The Ganges - A New Hope

The River Ganges is considered to be the holiest river in India with a deep and long history of spiritual, economic, and religious significance. A life-giving source, the river provides water to 40% of India's population. The river on its path from the Himalayas, where it rises from, to the Bay of Bengal, crosses 2500 km through the northern and eastern states of India. Geographical boundaries do not hold back the mighty river, which flows through parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh. It accounts for 30% of our country's water resources and 26% of its landmass. The Ganges has been declared India's National River.

Yet the fate of River Ganga itself seems bleak. It is one of the most polluted rivers in Asia, crossing the WHO defined levels of permissible pollutants by 3000 times. Everyday 1.7 billion litres of waste such as defecation, untreated industrial waste and pollution during religious events runs into the river. Additionally, about 89 million litres of sewage is disposed off in the river daily. The water is very quickly becoming unfit for drinking, bathing and even agricultural purposes. The discovery of Mercury in the water has raised alarms.

Earlier governments have attempted to clean the Ganges. Rajv Gandhi, in 1984, began a campaign to restore the river and rebuild the banks. However, due to a lack of technological resources and expertise at the time, the complex problems were unresolved.

Three decades later, on August 15th 2014, current Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the "Clean India"movement. The Clean Ganga Project is of national significance and the roadmap towards achieving it is not a smooth one. Billions of Rupees, massive intellectual and physical resources and meticulous governance are essential components required to take on this mega problem. However, it also represents a great business opportunity for those involved in urban planning, clean technology, wastewater management, sanitation, agriculture and infrastructure.

"The Government has taken a great step forward but in order to maintain momentum and achieve objectives it is imperative that the private sector play a large role in the execution of national plans." states Mr. Arun Lakhani, MD Vishvaraj Infrastructure and a great promoter of government-private relationships.

The "large role"mentioned by Mr. Lakhani can be best defined as a "Public Private Partnership"or a PPP. Many believe that only private organizations with their streamlined processes and sense of accountability towards investors would be capable of bringing this much sought after change. Some experts have even gone as far as to state that only foreign companies with their technology and managerial prowess can solve the complexities of this situation. In fact, foreign direct investment regulations may be relaxed to attract funding and technology.

A PPP model has given rise to several opportunities and with vigilante monitoring and diligent reporting, a clean River Ganga could be a reality. The current situation, however, is dire. Thousands of villages need toilets, waste management facilities and sewage treatment plants. Small manufacturing units often dump toxic waste and in order to prevent this, treatment facilities will need to be constructed. Modern technology makes it possible to remove pollutants from the water and treat it but this too will require resources and budgetary expenditure. Long term solutions highly depend on the education of people living along the banks, development of sustainable practices within the agricultural community and the prevention of chemical fertilisers flowing into the river.

"The big question is, "Who will take on this colossal task?". The answer is "Everyone, starting from the government and trickling down to individual citizens. Everyone needs to be responsible."said Mr. Lakhani.

Indeed, the government has begun on this journey and has beckoned several individuals and organisations to join it. With a massive budgetary requirement of $15 billion and a timeline of 8 years to achieve full restoration, the Government has turned towards private investors. Some reports have suggested that 70% of the funding will be provided by the Private sector, across the coming decade.

With the opportunity to make a change and earn profits comes a large risk. Not every private player is willing to enter into a PPP, let alone be eligible. The long term nature of this project and the perceived issues of working with the Government has kept several players away from the Clean Ganga Project. Then there are those who have risen to the occasion and hope to make the most of the current situation.

Not surprisingly, international companies have been quick to make a move. Israeli and Danish companies were some of the first to show interest in entering a PPP. Some 200 Israeli companies have been considered capable of purifying the Ganga.

In the south, the state of Karnataka has allowed NaanDanJain, an Indian-Israeli company, to create a test farm to study drip irrigation with the hope of saving water. Agriculture and the irrigation industry are at a stage where their growth is inevitable and this has attracted attention of foreign players.

Gujrat has already opened its doors to a group of Danish companies who are implementing a water management project. The PM's state aims to reduce pollution through this pilot project, study the process and spread the knowledge. Revolutionary ideas, transition of expertise and a change in practices are the goals.

A natural way of cleansing the river water, by creating a series of channels and wetlands, is being explored by Water Revive, a bio-engineering company which aims to use low-maintenance, natural solutions.

"With a problem this complex.it only makes sense that different approaches are explored within the PPP model", states Mr. Lakhani, an expert in executing PPPs.

The Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor is leading the NewTech initiative which aims at matching Indian water, energy and environment technology companies with Israeli counterparts to discover solutions.

This is just the first wave of hope that India is witnessing. There is much to be done and Indian companies will also play a large role in the coming years, but it is a great sign to witness support from countries across the world. It has helped to reinforce the benefits of a PPP and encouraged several National players too. There will be medium and long-term projects of varied nature and each will be a great chance for private companies to come forwards and help in shaping the evolution of the Ganges and the Nation.

Clean Ganga - A River full of Hope

Jawaharlal Nehru once stated, "The Ganga to me is the symbol of India's memorable past which has been flowing into the present and continues to flow towards the ocean of the future."

Today, although the words still hold true, the future of the great River Ganga itself seems bleak. The mighty river cultural, ecological and critical economic value for the entire nation. The river on its path from the Himalayas, where it rises from, to the Bay of Bengal crosses 2500 km through the northern and eastern states of India. Geographical boundaries do not hold back the mighty river, which flows through parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh. It accounts for 30% of our country's water resources, 26% of its landmass and 40% of India's population lives in villages, towns and cities close to the river which is why as of 2008 the Ganges has been declared India's National River.

Without any other information, it may come as a surprise to many that this nationally significant water body is among the top 10 most polluted rivers, globally. However with the river basin directly supporting 357 odd million people and spanning an area of 1,086,000 sq. km, the effects of pollution and overpopulation have taken its toll on the river. Cities such as Delhi, Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, Allahabad and Kolkata create and discharge massive amounts of waste water. Out of the approximate 11 billon litres of sewage that enters the river from 181 towns, only 45% is treated.

Governments have come and left, each having understood the implications of a damaged Ganga and trying to begin initiatives to clean the river. 11 states along the river have been identified for implementing a mammoth sewer network. With an operation this size several government agencies will need to come together but more importantly a large and consistent source of money is required. However it is clear that the government, with it's numerous priorities, will not be able to fund the entire project on their own and will definitely not be able to efficiently manage the operations single-handedly.

Governments have come and left, each having understood the implications of a damaged Ganga and trying to begin initiatives to clean the river. 11 states along the river have been identified for implementing a mammoth sewer network. With an operation this size several government agencies will need to come together but more importantly a large and consistent source of money is required. However it is clear that the government, with it's numerous priorities, will not be able to fund the entire project on their own and will definitely not be able to efficiently manage the operations single-handedly.

In 1985, the Ganga Action Plan was launched to improve the water quality. Phase-2 was initiated in 1993 with the aim to treat sewage before it entered the Ganga and four tributaries - Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and Mahanadi. 2009 saw the emergence of NGRBA - National Ganga River Basin Authority which was responsible for empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for cleaning the river. None of this was enough and it was soon very clear that a major leap had to be made if India was to save its bountiful Ganga.

With this awareness the Indian Government has created the 'Namaami Gange' Project - a programme to conserve the River Ganga. An initial amount of Rs. 20.4 billion was allocated during 2014. A multi-entity approach including the ministries of Rural Development, Shipping and Water Resources has been adopted. Their objective is to free all villages along the river bank from open defecation by 2022 and incentives states to extend sewer reach to all 181 towns. A further Rs. 510 billion will be invested in to sewerage infrastructure during the course of this project.

With a project of this scale it was clear from the start that the government would need to join forces with the private sector. A Public Private Partnership (PPP) model made perfect sense. A PPP would help in raising additional funds and implementing various subsidiary projects such as setting up of sewage treatment plants.

The Centre has decided to completely fund certain activities under this programme, while handing over others to the private players. The disappointing results of the GAP has also driven the Centre to provide operation and maintenance assistance and they have opted for a PPP/SPV approach.

In addition a four-battalion Ganga Eco-Task Force and a territorial army unit are being planned to keep river pollution at a check.

In order to understand how a PPP could greatly help this initiative, we need to understand the financial and operational implications of the entire scheme. We spoke to Mr. Arun Lakhani, MD Vishvaraj Infrastructures, a PPP expert and a great promoter of government-private relationships.

"It is important that the objective be clear. The Ganga is crucial to the future of India and its prosperity, hence, it must be protected and developed so that it can yield all that it is capable of. This is not a one company or one government job. We must all contribute and a PPP creates an excellent path for this", said Mr. Arun Lakhani

With an estimated investment of Rs.80,000 crore need to clean the Ganga, the government is in dire need of financial assistance. The private players will be able to shoulder a great portion of this burden by bringing in about Rs. 56,000 crore.

Activists and the media too will have to play a great role by spreading awareness of the importance of this project and by encouraging the citizens to take a more pro-active and responsible approach towards the conservation of the river. A special ministry has been created by the ruling party to over see all activities related to the holy river.

With an investment of 25-30% of the total, the government hopes to encourage organic farming near the river to reduce the flow of pesticides and fertilisers in to the river and provide better sanitary infrastructure such bio toilets.

Private sector players will assist in dredging the river at certain points to allow the navigation of small ships such as the ones traversing from Varanasi to Hoogly. Tourism is being seen as a great way to boost the economies of the villages and towns along the Ganga but also as a way to encourage people to maintain the river.

The responsibility of collecting waste water and treating it will lie on the shoulders of private players who will need to maintain government-set standards and provide regular reports. "Public-Private-Partnerships are a successful model when executed with equal accountability, efficiency and honesty. Monitoring is necessary for long-term results", commented Mr. Lakhani.

In the longer scheme of things, it is yet too early to see how the PPP model will fare. If the attempt to Clean Ganga is to be successful, the government will need to remain efficient while planning, vigilante when monitoring and transparent when communicating with the public. Private sectors players entering this project will hopefully bring with them a streamlined approach, processes which will reduce time and cost and the expertise need to once again witness the River Ganga in all its power.

"We must learn to give, give, and give like the Sun, And like Mother Ganga - with no hesitation, no expectation, no vacation and no discrimination." – H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Founder of Ganga Action Parivar and Spiritual Head of Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh)

Rejuvenating The Ganga

Water, especially fresh river water, has been the cradle of the civilization and has led to both the birth & downfall of human settlements. To see a worthy example of the importance of the rivers in any civilization we need not see any further than the Great Ganga - a historically revered water body across the ages in India.

But the Ganga, as the world knows it, is slowly losing its identity; one of the major reasons for this being industrialization.

Ganga - More than just a river:
Ganga is one of nature's finest spectacles and a sight to behold. Those who have visited this mighty river have never left without being awed by its majesty and grandeur. The river has flown in all its glory since thousands of years giving birth to innumerable stories and scriptures around it.

Sadly, these very cities that the Ganga gave birth to, have contributed to its tragic downfall.

The Ganga is dying a slow and visibly painful death.

Ganga - The Problems:
One of the biggest problems is the pollution and it is not surprising. Take any major river around the world and you will see it facing similar issues.

Toxic is the right word when it comes to defining the current condition of water of Ganga. And the reason for it is not too difficult to find.

One of the obvious reasons being the domestic and industrial sewage that is being released uninhibitedly every day into the river waters. With so many industries flourishing around Ganga it is was only a matter of time before this happened.

Another reason that has contributed greatly to the pollution of Ganga are the rituals performed at its bank; immersing the ashes of a dead person being one of them.

But that's not all. If you think human beings are the only ones affected by this, you are wrong.

The polluted water has led to the depletion and in many cases extinction of the freshwater flora and fauna. To get the idea of how bad the situation is sample this. There are only four species of river Dolphins left in the world and one of them happens to be in Ganga and it has been declared endangered.

Over fishing is another menace plaguing Ganga. The river is a hunting ground for fishermen. But the fishermen too cannot be blamed for it as there is hardly any other alternative way of earning their livelihood.

Solutions for cleaner Ganga:
The solutions to these problems need to be implemented in a planned manner which must be pursued with strong dedication over a long period of time.

"The immediate step to take would be minimizing the pollution of the water. The river bank needs to be stabilised by carrying out activities like plantation. Laws must be put in place specifically for industries around Ganga so as to minimize the damage to the river." Says Mr. Arun Lakhani, MD Vishvaraj Infrastructure and leading authority on waste water management.

Another method is to bring in private partners in this cleanliness drive. They must be engaged through partnerships of varying types. Thanks to the advancements in water conservation technology there are now methods available to ensure the preservation of this great river.

We now come to the most important component of the solution, people.

An awareness must be inculcated in people about how their actions (and inactions) are hurting the Ganga. By making these very people a part of the solution will go a long way in ensuring a cleaner Ganga.

They must be encouraged to inculcate civic habits that improve the quality of Ganga's surroundings. The dependence of fishermen on Ganga should be minimised by providing them an alternative source of livelihood.

The cleaner Ganga movement has gained a lot of momentum. We must stop viewing Ganga as a part of a particular community but rather as a source of national pride.

This should be looked at as preserving a national heritage that cuts across the lines of faith and unites people. Hence, it must be considered as a duty of every Indian to contribute towards it.

The Ganga Story: Balancing Environment & Efficiency

It is undeniable that no matter the size of a PPP project, it will always have some level of impact on environment around it.But the sad part is that quite often environmental sustainability is the last thing in the mind of developers. As a result more harm is done to it than good. Hence it is always stressed upon that outcome of a PPP project must be more than just a physical entity.

It thus becomes very important that development and protection of environment must go hand in hand. Besides, it must also achieve a vision of a just and sustainable world.

One of the prime examples where balancing efficiency and environment is a must is river Ganga says Arun Lakhani, MD Vishvaraj Infrastructure Ltd. and leading expert on PPP and water conservation.

The Ganga Story:
Perhaps there is no other river in the world that is as revered, spoken about and controversial as the Ganga.

Although the current government has started an initiative to restore the legendary river to its glory, there is much more that needs to be done says Lakhani.

It starts with PPP projects around Ganga. One of the biggest mistakes that are made is to underestimate their contribution to pollution of the river.Under the surface of Ganga flows huge, in fact millions of gallons, of industrial waste, effluents. This happens due to lack of planning.

It cannot be denied that starting and finishing the project in quickest time possible is what most PPP project are all about. Environmental factors are given least preference (until it happens to be around heritage sites or forest or similar zones).

The outcome of such lethargic attitude is shocking. The least of these is the spread of waterborne diseases. The polluted water has affected the free flow of river water making it stagnant.

So bad is the condition that even cleansing of river will be a monumental task; but it must be done.

The Solution:
River Ganga is in dire condition and it needs immediate attention.

It begins with inculcating a habit of making environmental sustainability a core consideration in the Ganga Cleanup initiative (or anywhere else for that matter).

Policies need to be drafted to prevent any further deterioration of the river. Extra care needs to be taken when any new projects are given the green light.

"Given the poor waste management record until now near Ganga, there must be stricter policies that ensure it does not remain so. In fact, it would be better if there can be projects that can minimise or even better remove the current problems that ails the river Ganga" says Lakhani.

Water is a priceless resource. It is the duty of those parties involved to ensure that it is utilised wisely (not only by themselves but also by the people who visit Ganga).

It is not as though river Ganga is the only one facing such problems. There are multiple such instances around the world. But our priority is must be to repair the damages done to it and remove it from the state of degradation and crisis.