Den mægtige flod er hellig og møjbeskidt – efter et laangt tilløb gøres der nu noget
Indian officials signed an agreement with the World Bank Tuesday to use a 1 billion US dollar (5 milliarder DKR) loan to finance the first major new effort in more than 20 years to cleanse the revered (hellige) Ganges, one of the world’s dirtiest rivers.
The long-awaited loan is part of a government project that aims to halt the discharge (udledning) of untreated wastewater into the river by 2020.
The Ganga, known as the most sacred river to Hindus, is a lifeline for millions of Indians who live along its course (løb). Its sprawling basin accounts for one-fourth of the country’s water resources and is home to more than 400 million – or some one-third of India’s population
Indian Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, while signing the agreement said:
– The objective of the Ganga project is that by 2020 no municipal sewage (bykloakker) and industrial effluent will be let into the river without treatment. With help from the World bank, we are taking a big step forward in achieving this mission.
The project will focus on building and strengthening the National Ganga River Basin Authority’s (NGRBA) related institutions at the central and state levels, establishing a world-class Ganga Knowledge Centre, enhancing river basin management and financing select investments to reduce point-source pollution in a sustainable manner, the minister noted.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
