in Kairana under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the NMCG has established Jalaj centers to address pollution and promote sustainable economic activities in the Ganga basin. These centers focus on awareness and public participation, with an emphasis on economic activities that support river rejuvenation.
Several initiatives are underway:
* **Natural Farming:** The NMCG has organized training workshops for farmers in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. A study project has been sanctioned to WALAMTARI, Andhra Pradesh, to evaluate the impact of natural farming on water and energy usage, soil fertility, and crop productivity.
* **Biodiversity Conservation:** A project with Patanjali focuses on documenting and conserving the floral biodiversity of the Ganga river ecosystem, spanning from Gaumukh to Ganga Sagar.
* **Ecotourism and Livelihoods:** The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, has established Jalaj centers that include Dolphin Safaris, homestays, livelihood centers, and awareness sale points.
* **Capacity Building:** The Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO) is conducting a capacity-building program, with one Arth Ganga Centre in Dehradun and three Ganga Resource Centres in Prayagraj, Digwara, and Sahebganj. HESCO trained approximately 8,000 people in FY 2024-25 through various livelihood programs.
* **Treated Water Reuse:** The NMCG has published a National Framework for Safe Reuse of Treated Water, providing guidelines for state policy formulation and the development of market and economic models. MoUs have been signed with the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Railways, and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
* **Cultural Heritage:** The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has mapped all Ganga districts for architectural, natural, and intangible cultural heritage. A similar study has been commissioned for the Yamuna basin.
* **Public Awareness and Participation:** Jalaj centers are used to raise awareness on biodiversity and river rejuvenation, as well as providing market linkage to various Jalajs SHGsNGOs of Ganga basin. Local community members are trained as Ganga Praharis to protect biodiversity and promote cleanliness. An MoU was signed with ImAvatar for promoting Arth Ganga initiative. The Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP) provides online knowledge on environment, water, and rivers.
* **Public Awareness Campaigns:** Comprehensive campaigns such as Ganga Utsav, Nadi Utsav, cleanathons, plantation drives, Ghat Par Yoga, and Ganga Aartis are being conducted, supported by Ganga Praharis and Ganga Vichar Manch.
Progress is reviewed at various levels, including the Empowered Task Force chaired by the Minister of Jal Shakti.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
Key Entities Referenced
Arth Ganga: A sustainable and viable economic development model to strengthen the river people connect through an economic bridge.
Yamuna River: A major river in India, subject of ghat development and pollution concerns.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): Organization responsible for addressing pollution and promoting sustainable economic activities in the Ganga and Yamuna basin.
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The ministry responsible for implementation of Arth Ganga Scheme.
Ganga basin: The geographical area drained by the Ganges River and its tributaries, the focus of rejuvenation and conservation efforts.
WALAMTARI Water and Land Management Training and Research Institute, Andhra Pradesh: Institute conducting a study on the impact of natural farming on water and energy usage.
Ganga Praharis: Local community members trained as volunteers to protect and conserve the biodiversity and cleanliness of rivers in Ganga basin.
Gaumukh Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar West Bengal: The stretch of Ganga river from Gaumukh in Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal for which a biodiversity project is sanctioned to Patanjali.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTH GANGA SCHEME
AND DEVELOPMENT OF YAMUNA RIVER GHAT
NEAR KAIRANA
Posted On: 07 AUG 2025 3:54PM by PIB Delhi
Arth Ganga is a sustainable and viable economic development model to strengthen the river people connect
through an economic bridge. Main pillars of Arth-Ganga include Promotion of Natural Framing; Monetisation
and reuse of Treated water and sludge from the STPs; Improvement of Livelihood opportunities and
Promotion of Tourism & Cultural heritage. No proposal for development of ghat on river Yamuna in Kairana,
Shamli District is under consideration in National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
In order to address pollution and promote sustainable economic activities in the Ganga basin, NMCG has
established Jalaj centres. These centres promote awareness and people participation with focus on economic
activities for river rejuvenation.
NMCG has organized Natural Farming Farmers’ Training workshops in coordination with Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare along the Ganga basin States.
NMCG has sanctioned a study project titled "Evaluation of Natural Farming practices on water and energy
savings and Enhancement of Soil Fertility & Crop Productivity" to WALAMTARI (Water and Land
Management Training and Research Institute), Andhra Pradesh to evaluate the impact of natural farming on
water and energy usage, soil fertility, and crop productivity.
A project titled “Exploration of Floral Biodiversity near Ganga Banks for Plant Conservation, Training, and
Economic Development of the Region” has been sanctioned to Patanjali. It is a comprehensive initiative
aimed at documenting and conserving the biodiversity of the Ganga river ecosystem from Gaumukh
(Uttarakhand) to Ganga Sagar (West Bengal).
Under the “Jalaj: Connecting River and People to Realize Arth Ganga” project, Wildlife Institute of India
(WII), Dehradun has set up Jalaj centres on various models such as Dolphin Safaris, Homestays, Livelihood
Centers, and Awareness & Sale Points etc, to promote eco-tourism, community participation, and
conservation awareness.
NMCG has sanctioned a project titled “Capacity Building Programme for Leveraging Community and Local
Resources Based on Technology” to Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization
(HESCO). Under this one Arth Ganga Centre at Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and Three Ganga Resource Centres
set up at Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Digwara (Bihar) and Sahebganj (Jharkhand). Around 8,000 people were
trained in FY 2024–25 by HESCO through various livelihood programs.
NMCG has published National Framework for ‘Safe Reuse of Treated Water’. The framework gives
guidelines for the formulation of State reuse policy and is intended to build appropriate market and economic
models for the reuse of treated wastewater. MoUs have been signed for reuse of treated water with Ministry of
Power, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has mapped all Ganga districts for
documenting architectural, natural and intangible cultural heritage under their study. A study has been
commissioned for similar documentation for Yamuna basin.
In order to enhance public participation and empower local communities, NMCG is raising awareness on
biodiversity and river rejuvenation through Jalaj centres established across Ganga basin. These centres also
promote awareness on Namami Gange interventions and provide market linkage to various Jalajs/ SHGs/NGOs of Ganga basin. Ganga Praharis have been deployed as local community members trained as volunteers
to protect and conserve the biodiversity and cleanliness of rivers in Ganga basin.
MoU was signed with ImAvatar for promoting Arth Ganga initiative with focus on livelihood and public
participation. Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP) was an interactive online platform developed
with an aim to provide a platform for knowledge on issues related to the environment, water, and rivers
through online quizzes and reference material.
Comprehensive public awareness campaigns have been undertaken to instill a sense of responsibility and
engagement among the public in efforts to clean and conserve the Ganga River. These include - Ganga Utsav,
Nadi Utsav, regular cleanathons and plantation drives, Ghat Par Yoga, Ganga Aartis, etc. The efforts are also
supported by dedicated cadres of Ganga saviours, such as Ganga Praharis, Ganga Vichar Manch, etc. The
progress under various components of Arth Ganga is reviewed at various levels, including the Empowered
Task Force chaired by Minister of Jal Shakti.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN
CHOUDHARY in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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MAM/SMP
(Lok Sabha US Q3103
(Release ID: 2153569)