Restore the 75-Km long Adi Ganga that runs from the Hooghly to the Bay of Bengal

The National Green Tribunal wants that the 75-Km long Adi Ganga that runs from the Hooghly to the Bay of Bengal be restored. It has sought reports from three central departments on the condition of the strip of water known as Adi Ganga and how it can by restored.
The three departments are the National Ganga River Basin Authority, Ganga rejuvenation ministry and the environment, forest and climate change ministry and the NGT wants that they submit their reports by January 27.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 20 December 2016.

This unique body of water used to be a key transport link in the city and large parts of South 24-Parganas. But, over a period of time, it has disappeared in places like Garia, Rajpur, Sonarpur because houses, fuel pumps and other structures have come up on what was once the course of the waterway.
In 1998, the state government had indicated in a report to the high court that 40,000 people had been living in shanties set up by encroaching on the banks of the channel. There were as many as 7,851 illegal structures identified along a 15.5-km stretch of the waterway (from Hastings to Garia) - it included 90 temples, 69 godowns and 12 cattle sheds.
In addition, environmentalists feel that the construction of 300-odd pillars along the middle of Adi Ganga to support the Metro Railway viaduct from Tollygunge to Garia has further ruined the channel. NGT is of the opinion that, the ancient waterway can be restored if all the concerned agencies of the central and the state government took an "active interest" in the matter.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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